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Learning how to eat a good diet after surgery

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Posted 9/7/2011 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all-

Thanks for the feedback in my previous posts.  I just have so many worries, yet I keep getting so many signals that the colectomy on Oct 10 is the thing to do, especially from this forum.

Tonights question:  I've been in pretty bad shape with this for years but not knowing what was causing it, trying everything, until recently seeing specialist and then a surgeon with this diagnosis.

This past year, especially, my diet has gotten "weird".  Overall healthy, and then some nights, all I wanted to eat was a bowl of popcorn--so I did.  Sometimes I just couldn't eat the protein portion of dinner, i.e. a bite or two of chicken.  I've never eaten much fried food, hate hamburgers, love veggies, etc- but I've gotten so used to eating un--balanced diets that I worry that I won't easily go back to a real/regular/healthy diet after the surgery.

What if poor diet (I love carbs!!) led to this?  Will I just blow any benefits of the surgery by not having a "perfect" diet afterwards?

Anyone else dealt with this?

Thanks!

Posted 9/7/2011 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
For the first few weeks eat whatever you feel lke, if it isn't on your temp no no list. After that it will justbe trial and error as to whatgives you probelms. I have an ileo, but I don't lmit my diet because of it.
I don't eat very healthy sometimes today I had cheese, peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, nachos and cheese, cheese sticks, ice cream and some peanut butter crackers. Bad me! Yesterday though I had peaches, apple sauce, some chicken and some cheese. So some days I do really good, some days not so much, lol.
Posted 9/7/2011 10:32 AM (GMT 0)
I am a notoriously picky eater and all I ever want is carbs. It is really exciting that I can eat things like fruits and veggies now, but it is HARD to eat healthily. It's been so many years of just, eat whatever you can tolerate, and suddenly now I'm forced to make "good" decisions where there isn't like a quick consequence for bad foods like feeling sick.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions, but I do sympathize!

Posted 9/9/2011 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
thanks for the responses...I seem to have so many more worries about this surgery than many on the forum, it helps just to read your answers!
Posted 9/9/2011 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
everyone has worries before surgery, sometimes they are rational, which yours was, sometimes they are not, for instance my worry i would never be able to do a cartwheel again. Its normal to worry about all kinds of things
Posted 9/10/2011 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
What is your diagnosis that is leading to surgery? If it's IBD, then diet did not cause you to have it. It can aggravate or cause worsening of symptoms, but don't ever let anyone convince you that you wouldn't have IBD if you'd just eaten better.

That being said, just be gentle with yourself. In the beginning, you just need to follow the lists they give you. As you slowly add foods back to your diet, you will know what appeals to you and what doesn't. I was surprised how much feeling better led me to want to eat better. Maybe that will happen for you, too. Once you are fully healed and ready to start thinking more specifically about improving your diet, maybe you can see a nutritionist who is familiar with ostomies and get some advice. I wouldn't worry about it too much right now.
Posted 9/10/2011 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
thanks, run4. Diagnosis was colonic inertia or slow transit colon. Oct 12, I will have a Colectomy (I think complete...dr. did say that they will try to connect small intestine to rectum). I didn't know how extreme my constipation was until just a couple of years ago (physically neglected childhood--no-one new if I had BMs or not, and I certainly never knew what to expect). As an adult, I would tell my doctors that I was constipated, and yet they never asked "how much?" just told me to eat better, more rest, less stress. I was a professional athlete for many years, and my diet really is better than I give myself credit for.
I did ask the diagnosing specialist if there was anything I had done/eaten, etc that caused this (I actually called him back and asked him again!) and he said no, that it is a genetic thing for me and that my colon has siezed to work at all (despite taking laxitives and enemas, I've only gone 2X in the past 6 weeks).
I think all of my worries on this forum are pretty much due to the fact that I had NO idea that I would hear anything from the specialist but "try this new laxative" and instead, after the Sitzmark test, he came into to the room and immediately said "you need to have your colon removed". I had never heard of anything like that. It certainly turned my world upside down.
It's been about 12 days since the diagnosis, and I've gotten a second opinion, done research, met with the surgeon, and--thank God--found this board. I have a feeling that this board will provide me with MUCH more useful, honest information than I'm going to get anywhere else!
thanks all!
Posted 9/10/2011 3:52 AM (GMT 0)
I had a total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis 22 years ago (age 31) for megacolon, they also called it adult onset hirshbrungs disease.  Had constipation problems all my life that just got worse with time.  Hard to get a Dr. to take a young person serious with complaints of constipation.  Drink more, eat fiber, eat bran.....Metamucil?  IT TURNS TO CEMENT!  Anyway, going 2-3 weeks between BMs, drinking MG citrate every day, 75cc mineral oil a day for years and Using a 1800cc warm oily enema every 2-3 weeks then retaining it for 3 days finally convinced 1 Dr. to hear me out....Anyway,  after being sent to big Med Center San F.  for 'sitz mark' and 'squeeze studies' I had the surgery.  Best thing I ever did!  Saved my life, changed my life.   In hosp. for 11 days and took a while to recover (back to work in 6 weeks).  It had been so long since I dared to eat that I turned into a rather obnoxious food warrior.  I ate healthy.  If God made it I ate it.  That was the key I think.  I avoided 'fake food' or overly processed food.   Did great.....about 8 years ago started having some bloating issues and what I found helped was getting rid of anything processed.  No artificial anything.  No carbonated drinks.  I also eat lots of sprouted foods with active enzymes,  and fermented foods..Helps alot with my digestion.    Eating alot of raw fruits and veggies seems to be avoided by people with these surgeries but I find it helpful.  I chew until food is liquid and drink alot of water during the day.  My BMs are dietary related and I have learned what goes through quick and what bloats.  I go between 2-6 times a day.  Never have had incont.  although as I get older there is more of an 'urgency' at times.  Lately Ive been having alot of belching and sore throat which has been diagnosed as LPR.  Not sure if its a long term side effect of surg. or not.  I'm in the process of working through it.    I am very greatful for my years of health since my surgery and my advice is get real tuned in to YOU and what works for YOU.  If I would have listened to all the expert advice I would be eating a unhealthy diet and taking lomotil every day.   
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