I’M NO VEGETARIAN but I do eat veggies at dinner. Most often, it’s broccoli, or zucchini, or yellow squash, or asparagus, or peas, or a salad. So a few weeks ago, when the dermatologist was cutting into my scalp to remove a cancerous growth, he said to me: “You eat vegetables, don’t you?” He could tell by the condition of my flesh, he said. “Good for you.” One rarely thinks about how important the produce section of the market is, but it is. With an ostomy, we have to be selective, experiment, take things slow until we see how our system handles it. One of my favorites is onion, although it can mess with my eyes when I’m peeling them. “An onion can make people cry,” said Will Rogers, “but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh.” Maybe we just need some good potato jokes. Q: Why did the guy win the potato hiding contest? A: Because his carbo-hide-rate was so good. Q: Why do potatoes make great detectives? A: Because they always keep their eyes peeled. Vegetable jokes are corny.
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M
xo
Hi Henry! I love onions. I have an ileostomy. I thought onions were another forbidden vegetable!? Tomorrow marks ten weeks with my ileostomy. I haven't had any onions, beans, or cornbread... ugh, too scared to try!
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Onions, even raw, have never bothered my ileostomy. Being hesitant about trying something new is a good approach, but there's not much you can't eat. I had chili with beans for lunch yesterday. If I'd had cornbread, I'd have eaten it with it. I had popcorn today. Sometimes, it's just a matter of timing. For example, b/c I know that milk products make me runny, I avoid ice cream the day before i change my appliance (I'm on a three day schedule). I only drink coffee first thing in the morning AFTER I've walked. You'll pick up what's right for your system over time. Stay well. HenryM
My Ostomy Journey: Kimberly | Hollister
I don't have an ileostomy, so this reply is kind of for fun. Just don't eat the whole onion, a whole can of beans, or the whole pan of cornbread. Chew really well, drink a lot (probably better if it's not all alcohol), and enjoy small portions of what you like.
Hi Henry, I have always loved veggies and consider them to be as important, if not more important, than the protein you eat with them. It's always bugged me that when you ask someone what they had, or are planning to have for dinner, they will reply with "chicken," or "pork chops," and that's it. What about the rest of your meal? As if it's just an afterthought... well, it isn't for me. I suspect some people were brought up with vegetables being considered a necessary evil, and perhaps cooked in some really boring way, and probably overcooked to boot! There are so many wonderful things you can do with veggies, interesting ways of preparing them, and creative ways of combining them with your protein. I was worried when I became an ostomate, that I would be restricted from some veggies, but I have found I can eat any of them. Nobody has to tell me to eat my veggies! The price I pay, unfortunately, is lots of gas! So far, with Covid dominating our lives for the past two years, I haven't had any embarrassing moments. My husband doesn't even comment anymore!
Terry