Posted 12/9/2012 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
I do great with bananas and eat one every day because they are a good source of potassium. They darken my output, but I never see chunks. They are one of the first things I ate after surgery and the only fruit I really dared to try at first. Even had one in the hospital once I was allowed to eat solids again right after surgery.
Our bodies are very different in the way they digest, so you really have to try things even when they are on the "be careful" list. What doesn't work for you might work for someone else and vice versa. I have a friend in my ostomy association that has had green beans come out in a completely recognizable form after they caused a partial blockage. When I eat them, I don't notice a trace of them in my pouch. I rarely see chunks of anything in my output. Sometimes I will see bits of peels of things like green pepper, raisins, apples and blueberries. Nuts and popcorn make my output gritty and, like Peace&Harmony, I can feel kiwi and raspberry seeds as little bumpy bits in pouch, but everything goes through fine and seems to get completely digested for the most part.
I do chew things like crazy which may help. I also mix foods. For instance, I eat a banana with a bowl of cereal and nuts as a side item with a sandwich This seems to help my body digest certain foods better. Eaten separately, some food items cause me to get liquid output or seem to ball up in my digestive system more. It takes some experimentation at first, but eventually you learn what to expect and it gets a lot easier. Even if you can see chunky bits, I don't think it is a reason to stop eating something as long as it is coming out fine.