Worried, struggling, scared to eat

Yes. Don’t worry the stoma group will advise you with lots of tips. There’s products that can help 

xx

Hi Paula, firstly, you can have a cheese and pickle sarnie, as long as no bits from the pickle, so just the sauce, as it were, I was in hospital a week, and they gave me cereal and toast, then soup for lunch, followed by either turkey or beef with mashed spuds and mashed carrot, then a sponge pudding with custard. After you've had the stoma a week, you should be eating regular food, bring fruit and veg in slowly, if you have a reaction, take it, I know I had one orange juice when I go home, just 125ml, and Mt stoma went into overdrive, I had inly changed the bag a few times, and I have to say it was sh1t show, I couldn't get the new bag on quickly enough and I had a break down, now I'm more careful  and the 2 piece bag is good for me, I have sensitive skin, and changing bags was like ripping skin off, the have to use the spray to get the adhesive off, rubbing or scratching,it's easier for me, they're not causing any skin problems now. Have you been online to get some samples? Do you have some flanges? I use coloplast 2 piece bags, with clinimed flanges, the very thin ones, not the spongey ones, and can have the base plate on for 7 or 8 days, the flanges stay stuck really well.i don't know what they're called, but you can get a small flange, that you can fix around the stoma, and when you put a bag or baseplate on, they stay stuck and I've never had a leak, I do hwve days when it's in overdrive and can use up to 6 bags a day, which would leave me raw red skin, there's loads of people you can get samples from, also I use a barrier spray, it helps to protect the skin, and yes it needs to be a snug fix. I'm like you, I lie down on the bed and fit the bags, as I too hwve a saggy belly!!! As for the food, eat some more things, you shouldn't be just eating ice cream and jelly, within 2 weeks from fitting of stoma, you should be eating the way you did before the stoma was around. The best thing I did was getting a lot of samples from everyone who has them, samples of different bags, I use a closed bag, but there's so many products out there for different problems, as it were, and they're generally great at sending samples to you, no fees, I use bullens, but search for stoma samples and have a look at all the products, and see if there's something that could make things a bit easier. Have a plate of chips and gravy, that's what I craved. Take care. Rosie  xx

At the minute I got two different sort of bags that the stoma nurse gave me, I have had my bag on since 6th Jan 9 days I see my stoma nurse Thursday, 

Done two bags by myself today and managed to stand up and do them with a little help from my daughter holding my flabby bit back haha, but I did it and proud I have 

So glad I came on here last night now as am feeling more positive today 

Paula x

Well done you, is you're stoma concave, and you use a convex bag? Mines in a dip near my belly button and I use convex bags, I much prefer the 2 piece bags, cos you only change the bag, baseplate stays on, it's just easier for me, and the new flanges I've got that st just around the stoma, then baseplate, the flanges around the baseplate and then the bag, I find these easier, as you take a bag off,stick one on without the need to be standing up or on the bed. You will find something that suits you, if you haven't already found it, but there's so many companies that do free samples, I just asked both for samples, and then eventually I stood up to my stoma nurse, and tried the 2 piece bags, I hate my stoma, and I won't get used to it. It was necessary at the time, but I am managing better with it. I hope you've had something more to eat, you shoulld be eating more now, white bread, fish and chips, yep my nutritionist told me I could have fish and chips, big mac, but take off the seeds of the top, don't limit your food, try having 4 or 5 small meals rather than 3 large ones. The people on here are great, been, seen and done for most, so please keep asking if there's things you wonder about, as I say I'm still new to it, 2nd November mine went in, and I'm still learning, and I have had more info from people on here, than I got with my stoma nurse,she made me feel like a child at school, I'm 55!!! Take care, I'm around if you need advice. Rosie xx

Hi Miss Tee

Bigbird has an Ileostomy which needs an opening type to empty. Ileostomy’s usually are free flowing requiring approx two hourly emptying.
At first mine needed emptying through the night but once I found the right diet I could sleep from midnight until near eight with no leaks. It takes time. The best way is no food after six in the evening and if the output is loose two dry crackers at ten. Empty the pouch at midnight and sleep like a baby 

I actually loved my Whoopi it saved my life had a character of it’s own and I used to be amused at seeing the output that I ate. 
Yes I’m reversed and still housebound. I was free as a bird with my stoma 

Oh Bigbird I was told high salt and sugar, white bread and pasta. I thought that shocking but soon got used to it. The large bowel stores the salt and sugar and with an Ileostomy’s the large bowel isn’t used  also isotonic sports type drinks are really important, I used to buy the cheap own brand  I drank up to 6pts of weak squash  that took some building up to however that’s also needed with Ileostomy’s as dehydration can happen quickly  I used to know if I felt dehydrated, headache, wobbly and just unwell 

Best wishes xxx

Oh I forgot smooth peanut butter Ileostomy can cause a lack of serotonin which comes from nuts in our bodies. Peanut butter on white bread fixes that. Nuts are a no no at your stage and no skins on anything now. That will come later with chew chew chew. Sadly no sweetcorn!
Latter on you can have a full English with tinned tomatoes chopped bacon and sausages with eggs. I was so excited with my first one 

Ann they never gave me free flowing bags I got ones that you take off and replace as the stoma nurse told me it be easier for me but gonna ask her questions tomorrow as I left a message the other day on answer machine but they must of already gone home, thanks for the drinks advice as I remember the stoma nurse saying I could have luczade sport.

And I have drank loads of weak juice today x

How many times do you change a day? I used to empty on average six times a day Do you have a colostomy then? Xx

Well done drinking that juice.

It’s really important 

That's the thing, twice today in the morning and afternoon then yesterday I had a meltdown my bag was so full it went everywhere but that was the first one I had done, for nearly 24 hours, and I don't know what I had done they never said and they never gave me my discharge papers either 

My bag is on my left side and all they said to me is if before was if it's in the right it's temp but if it's on the left it's permanent it just confuses me so much trying to take everything thing in and them literally throwing me in the deep end 

Xx

Bless you 

This is really not fair on you. Do you have your colorectal nurses number. They should have given you their card

When your consultant discussed your treatment plan your nurses and all the medics would have been at that plan. Your nurses are your point of contact for advice. The stoma nurses are separate 

Lefthand side is a colostomy. Loop colostomy’s and loop Ileostomy’s can be reversed. So they should have explained it to you properly. Please give your nurses a ring to check what operation you’ve had. It helps you here as well 

Yes I’m not an expert on colostomy’s but I know a girl that is and now I’ve learned to tag her into this conversation. SarahH21 

I think Colostomy’s have a much bigger selection of foods they can eat. 
Sending you a big hug