UOAA Discussion Board

Any problems with eating salad with an ostomy pouch? I read that leafy vegetables can cause a blockage.

As with all things ostomy, it depends... For some it might cause issues. For me, with a colostomy, I have never had trouble eating salads...or anything else for that matter! Some folks with ileostomies might have had a different experience. If you are anxious, try small amounts of what you want to eat and see how your system responds.
Hope that helps some.

David

Be sure to chew, chew, chew

After a year I have found that listening to my body early on helped a great deal when it comes to what you can eat. I did avoid items they recommend you avoid initially. Over time I now eat everything I used to eat without issues but as always, everyone is different. I think early on slowly adding foods you love will give you answers over time. I did not get secure about what foods I should test until my body healed so I stayed safe and bland. At some point I got less concerned about what to eat as my body let me know what it would tolerate as I tested more foods. Chew, chew, chew is the best tool no matter what we eat.

Hi all as a long time ilieostomate i avoid foods that dont break down easily like oranges, mushrooms, pineapple and raw veggies, i can eat some popcorn at the movies but i dont overdue it.

Thanks for your input everyone who responded. I appreciate it.

I have an ileostomy and eats lots of salads. I probably eat 5 meals per week that are salads alone. When I first had my surgery, I was scared away from foods such as salads and other leafy-type vegetables, but over time I began eating more and more of them. There are some foods that cause extreme differences (liquidy versus solid) in my output, but I've had no problems eating anything. I also started out trying to make certain I chewed everything really well, but over time, that too has been relaxed.

Best of luck, Garry!

SeaQuest

I just came home from a 4 day hospital stay where I was treated for a small bowel blockage.
I had never been so miserable,with an NG tube for two days. The cause of the blockage,I think,was a piece of baked potato skin I didn’t chew thoroughly. I’ve been chopping lettuce finely and reminding myself to slow down,take small bites and CHEW!