my permanent ileostomy

Oh, you are still in early days. It does get better. I went back to work at 10 weeks with my ileo and I was terrified. The 1st month was the hardest, but each day got easier and easier. It has now been almost 6 months and I can go several hours without thinking about my stoma.

The output has slowed down to where I am not emptying every hour or 2, and I am more familiar with what foods to eat to increase or decrease output. I have found that baby food bananas really thicken up the output and an actual banana gives me horrible diarrhea. So, if I have too much watery output, I eat 4 to 6oz of baby food bananas and this usually does the trick. But if it doesn't work, then I take immodium. Pickle juice, cranberry and grape juices will help to thin out too thick of an output.

Basically what I mean is TIME is your friend and as more time goes by, you will start living again. You will learn what to do and what not to do.

I also have that black output alot in the morning, but I am not sure what it is. It is also sometimes green or yellow and frothy, just depends on how many hours it has been since I last ate.

Are you walking? Because that has really helped me. I do it at home on my treadmill while I watch TV.

Do you use m9 drops for odor? Because I have found that they really do work for odor. I have also found that activia yogurt helps with the odor if I eat it a couple of times a day.

Good luck and it will get better.

You don't know how good that makes me feel, I can't imagine doing things the way I am now, I go all the time it does seem like it is getting a little better, I know it is still very soon after my surgery, everyone tells me it will get better, I am going to try the baby food and activia.

What are M9 drops and how do you use them.

Christine you may be right about the coffee, I drink a lot every morning.

I have the coffee first, usually 2 or 3 cups before I eat.

whats sheets?

but anyway, morning output is a mystery to me! there are times i wake up and haven't eaten since like 6 the night before and my bag is so full and i have to empty twice in 30 minutes, and other times i have eaten at 11pm and have nothing. Doesn't seem to matter what i eat or when i eat it!
But im gonna go with the coffee being the culprit of the black, and if you are putting sugar in it, or if its caffeinated, it could be increasing output!

     Sheets is in PA too.

Another solution for the oder is to use peroxide. It is cheap and you can buy it anywhere. Just about a capfill or so in your bag every time you empty it and it works great.

Hello! I found this post topic really helpful. I had surgery for a permanent ileostomy 13 days ago and am recovering well. I have found that when I have my favorite latte or coffee in the mornings that I had black output in my stool later on.

I've been keeping a food journal of what I've been eating and how my system reacts to it. So far I've found that eggs make me feel a little weird but for the most part I've been able to enjoy food in a way that I couldn't before. The first few days I was able to eat solid foods (low residue diet) I found that I was hungry quite frequently...it was almost like my body was trying to make up for the lack of eating with Crohn's. I've been trying to eat smaller meals more frequently but I feel like I could always eat - has anyone else out there experienced this?