Food not digesting

[murphyc]

Hello,

I've had my ileostomy for over 25 years. In 2021, I had hernia repair surgery. Now I have another hernia by my stoma and will have it repaired in September.

I used to be able to eat salads and well-cooked vegetables. For the past year, though, I can't digest much beyond bread, chicken, yogurt, pasta and instant mashed potatoes. My vegetables are now V8 juice. Anything else causes a blockage. My body seems unable to digest food well. For example, last night I had pasta with olive oil and fresh basil. This morning, the basil appeared in my bag as green and undigested as it went in.

Has anyone else had this problem and what can I do about it?

Thanks so much!!

[To Dream a Dream]

Thank you for joining us here on the discussion board. Having an ileo with shortened small bowel for many years, I also experience the inability to digest food completely. A thorough knowledge of this condition is vital to successfully managing the changes your body has undergone. Have you visited the main UOAA website? https://www.ostomy.org/diet-nutrition/ This link contains a download for their highly informative booklet. The UOAA website also has a search function to access many topics providing a wealth of free information.
Again, welcome to the board. It's always good to have input from others who have experienced having an ostomy for decades.

[Jay_ileo]

I have had my ileostomy for about five years and had a similar turn of events. Though I cooled my heels when it came to fiber, fruits, veggies, etc. for a couple months after surgery, I was able to go back to eating roasted veggies, refried/mashed beans, quinoa, grapes, nuts, apples, and more shortly after. (Some things never were that great, such as raw carrots, lettuce, and some fruit.) About two and a half years ago, though, I couldn’t take it any more. I would feel sick with watery output and have to lay on my back or side, waiting for things to calm down. I toyed around with water consumption and tea/coffee (I used to have a half cup of coffee in the morning and then a green tea mid morning), but I could not and still have not found a good rhythm. What I am finding now is that if I have too much fiber or something gets thrown off, I will have thick, stodgy output in a limited amount, but once I lay down or turn on my side, all hell breaks loose with cramping, gas, complete and total intestine wipe out, and frequent urges to pass mucus from my rectum. And then it takes a while to recover from that. I am wondering if for me at least part of the culprit might be diversion colitis as I have been having rectal mucus issues as well. So no answer here, but you are at least not alone!

[JerryNYC]

To: To Dream a Dream, Thank you for citing this nutrition booklet for downloading. Even after all these years, I was unaware of it. It should be more prominently cited.