SO LONG STOMA and how to avoid the NG tube

[GreenMonkey]

I don't want to jinx anything, but so far, this whole reversal process has been very doable. I bought lots of creams and depends and pads, expecting the worst but its been very smooth sailing once I finally got out of the hospital. True, the white, BRAT diet is boring but it beats shitting in a bag. And if I do eat something that causes burning, my BIOBIDET is a godsend! I highly recommend it.

And I read three weeks post takedown things would change for the better and it sure did! I'm even wearing white pants! I didn't expect to do that until next summer.

I do worry about getting a blockage. Can anyone tell me what foods to avoid? The last thing I want is a NG tube!

Thanks, Shannon

[nitebreez]

I bought lots of creams and depends and pads, expecting the worst but its been very smooth sailing once I finally got out of the hospital.

I did that exact same thing! Had a whole bunch of stuff I wound up never using. It just surprized me how well everything worked after getting out of the hospital. True,..things were petty sensitive for a little while,..but the plumbing worked! And at first I didn't do the BRAT diet,...just was pretty careful what I ate. I DID do things like bananas and home-made yogurt (yum).

[juliej]

Shannon, I was like you and nitebreez - maybe the trick is to over-prepare! I avoided raw vegetables, nuts, popcorn, and things like that for the first 6 weeks. Then I started adding them back, a few bites at a time. The first item was a small Greek salad, then a small handful of almonds, and then by the 9-month mark, I was wolfing down popcorn!

Also, remember to protect the stoma site as it heals. No sit-ups or abdominal exercises for 6 months, although your can do almost any other kind of exercise. As soon as it's healed over, use silicon gel sheets on the scar. They've been clinically proven to shrink, flatten, and fade scars. I used ScarAway brand. You can't feel them after they're applied and mine stayed on during some pretty sweaty workouts. The material allows moisture and oxygen to pass through, so the skin underneath stays healthy.

Congratulations on a successful reversal!

[gtownguy]

Shannon,

SO glad to hear that things are going well for you. I'm 8 months post-reversal and overall things are pretty good for me as well. I've been eating whatever I want and haven't really had any problems. Once in a while, there's an occasional bad bathroom day, but that's not very often.

The only thing I've found that causes a problem is Mexican food and it wasn't a blockage - quite the opposite in fact. On the other hand, I've noticed that starchy things like rice or potatoes seems to slow things down a bit and can lead to skipping a BM sometimes for a day or two.

Anyway, hope you have continued success!

[CRguy]

Can anyone tell me what foods to avoid? The last thing I want is a NG tube!
Thanks, Shannon

I basically went with what was OK while I had the ostomy in. There should have been a list for you of what to avoid, what to limt, what was Ok and what was ..."don't even think about it ! "

My basic rule was : " If it comes out the back door, looking ANYTHING like what it was going in the front door...we don't be eating it ! "

SO ... popcorn hulls, celery strands, corn, mega vegie stuff etc. etc. etc.

Get a workable diet plan and add ONE thing to it for a few days, see how it goes... if OK add ONE more and build up to what you CAN have and then you'll avoid all the warnings about what you CAN'T have because you will have defined your own diet.

JMO YMMV
Cheers
CRguy

[GreenMonkey]

OH THAT IS GOOD NEWS! Thank you for replying everyone! (and its good to know about no sit ups, etc).

I notice burning sensation from any sort of spice (I think) I also worried about taking my vitamins - capsules. so I try to stretch them out.

[justin case]

I don't want to jinx anything, but so far, this whole reversal process has been very doable. I bought lots of creams and depends and pads, expecting the worst but its been very smooth sailing once I finally got out of the hospital. True, the white, BRAT diet is boring but it beats shitting in a bag. And if I do eat something that causes burning, my BIOBIDET is a godsend! I highly recommend it.

And I read three weeks post takedown things would change for the better and it sure did! I'm even wearing white pants! I didn't expect to do that until next summer.

I do worry about getting a blockage. Can anyone tell me what foods to avoid? The last thing I want is a NG tube!

Thanks, Shannon

Lettuce unless very well chewed or shredded, and tomato skins, as well as any vegetable skins etc.
Regards,
Michael

[nicola smith]

for me, following a diet without non-soluble fibre was very important (i.e. avoid raw vegetables, nuts, granola etc.). I did this for about 4-weeks and then gradually increased to other tupes of foods. Also the MD Anderson protocol for bowel management taught me a lot about how to use metamucil and imodium to regulate bowel movement. I had no blockages.

Here's a link to the diet.
[url]
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=& ... 5269,d.aWw[/url]

Googling MD Anderson Bowel Management for Frequent Stools should bring up the MD Anderson program

I also found it well worth the money to buy a bidet - the sort that replaces the regular toilet seat. Bio-Bidet has worked well for me for several years now.

good luck