Struggling with Digesting Fruits After Surgery

So I used to love watermelon but hadn't had any since my surgery (my first surgery was Jan. 2021, I had relocation surgery March 30, 2023). I was thinking watermelon is mostly water, what harm? So because summer screams watermelon I got some. (The seedless kind of course). Well even though I thought I chewed very well it all just flooded out of my stoma. Turning everything red. And scraggly little piece came out in large quantities. I was really surprised. I guess "Marvin Rose" doesn't care for watermelon. He has a high tendency to spit out fruit. Even the softest of fruits, bananas. I peel and cook apples and he spits that out too. I had a peach muffin and he spit out little chunks of peach. He spits out avocado, nectarine, pineapple. You name it and he gives it back to me. I really thought though that watermelon would be one he was okay with. Does anyone else have trouble digesting fruit?

Lee

If you don't have your large intestines anymore, some food is going to come out undigested through the stoma into your bag. As long as you don't feel any pain (if so, go see your doctor). Keep eating watermelon or any other fruits you love. Harder things like apples and peanuts are okay too, just make sure you chew, chew, chew up everything pretty good so the "chunks" won't be so big coming out. Marvin Rose is gonna spit back everything, just give it right back to him! Life's too short so enjoy your food, whatever it may be!

Hi Lee,

Well... it really depends on how much bowel you have. Fruit is high in fiber, meaning it's hard to digest. It's also packed with sugar, and the more ripe it is, the more sugar it has. Sugar is known to irritate the bowel, and an irritated bowel doesn't absorb anything. Your small bowels also pull water from your body to try to dilute the sugar to a chemical ratio it can absorb, as glucose (sugar) is the fuel of our cells. The water it dumps into your bowels to dilute is later reabsorbed by the large intestine (colon) if you have one. If not... you just toss out all your body's water in your bag. So it's a great way to dehydrate yourself if you ever find the need to do so. Otherwise... go lighter on the fruit... or try it blended first and in smaller quantities. And try to eat fruit that isn't fully ripened, especially bananas. Did they not give you the manual on all this stuff when you left the hospital?? Hey... that gives me an idea... maybe we should collectively write one!

;O)

Lol, we could write one... actually, we should since we are all the ones living with one and know what is up. But I would be in a group by myself. Lol, when I first got my ileo, I read that manual and followed it to the T, and guess what, my body did everything opposite. Lol... maybe I should write one on the odd ostomates. (Of course, now I know what works and doesn't and what everything does... I have always watched my stoma, call me odd but I find it fascinating and a huge blessing). I also think that ostomates should be the ones to do a lot of other stuff as well... (that list is too long, but got some great ideas).

Hi there

Don't punish yourself... Eat what you like unless it causes you harm.

Hi all, the different fruits are in season here. Blueberries, strawberries, and so on. So the fruit smoothies are my go-to to get fresh fruit in me. Also, my favorite are thimbleberries.

With an ileostomy, lots of things will come out looking pretty much like they went in, especially things that are hard to digest, but the thing is, they are coming out and not causing any pain or discomfort, right? So, I'm not sure why it's bugging you. Enjoy eating the things you love as long as they aren't causing you any problems.

Terry

If the fiber in watermelon bothers you, you can try the electrolyte drink I posted a few days ago or just Google it. It's called watermelon juice. Three ingredients and all you need is a blender. You could always run it through a strainer to get the fibrous stuff out.

I eat a lot of watermelon. Tis the season. I just make sure to chew it well. The fibrous bits come through easily, but I do have to deal with the wind it produces. So, never before bed. :-)

I have yet to find a fruit I can't eat. I am careful with cherries and I am not big on citrus. I also peel my apples.

Daniel

I ate watermelon the whole time I had my ileostomy and it was just like they said: seedless, seeds, and all came out. But they came out, so I did not worry. Now I am just home from the hospital after my ileostomy reversal. The dietician said no watermelon, even seedless. I am going to listen to what they said, but has anybody eaten watermelon after an ileostomy reversal? I am addicted to watermelon, mostly because I am anemic. Would love to hear what others have gone through.

I can't have raw apples, or tomatoes, or veggies in general. I get a stomach ache and the bag fills up really fast. But if they are cooked, not a problem! But I never had a problem with sushi, even though I was scared to try it after my colostomy.

I have no large intestine and have had 23 surgeries in the last 13 years. I eat watermelon by the handfuls. The only thing I've had problems with is veggies popping out my stoma. Seeds are fine but lima beans pop when they come out! Lol. I watch lettuce and cabbage. Coleslaw needs to be chopped fine. Corn is a bad one. The starch in corn can bind you up. It's just like using corn starch to thicken a gravy or sauce. But it will become a rock. A long hot shower or bath usually releases the blockage. Always drink lots of liquid. I drink gallons on a daily basis. I've had mine since 2010 and have had many moments of blockage. I also use a vibrating heating pad to help with pain. Little hand vibrators also work miracles on the pain when rubbing them around your site. My wife laughs when I eat certain food because it will quack loud! I've had people say "what the hell was that!" Good luck and try to find the funny in all that you do!

I don't eat berries because my ostomy nurse told me not to eat anything with skins or seeds. I miss strawberries an awful lot.

Lee

I have to say it bugs me when I hear about nurses, or even doctors, telling someone to never eat this or that. Are you sure she meant never, or maybe just not right after surgery while you are still healing? Everyone is different, and depending on your particular situation, you may well be able to eat anything you like, as long as you take certain precautions, like chewing well and keeping hydrated. I eat strawberries all the time and have never had any issues with them. The seeds in strawberries are so tiny, I can't see how they would cause issues. I also eat lots of things with skins, and I eat nuts too. If you really miss something, you should try eating some, start with a small amount and chew well. If it doesn't cause a problem, try a little more. Gradually introduce other things you are missing in your diet. It would be a real shame to restrict yourself for the rest of your life unnecessarily.

Terry

P.S. Not all ostomy nurses are created equal, and I think some just want to err on the side of caution by telling patients not to eat anything that 'might' cause a problem.

A lot of my food comes out undigested. I am always amazed I manage to get enough nutrition. I think it is very different for ileostomies and colostomies because it seems to me people who have some large intestines left seem to be able to eat everything. I get bits of the most soft fruits coming out in bits and even chicken. Everything it seems like Marvin Rose doesn't like to digest. Since starting on magnesium a week ago, he started spitting out the powder as a dry powder encased in wet powder. I have had a lot of issues with pills. I had to change one pill to a capsule because of this so I can open the capsule and pour it onto a spoon of jelly and take it. Most of the fruits I eat I cook. Apples, plum, peaches, even mangos. All peeled too. They still come out. I really didn't think watermelon would be like that though. (No, I didn't cook the watermelon). It is just that it is watermelon I thought it would be received well. I don't know.. I am still trying to figure it all out. I don't want a blockage from chunks piling up in my small intestines though.

Lee

Terry, the only nuts I eat are peanut butter. I have to admit I am sort of scared of getting a blockage. I have heard horrible stories. Also, I don't have any more intestines to give. I want to keep my small intestines. So whatever my ostomy nurse told me (I have finally graduated from home health) I take very seriously. I peel everything. I cook all kinds of fruit to make it softer. I avoid seeds, whole nuts, raw veggies. I did recently start eating canned peas. They aren't as tasty as frozen peas, but they are softer. I only eat a little bit at a time. Like half a 1 serving can. I really do want to get veggies in me somehow. For the longest time after my re-location surgery, I used baby food veggie pouches. I am weaning off of them now and trying to eat very cooked veggies. To be honest, cooked veggies are not all that interesting. I have never had a blockage (my original surgery was Jan 1, 2021) but I do worry about it an awful lot. I don't know how to not worry. That surgery where they removed my large intestine was very traumatic, I can't even bear to think about having to have more surgery. I recently had an endoscopic ultrasound and that was troubling enough. (They put the IV in my foot!) (I'm a hard stick.)

Lee

Lee

Sometimes I have trouble with noises but my mom always thinks it's funny. She will interact with my stoma when it's "talking." I haven't noticed any foods that particularly cause noise, but one thing that caused a lot of noise (and other issues) was Glucerna Hunger Smart drinks. The gas was to no end!

So are you saying you had a blockage and didn't need to go to the hospital? I didn't know that was possible.

Lee

I eat watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and peaches. I chew really well. So far, I haven't had any trouble. Vegetables are a bit different. "Maxine" does not get along with coconut or pineapple and she dislikes carrots raw and other raw vegetables except lettuce, avocado, tomato chopped well.

Hi Lee,

I've had what I believed to be minor blockages (ileostomy) that I've resolved on my own, so if you ever feel like something isn't right, here's some of my own troubleshooting tips you can try that will hopefully keep you out of the ER. I start with a cup (or more) of hot decaf tea to try to get things moving again. If that doesn't work, I put a hot water bottle near my stoma (or wherever I feel the block issue is). I also walk a lot as I read that can help unblock things too. You can also try laying down on one side and gently massaging the area surrounding your stoma. The key is trying to remain calm because the added stress will only make things worse. These strategies, singly or in combination, usually work for my minor blockage issues. However, if your blockage is serious, none of this will work and you will probably have to go to the ER. I did have one such blockage. After unsuccessful troubleshooting on my own for 4 days, I called my dr. He told me that once I got to the point where I couldn't keep sipped water down and began throwing up (he likened it to a kinked garden hose where once water can't go one direction, it'll come back up), it was time to go to ER. That actually happened on day 5, so off I went to the ER - where my dr. met me and inserted a "foley" into my stoma and cleared the blockage in minutes. Unfortunately, protocols had me admitted and hospitalized for five more days (the time it took to gradually work my way back up to eating solids without incident). My walkway from that experience was to avoid sticky fudge lollipop treats forever! While I do hope some of these trouble-shooting ideas can help you in the future if you think you have a minor blockage, please seek medical attention if your blockage is major, your intestinal cramps are severe, you're throwing up or you are just plain scared and want outside help.