Ileostomy diet, vitamins and loss of appetite

Hi Joy80

i have an ileostomy although my op was different my appetite was apprehensive at best. I found things that my stoma found easy to process in the beginning. It’s consisted of mainly beige carbs and dairy with white bread. It took some adjustment but after two weeks I ate white bread fish finger sandwiches with salted butter and mayo which I thoroughly enjoyed. Little steam puddings with custard or ice cream. I kept a food diary sticking to their recommendations after two weeks I would add a new food and see how I went. I was paranoid about blocking. Your mum may be feeling the same. Isotonic drinks for hydration helped.
If she likes a pudding that’s a good start.
Little and often probably six little meals a day. I started with half a sandwich.

I tried complan as I had that before my op to build up my energy sadly I had really loose output so stuck with very small amounts of food. 
it gets easier I’m having a full roast today and have done for a long while. 
Hope all goes well. 

Thank you for replying, I'll passing those recommendations to my mum, luckily she loves all the things you suggested. I think you're right, she's probably subconsciously paranoid about eating too much and having her bag fill up too quickly for her to handle. 

Thank you xx

It’s natural to be concerned about what you eat in the beginning. I was super careful. But I stuck to a toddler diet and after couple weeks I introduced slowly. Six weeks on the stoma formed and things get so much easier.

Fishfinger sandwiches with mayo is still one of my favourites. 

Hi Joy,

My husband is slightly different in that he has a colostomy rather than ileostomy. At first he ate very little, what I would call 'sparrow' meals. He is just about eating the same as I now after 3 months.  I am still careful about no seeds or nuts, and sieve things if I am unsure about the contents. After one blockage (due to adhesions) we don't want another! The hospital prescribed him the high protein drinks as he lost so much weight and he is still on them, regaining weight slowly. It might be worth you asking about them as they have certainly helped him. They will often drink, even if they don't feel like eating. 

I had a hysterectomy 4 years ago, by keyhole. I can't say that affected my appetite, and I recovered quickly. Your Mum has had a bigger operation than I did, though. 

Hi, yes definitely 'sparrow' meals. I think she will be prescribed with those protien drinks which she's trying to drink, whilst on hospital,  throughout the day. 

They will definitely help, and you can choose which flavours to have when at home. My husband didn't like the fruit flavours, so has vanilla and chocolate. I think they said 4 of those a day will keep you alive, so any food you eat other than that is a bonus initially.

Hi Joy80,

I can only speak from my own experiences after undergoing a bowel resection.

I believe you have to fuel your body with goodness to ensure it can recover it the best possible way.

I am into fitness and nutrition, nutrition is key and I have research all the products on the market and believe I have found the best for me.

The are vegan, plant based - I use JuicePlus products.

x

hi Joy80 after my illiostomy whilst still in hospital I was given a drink to build me up called Ensure. - I'd lost three stone in a short space of time. I had to order it from my pharmacy. These are best drunk cold and come in different flavours.