APPROPRIATE FOOD TO EAT AFTER COLON RESECTION SURGERY

I am six years post colon surgery. Unfortunately, so far, no changes. I CANNOT eat most fruits and vegetables. Wheat pastas and breads give me gas :( I have been keeping track of things I can eat for the last 6 years, every couple of months I venture out and try to eat a salad (PAIN). Here is my list: Almonds (chocolate dusted)--no more than a handful, must eat as a part of a meal Bananas/canned peaches Peanut butter 1 whole wheat waffle (or as many regular--white--waffles I want)--Syrup must be sugar free :/ Eggs without butter or grease Chicken/turkey/shrimp/fish/scallops/tuna/crabmeat (NO BEEF) White pastas/breads/ rice Carrots/corn/potatoes/ a tiny bit of tomatoes—skin off/mushrooms I can actually eat a little broccoli—very overcooked I can eat a little black beans , one serving Yogurt Soymilk Tofu Onions—VERY small amount Minimal cheese, like a slice on a sandwich Pretzels! (the kind that comes in a bag) I shouldn’t, but I drink coffee. It doesn’t give me diarrhea, but it gives me a little gas. I usually have a soy café latte. NONOS: raw veggies and fruits, ice cream, beef, fried foods, regular milk, heavy foods (pizza, pasta with cream sauces, casseroles, etc), alcohol >:(, chocolate :'(, most sweets (donuts, brownies, cakes, etc) Things I am going to try this week: Veggie juice :/

im also searching. I have 2 feet left of my large intestine, thank God, no bag. My surgeon said I would have diahrea for the rest of my life. I also suffer from chronic migraines. I have notice when I take a doctors prescribed pain pill I don't have diahrea that day, i feel normal. when i don't i go back to having diahrea. side affects of some meds cause constipation. I don't recomend this but it works for me. I will continue taking one pill a day, it helps me not feel tired from having diahrea all day long. If you do this, don't abuse the meds, they can also cause constipation

Thank god for all of you!,,  My Dr told me to eat whatever's I wanted straight away.  just like you all it was a nightmare.  I am 9 weeks after and really struggling.  Reading your comments I can see why.  Every food I used to avoid I now have to live on.  This won't be a problem as I have lost 20 lbs!  So tonight it's pasta.   I am so looking forward to feeling better, thank you all for sharing.  

 

 

8 days after sigmoidectomy. My doctor suggests this a time for me to begin a new eating pattern.. key word pattern. training is and the mose important part of using my replacement sigmoid colon, He suggests strongly I should learn to eat less portions and more frequently. One suggestion is the fiber supplement each day to insure the best chances to get the required daily dosages. I was fortunate that my surgery was done when it was.. the infection had returned and was bad. I am 54yo male and honestly have never eaten well. Now is my time to dvelope better habits to insure future colon problems are kept to a minimum. So far so good no pain at  all other than incision related. My doctor said there is no restriction on any food or food groups for my recovery. The Best to all.

Aubrey:-D 

Well now. I had  the rectum and part of the descending colon removed, a bag for 3 months, then they reversed that, and then 2 years later I finally had the post surgery hernia fixed because it had become large and painful, and just a wee bit unsightly. This is nearly 6 years ago, and I don't want to dampen anyone's spirits because, hey we are alive, but diet is still a problem. I can't seem to get on the right path no matter what I try. I don't eat meat (any) so that is not helpful I know. Soya is okay but leaves an after taste. I do eat a tiny bit of cheese now and then because I can't eat much in the way of beans and I've got to have some taste and variety. But after three days of not being able to leave the house until 3 hours after getting out of bed due to toilet requirements I am now going to start again. Mashed potato, carrots, fine green beans, polenta, white fresh bread, bananas and yogurt. And start introducing stuff again and writing it down so I know what I can eat this time around. No alcohol, 3 cups of tea a day, max, no coffee, I drink warm water with honey and other stuff in it sometimes; I started drinking sparkling water but the results were not pleasing so I now leave gaseous alone. I am so glad I found this page because I though it was just me and now I know, the effects are, or can be, longer lasting. To the writer who said that when it's bad curl up and read a book or watch a dvd, I think that's a good idea; I've just been getting really stressed about it because I'm getting on and I need to get on and do stuff and sometimes I just can't, and of course the stress does nothing to help. Relax, relax, relax, think how lucky we all are, although it doesn't seem like it sometimes, and grab every good minute and turn it into an hour. Luck to all. 

I would echo your thanks to all subscribers! I am having a section of the sigmoid colon removed on Friday week 31 May 2013. Since they left it too late to 'tattoo' the affected area I have no idea how much they are removing. I went for my pre-op yesterday and was astounded to hear from the nurse that patients immediately after this surgery are offered anything on the menu and frequently eat very unsuitable foods and suffer as a result. She was 'old school' and thought liquids - water and some tea possibly and a rich tea biscuit should be the order of the day to begin with. I would have thought that in the mountain of literature I have been given there would have been some realistic information about what I might expect. All that I was told was to have some ready made frozen meals on hand as I might be too tired to cook at the end of the day, (I live on my own) and a supply of paracetamol. Recovery would be about 6 weeks. Absolutely NOTHING about excessive bm, diarrhoea and the possible extended length of the recovery period. I had thought up until now that the worst thing about the necessity of this surgery was that the threat would hang over me for at least 6 months post surgery until I will presumably be scanned to check if they removed everything necessary and it has not spread. Now I know that there is a long way to go between now and that scan. Unpleasant as it all seems to be I would rather know than to come home from hospital and worry about the state I might possibly be in. I will update if there is anything of interest to report.  Good luck and future good health to you all.

Thank you so much for this post. I am 4 months post-op and trying so hard to figure out what is the best diet. The information from doctors is often so contradictory. I was so glad to find out I can hope for continued improvement and that 4 months is not that long a time for problems to persist.

Hi,i had a sigmoid resection approx 1 1/2 mns ago only set bck is soreness around rectal area due to frequent small soft bms......excoriated and painful rectal area.I  realize diet is the culpret.Ive read alot of the posts in this column and have found them very helpfull.I was wondering if Canada has a dietary hand out post sigmoid resection? I was also wondering about any dietary supplements i should be taking?Thanks for any imput

I had a colon resection 3 months ago and within 8 weeks I was eating anything I wanted to eat. I am trying to focus on lots of fruits, vegetables, multigrain breads and white meat/fish. Also, it definitely helps to eat smaller servings because you can get a blockage and it is not fun - I know from experience. Be sure to drink at least 60 oz of water a day to keep things moving. If you start to feel backed up, my doctor told me to stop eating solids and go to all liquids for at least 24 hours or until things start moving again.

After 8 months of a very limited diet, eating what you like again is a wonderful thing. I hope you can enjoy soon!

An update following surgery on 31 May. Surgery was fine, came home Tuesday - all good. Was ready to get on here with an update to the effect hey have I been lucky?! Feel great. However since Thursday the toilet has become my new best friend. I constantly feel as though I am somewhat constipated but bm (a whole teaspoonsful size of soft stool if I am lucky) approximately every 30 minutes, though I do manage some sleep at night 12 - 4 am-ish. Am on basically soft foods, plus 1 x white toast with scrambled egg and 1 x weetabix per day so there is some roughage, and have 3 x Fortisip drinks per day plus water/black tea. GP kindly called me this morning with a courtesy call for which read don't ask me any questions!! Expected call yesterday with results of tests of removed sigmoid did not happen but a letter arrived this morning with an appointment for next Tuesday (I was expecting to go and see them in 8 weeks) so I guess all is not well. Happy days!! have re-read some of the previous contributions this evening and will heed their advice on what to eat, and try to get a copy of Eating Hints: Before During and After Cancer.

I am Betty c ,I had cancer surgery the Dr's removed all my colon , it has been since march 4th 2013 and I have had the diarrhea since the surgery ,the Drs started diarrhea shots and pills and they are not working ,is any one going through this or been through this 

A friend of mine had this surgery last November and when he left the hospital after ten days,there were no diet restrictions.He was told to start slowly and eat in small quantities but within three weeks he was eating everything including fresh fruits and vegetables.His surgeon had only suggested to eat more proteins as proteins aid in healing.

Barbj050, I also deal with the constipation after having my entire left colon removed. The surgeon didn't do the surgery correctly which has really made it difficult to figure out what to eat and to keep things moving. It has been over 2 years and I am still struggling. There is one good thing I have learned from a dietician that helps the constipation. It's called "power pudding" and you eat it along with breakfast. It doesn't taste bad to me, but I would still take eat if it did.
Recipe: 1 cup of prune juice, 1 cup of All Bran cereal, and 1 cup of applesauce. You take 2 tablespoons every morning and adjust to more if needed. It took a day or two to work, and I've not had a single laxative since. I stir it into a cup of yogurt of any flavor or no flavor, and it works! Sometimes I eat it separate and eat cereal with soy milk.

Now, I am still struggling with what to eat, however. I finally realize that I must give up fresh salads and uncooked vegetables and fruits. I do best on fish and chicken as long as the chicken isn't overcooked. I would love suggestions about what I should eat other than that. I have some real bad days from not knowing what is best to eat. I get stuck at home for 2 or 3 days at a time in pain from eating the wrong things.

My husband had "keyhole" surgery to remove the sigmoid colon 4 years ago. He has been trouble free until the last 6 months.

This is what he has found helpful:-

Good to eat:-

1. Homemade veg. soups.  Fish. Chicken. Pork. 5x fruit or veg a day (the veg MUST be cooked and not crisp).Salad & tomatoes.  Pasta. White bread. Not too much potato ( 1 small portion per day ) but ok in any form. 

Foods to avoid:-

Brussel sprouts, cabbage, beans, broccoli, cauliflower (ok in a sauce or a soup in a very small portion.) Raw carrots, celery.These foods seem to cause gas in horrendous amounts. The following foods add to constipation, too much potato . Red meat. Brown bread. Porridge.

In short he has had a low residual diet with no problems for three and a half years.

My husband has scar tissue lower than usual for this operation and this has been a problem. He has had problems with Obstipation ( obstructive constipation) which have required hospitalisation on one occasion. He was prescribed Fibogel which helped for 6 months and now has to take Movicol twice daily. Although he has only taken this since May his bowel will now not work without it.

The problems that he now has are a direct result of the way that the operation had to be performed and not to do with his diet.

 

this has been so helpful, so thank you!

My 76 yr old Mum has just had a right hemi colonectomy and is miserable (two weeks today).  She is at home, and it seems like she's never going to be happy again or out of discomfort.  At least I can tell her there is hope, and she is not alone.  

Taking it easy and not overdoing anything and taking one new food at a time cautiously seems the way, from all of your interesting posts, and it seems everyone is different.

 

my best wishes to you all, and stay positive.  No one else can do this for you.

Kerrie