Eating After a Stoma

So you just had surgery and got an ostomy huh? I bet you’re worried about a lot of things right now. I know for me, recovering from my surgery and adjusting to life with a stoma was a very stressful process. However, I am here to tell you that things are not that bad. I do not want you to feel worried and feel like you are alone in this struggle. There are plenty of people who have had this surgery before you and completely recovered and got back to living normally again with the addition of a stoma. One of the hardest things about recovering from surgery is trying to eat normal foods again. I know from personal experience that it is most helpful to spend a lot of time in sweatpants and a sweatshirt for the first couple weeks after surgery. Listen, you just got a whole put in you, it’s okay to take some time for yourself and to rest up a little bit!

One thing that people struggle with after surgery is figuring out what to do about eating. I know that a lot of people worry that they will never be able to eat the same foods again because of their ostomy and their stoma. Well, the good news is that you will be able to enjoy lots if not all of the same foods you enjoyed before surgery! However, the time frame for these things might look a bit different depending on your recovery process and how you are adjusting your body to the stoma. For the first few weeks after surgery you will definitely want to be eating very bland foods. This is because your body is very weak and your stoma is very fresh, and you would not want to eat any foods or drink beverages that could potentially harm your new stoma. I suggest eating the most basic diet for a few weeks. I know that this is not a super good time; in fact, I absolutely hated eating bland foods for such a long time after surgery, but your doctor will also tell you that it is super important to be able to fully recover from surgery.

Once you have had several conversations with your doctors and follow up visits about your surgery, your doctor may clear you to start eating more normal foods again. However, this does not mean that you need to go hog-wild at your local Golden Corral. Your body is still adjusting to life after an ostomy which means you are going to want to be careful in any way you can. I suggest you slowly start introducing foods back into your diet that you used to eat regularly. You want to do these things slowly so that you can better analyze how your body is reacting to each new food and then make adjustments based on what your body is telling you. I know this can be a bit of a process, but it is really not too bad of a time once you find the foods you are not super comfortable with. 

I had to stop eating beans after my stoma. Beans used to make me gassy anyways, but it is a bit more of a problem to be gassy while having a stoma put in because then your pouch fills with gas and it can be really annoying.

All the options of ostomy bags

Finding the right ostomy bag can sometimes be a long and strenuous process. After going through surgery and coming out with a stoma on the other side, the last thing you want to do during your recovery process is try to figure your way through finding the ostomy bag for your needs, tastes, and preferences. I remember spending a lot of time on the couch recovering from surgery and looking at different websites online to try and find the best ostomy supplies for my new stoma friend. The good news is that there is a lot of information online that can help you in determining what ostomy gear works best for you. You really aren’t limited in how you want to approach your shopping experience, so long as your doctor has cleared you to be going out and about. However, I would much rather do my shopping in sweat pants from my couch.

So basically, there are three different types of bags that you have to choose from on your ostomy bag search. They each come in a variety of sizes and other options as well, and it is essential to pick the one that you like and that the doctors recommend for you. The three different bag types are for the three different types of ostomy that one would receive; a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy, and they each have their own special purpose and correct way of using them. Personally, I use a colostomy bag because that is the type of surgery I had done on my colon. With each bag, there are two different variations that you may come across during your ostomy bag shopping spree. One piece ostomy bags are, as the name suggests, pouches that have the skin barrier connected to the pouch and hence come in one piece. Two piece ostomy bags have a separate piece where the skin barrier is put into place inside the pouch. 

I have always personally liked one piece ostomy bags more than the two piece ones. I have found that it is just much more convenient to have just one thing to worry about when changing my ostomy pouch; after all, I’m clearly already not having a good time if I have to change out my bag of literal poop in the McDonald’s bathroom. There’s no need to further complicate things by having another piece of the pouch to worry about. One piece bags are also way easier to carry and hide under clothes. Most one piece bags are virtually unnoticeable underneath clothing, so it makes it really easy to pretend like I’m a normal person for a little bit. The disadvantages to one piece bags, though, are that it requires a bit more care when changing because you have to come into contact with the skin barrier at every bag change. The two piece bag allows for changes that do not necessitate removing the second piece of the pouch that is in contact with the skin barrier. What’s more, a one piece bag requires more care and accuracy when placing it on your stoma to prevent leaks.

For me, the pros outway the cons as far as I’m concerned when it comes to a one piece bag. Don’t just take my word, make sure to try out different types of bags to see which ones work best with your stoma!