OMG! What am I in for? I've had several bouts of diverticulitis and was told I should have bowel resection,prophalactically. I am scheduled for surgery 1/9/13. I've already had gastric bipass & have modified diet. I'm scared that I will not be able to eat anything....and I really don't want to be tethered to bathroom. I will be travelling in a few months to Thailand & Mexico. I'm gonna be screwed. Pls help with suggestions.... :(
please be careful what you eat..Mexican food is like a laxative for me and when in Thialand I stayed on very blan foods eg. Nasi Goreng, spagetti dishes (no cream) A small steak and very few Vegs. Breakfast Porridge is best for Diveticulitis. I had a bowel resection 12 months ago, and it has all been trial and error., and still under a diatertian but all is getting better. I have no pain diveticuitis way . I find Pasta and riice foods the best, but they put on weight.. so after the op go to a diatitian... all will be well. the operation is o.k.
I'm glad I found this sight. I lost half my colon 2 years ago and can't seam to find any answers as to why I crsmp and have have so many bowel movements. It's nice to be talking to other people who know what this is like living with this condition and not being able to find any answers. I have tried eating like a diabetic which I do have but now I'm finding out that maybe I should be turning in a totally new direction. Please keep posting your atempts and what helped each of you. The gas is really a problem too, I can clear a room so fast it makes me cry.
Had a colon resection almost two years ago. It was very sudden. I had never had any issues. It's been quite a journey. My first surgeon suggested a long list of don'ts. My second surgeon (the one that fixed me for good) told me to eat whatever I wanted. He was right. I can eat anything. I just have to eat small portions. I drink Pedialyte and it helps with dehydration. Eggs are a staple. Easy on the veggies and fruits. It seems the unhealthier the food, the better I tolerate it. I eat vegetables, but in very small doses. I have decreased my overall intake by at least a third. I find snacking easier during the day. Bananas, yogurt. I eat trail mix. I go heaviest at breakfast and it seems to agree. Good luck!
Hello, I am writing regarding your colon surgery. I also have had 1/3 of my colon removed and have had the same symptoms ever since. It was ten years ago, but nothing has changed. I have cramps and go to the bathroom every time I eat. There is a diet but there is hardly nothing on it that is good for you. Vegetable especially fresh should be avoided. I recently started using "Beano" before I eat and it does help with the cramping some. I think the cramping is the gas. I know how you feel about the gas, it is not pleasant. They do not seem to tell anyone what will happen after the surgery. It changed my whole life, I became disabled because I could not work and stay in the bathroom at the same time. I hope this helped somewhat.
I had a total colon resection in 2006. After one year of extreme bloating, painful stomachaches and large amounts of gas, I went back to my doctor. He said that I would end up living on the South Beach diet for the rest of my life because I have nowhere for my body to breakdown the foods. I went to a dietitian twice a few months ago. She didn't understand the problems.
I have found that I cannot eat bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. I also stay away from sugary foods and drinks. I eat at least one salad a day - it keeps things moving through the system. If I don't have the salad I will start to get constipated. I basically eat meat, salad and vegetables. I just found out from a pain management specialist (I have 2 pinched nerves) that I should be taking digestive enzymes. They have worked wonders. If I have some bread I will follow the meal with a digestive enzyme and I am not bloating or have gas. Very seldom do I have any diarrhea and usually about 3-4 bms a day.
I hope that this has helped some because it took a long time to get information to feel well.
Do you now have regular bowel movements with this diet or go through a routine ever so often where the colon seems to empty all at once?
What type of digestive enzymes? I have tried a couple of different ones, but instead of diarrhea I was constipated which is quite painful for me. So I would love to know what worked for you. I just took over the counter enzymes. I have been back and forth to doctors and always end up in the same spot. I would appreciate your assistance. Thank you!
Dawn
My husband had a colon reconstruction on 2-4-13 & is still very tired, weak and seems to have runny stools occasionally and is wondering why with all the knowledge these doctors, nurses and dieticians have they can't print out a general diet the colon cancer patients can try instead of using the trial by error method.
Patients who have undergone recent bowel surgery should follow a special diet that will decrease the work their bodies must do to digest food. The goal is to avoid stretching the area where the bowel has been reattached, and to help decrease gas production (a common side-effect after surgery) that can be uncomfortable. Start with clear liquids (i.e. juice, gelatin, clear broths, tea, etc.) that are necessary to assess the resected bowel's function. If these items are tolerated by the patient, slowly advancing her to a diet that is low in fiber and fat will allow for adequate nutrition while reducing stress on the gut during digestion.
I have been out of surgery nearly a year , i have stuck to rice ,tin fish tuna salmon ,bread rolls,weetbix,porridge ,bananas and oranges only .
Eggs a little pasta a little , i dont eat meat so i eat alot of white meat ,chicken i have just introduced in the last 8 weeks plain biscuits are fine ,changed my milk to Soy Milk .
Other milk was not breaking down .
Have Elderberry to hlep move my bowels as i have bowel disorder .Hope this helps
My surgery was stage one colon resection/so i have good days and bad days ,this is mostly due to my bowel disorder not my diet
let me know i can put a food plan together for you ,3 months 6 months 9 months 12 months ,doing a ebook on the 12 month on the pros and cons for our Aftercare Colons good luck :O
It seems a though that your son is going through almost the same as me. On 12-8-10 I had over a foot of my colon removed. But before that I have had several other surgeries due to adhesions keep wrapping around my intestines. I cannot eat meat, raw veggies or fruit. I can eat canned pears and peaches. I have been making smoothies with at least 10-12 different things in it. (ie) carrot juice, cherry juice, grape juice, orange juice, Naked Green (has spinach, and broccoli in it. As well as Vanilla Greek Yogurt and Unsweetened Soy Silk Milk. I am a newly diagnosed diabetic and on insulin. I do eat some cereals, but NEVER shredded wheat. I am on this site in hopes someone has any idea on how a diabetic can eat properly. So, I understand what he is going through.
After gallbladder removal, appendix ruptured resulting in 3 major sugeries for colon resectioning in 31 days, 5 different cancers none of which appear to be related, radiation & a year of chemo which was 12 years ago, I experience diahrea daily. A diet I have established from a combination of all the dr.'s advice is - everything cooked(no raw fruit or veggies) steaming is great, no fried, no dairy, no caffine. The closer to nature you can stay - the better. Pizza with no cheese, fruit, veggies, and a little meat is great.
Recently I found out that eating a fruit first helps with control- at least you have time to get to the bathroom most of the time. Hope this helps someone - its just not an easy road and the medical people don't always prepare you for these things-especially if they have had no experience with someone in their family , they just don't really know what some people are going through.
18 months after bowel resection I am still looking for answers on what and not to eat and what stops gas..Pasta, rice and all carb. seen o.k. but I am putting on a lot of weight. Trying to loose weight is a hassel as I cannot eat salads, fruits. Last night I had cooked tomatoes on toast, within 5 mins. the tummy started to rumble and 5 mins. later I was off to the loo..wow.. Does everyone else get bloated tummy?. so keep your reply's and what to and not to eat...Everyone who is having trouble I wish you the best of luck.