New to this

Welcome to our little corner of the online community and I'm very sorry that your journey has brought you to our doorstep.

I'm going to disillusion you, I'm afraid that no one will be offended by your username this is the group that toilet humour reigns and talk of poo is the order of the day and yes I have to tell you, you are normal every day is different and as you have found out eating the same food every day could result in a difference in your output, as are no two of us are the same.

Unfortunately until the surgeon actually sees what he is facing when he starts can he only know if a stoma will be required, but you should have been prepared about this at a prior appointment.

It's a fine line between in an ileostomy output ranging from watery to porridge consistency.

The pain around your stoma could still mean that your body and internal organs are settling down and causing a pain and unless you are experiencing other symptoms I don't think you have a blockage as you have good output and passing wind, which can be very vocal at times this can be disguised with an extra layer of clothing and if happens in company or at work laugh it off.

At times you will find that your output will squirt out but we have little tricks to try and thicken it up and it often helps to eat marshmallows, jelly babies, stewed apple and mashed potatoes plus you could ask your GP about taking immodium, he will probably start on a low dosage but under his supervision it can be increased to 16mg or more per day.

Keeping a food diary is our answer to keeping track on how foods affect our output and by recording everything we eat and drink and what the end result is gives us a good idea of what is going on.

You have foods that can cause watery output, foods that cause wind, drinks that cause wind but in the main you should now be at stage of eating the foods you previously enjoyed but instead of having three main per day change it to 6 small meals spread throughout the day and try to stop eating about 5 - 6 pm every day.

You should aim to drink about 1½ litres of fluids per day water, squash, tea, coffee and soups but avoiding fizzy drinks, beers, champagne and prosecco! Also don't drink during meals before or after. As you output is watery there is possibility that you could lose salts and minerals and could become dehydrated hence keeping up the fluids and replacing the electrolytes in your body and this is a good excuse for a packet of crisps every so often.

We all wish we has asked questions before our surgery but now that you have found us you can ask us anything you like, there is no such thing as a silly question on here every one is valid and needs to be answered and we are much better that Google and as we are the ones who wake up every morning and live each day with a stoma so who knows better than us on how to solve problems.

I'm about every day to answer questions on any subject just keep asking nothing is too much trouble, you are not alone but you are normal.

Keep in touch 

Ian

CC

Hi Tumbum!

Welcome! I don't think you will find anyone here who will be offended by your name! And you are so right about having a sense of humour. I have a colostomy, not an ilieostomy, so I don't think I can help you very much at all, but I just wanted to say to you that you are normal! Normal is different for everyone, so yes, you're normal!! I'm sure someone will be along to help you with your iliestomy. In the meantime, you'll get back to work and life will be as normal as it can be. Working in a quiet office could be interesting - it's up to you whether you say to colleagues about your ileostomy. I work in an office with 10 others and not one of them know of my colostomy, although my bosses do. You may need to practice the innocent look for any noises, and quick as a flash look accusingly at someone else lol.

I'm sure your stoma nurses will answer your questions too - don't forget they're there for you for life!

Take care

Linda :-)

Ian, thanks so much. I guess food diary is the way forward. I'm not going to lie, my diet was rubbish before, but I'm desperate now to just eat a salad with spinich and baby leaves and cucumber..... When can I do that? I was told introducing fibre fro. 6 weeks is fine, but would a whole salad be too much? And will I ever eat porridge again while I have this? 

I find some days I can eat almost anything with little or no effect on my stoma. I’ve had my ileostomy for just over three months, and today she’s been a right pain. Had a stir fry and ended up in serious pain at 3am this morning! I’ve had chronic stomach ache followed by upset stomach. Had to empty my bag 5 times in 8 hours. I’d had the same stir fry on Sunday and just had a bit of wind, so who knows what goes on. I’m on restricted fluids so am constantly thirsty. If you drink too much your bag just makes your output more liquid. Some days I don’t care and drink a bit more. It’s a case of deciding what you can put up with. I’d rather eat what I want and “suffer the consequences”! Good luck.

I had my stoma (Gollum) for about 10 months before reversal in December. I was told to have a low fibre diet when I had him and surgeon told me to carry on with it, no spicy foods, etc. Have not had a drink of beer for 12 months and no wine since last August. Boring, but it helped. Avoid any food with seeds, no peas, beans, salad etc. Boring but worth the effort. Certainly no fizzy drinks, just tea, coffee, fruit juice and plenty of water, about 1 to 1 1/2 litres a day. Loperamide certainly worth taking I was on 24 a day before I'm but now just between 12 to 16 now. If you need it dioralyte is a good supplement. Make it very strong but it works. I lost just over a stone but have been putting it back slowly. If you are worried get in touch with your stoma team, mine were brilliant. Best of luck. Seeing surgeon next week and hopefully I may be able to expand my diet a bit. Best of luck. Peter.

I would give yourself about another week until you've reached the 6 week mark then start to introduce different foods into your diet then try a small portion of porridge maybe something like Oats so simple pots that you can adjust the consistency (and you don't know how hard that was to suggest that being a Scotsman!). I still make real porridge the thicker the better without problems.

With regard to your salad why not try a small side salad, maybe take the skin off the cucumber and deseed it at first, same as with tomatoes, with regard to the spinach and baby leaves I can only reiterate what I have been advising fellow ostomates for many years and that is no matter what you are eating always chew chew chew etc and just before you swallow have a few more chews just in case, if you see large strands of leaves etc coming out of your bag you haven't chew enough.

Just try small portions of the foods you liked pre OP and see you it has an adverse effect on you, simply miss it out for a week or two then retry. Nothing is set in stone we are all different and our bodies react differently, there is no need to give up just keep preserving and you'll soon be back to normal but remember your body will tell you if your doing something wrong hence the food diary.

Keep me informed how you are getting and ask me any questions don't hold back just ask me anything.

Ian

CC

After 20 years I have still to figure out what is ‘normal’ 

but, your body figures it out. Leading a normal life both at home and at work will come to you, and a lot easier than you imagine 

And what you eat will start to play less of a role as you adapt and adjust to your ostomy  today is Friday  i have A bowl of Pho on a Friday  

it means I need to use a bathroom between leaving the restaurant  and getting back to work  it is worth itand has been for the last 4/5 years  I do it  

i am a big believer in adapting and enjoying the benefits that adapting brings