Is Stomach Pain Normal 4 Weeks Post-Surgery If I Don't Eat?

I had emergency surgery about a month ago to have an illieostomy. The wound is closing pretty good, but I am still trying to learn all the ins and outs of pouches etc. Is it normal to feel stomach pains and nausea if I dont eat regularly? I find that eating warm food soothes it. 

Hello navywriter. Thank you for sharing you position and inviting us to comment.
Unfortunately, I already wrote a reply to your post and when it came to be posting my reply, I got a message to say that someone was trying to hack my (or MAO) system and I SHOULD CLOSE DOWN IMMEDIATELY. Annoyingly, this meant losing what I had written and having to try to remember what it was I wanted to say, (Not easy for someone who is losing their ability to remember things) However, I’m now writing this on WORD, so that if it gets lost on MAO, it will not be lost for good.
I believe that compared to the rest of the population, there is very little that is ‘normal’ about having a stoma. However, the symptoms you describe are probably fairly ‘normal’ immediately after the operation as the physical body needs time to heal.
Stomach pains and nausea have become ‘normal’ symptoms of many things which may or may not have their root-cause in the stoma itself. What has become apparent in the modern world is that fortunes are being made in the selling of potential remedies for the myriad of digestive tract problems. Some of them work on a temporary basis but few manufacturers of these remedies will guide people towards a more permanent solution which might diminish their profits.
Each of us have different responses to different foodstuffs and it behoves us to experiment to find out which ones suits us, and which ones cause us problems.
I, for instance, tend to drink plain hot water, rather than anything manufactured such as tea, coffee and other drinks. The caffeine based ones make me shake as if I had the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Foodstuff with certain preservatives play havoc with my digestive system, so I tend to make my own meals without preservatives. Animal fats have always made me feel nauseous to the extent that I used to throw up at the smell or sight of them, so they are off the menu. (I have been vegetarian for years, so this has no longer been a problem) When I was incontinent, I only used to eat in the early morning and late evening, which was useful for the condition but useless for the indigestion problems (all a matter of balance and compromise). Obviously, there are a few specific foods which I cannot eat, either because I don’t like them or because they don’t seem to like me. However, there is a completely different aspect to digestion which needs to be addressed alongside that of diet and that is the phenomenon of ‘stress’. In our modern society there are so many different aspects to the growing stresses that are heaped upon us, that I will not elaborate on them here. What I would say, is that there is little doubt that these psycho-social- emotional stresses seem to have a direct bearing on the digestive system and the propensity for individuals to suffer from things like indigestion, heartburn, IBS, ulcers, and the variety of other conditions involving our ‘guts’. It is often the case that these things are not attended to until they reach the physical stage, at which time the cause is deemed to be physical in nature, whereas the root-cause is probably psychological/emotional. There appears to be little we can do about the societies we live in, which cause us stress, but there are some things we can change about the way we perceive and react to the stresses and strains imposed on us by external forces. I will not delve too deeply into exactly what can be done except to say that our society is made up of some very devious and greedy people who make a profit out of trying to make us feel discontented, so that we buy goods and services that they are selling. Once an individual recognises the ‘con’, they are in a better position to resist and do their own thing, rather than being ‘led’ into discontentment.
Enough of this for now! Best wishes
Bill

Hi Navywriter,

At four weeks post op your body has somewhat recovered but there is still a lot of healing that needs to happen.  I recall eating small amounts of food several times during the day rather than the typical three squares a day.  Now almost 15 years later I can eat just about anything I want.  It will take you time to get to this point so it is a matter of trial and error.  Stay away from anything that is too fibrous and bulky at this point.  

During my recovery (I've had five ostomy related surgeries since 2005) I always stuck to yogurt, chicken or beef, potatoes, carrots, etc.  All well cooked so it is easily digested.  

The pains you are feeling are likely healing pains and this is totally normal.

Best wishes in your recovery; we are here to help if you have any questions.

Brenda