Blended Tomatoes and Peppers Post-Colostomy - Seeking Advice

I was vegetarian before my colostomy. I'm almost 4 months post-op, now I eat meat to get enough protein, but I miss tomatoes and peppers the most. I know skins on fruits/veggies can cause blockages, but I make my own ketchup and other condiments. Has anyone tried blended whole raw and/or sun-dried tomatoes or peppers? If so, how did it go? I know everyone is different, so I'll have to get the courage to try it, but I'm so scared to eat anything outside of my "safe foods." Thanks to all I've read on the site, I chew my food so well. Thank you to every one of you who has mentioned that. My doctor gave me the okay to return to a normal diet; he said, "Eat whatever is tasty," but I'm still too scared to go back to my vegetarian diet for fear of blockages. Just wanted to reach out and see if anyone has tried whole blended tomatoes because I'm terrified to try new foods but am ready for some variety in my diet.

Hello MoeMoe.
With a colostomy you should be okay to eat whatever you want as long as you masticate (chew) it well. 
I am a vegetarian and have not changed my diet much in years. I also grow my own tomatoes etc. and eat the skins without any problems. However, my father always used to dip his tomatoes in boiling water for a short while and that released the skins so that he could enjoy the tomatoes without worrying.
I think that gradually introducing new foods to your diet (one at a time)  is a good way of knowing whether any of them will pose you problems. 
Best wishes

Bill

Hello Moe

I eat everything. Don't punish yourself; eat what you want to, just introduce new things in smaller amounts until you gain your confidence back. Go girl.

I peel my tomatoes and other vegetables before eating them. Try introducing your vegetables slowly back into your diet and, as you have learned, chew well. You may be one of the lucky ones who can eat everything.

See the post on food. I posted something there that might be helpful.

My Ostomy Journey: April | Hollister

I'm a year out and I eat peppers and tomatoes raw and have not had issues. That being said, I also make sure they are cut up pretty small so any skin is already small even before chewing. But I have issues with leafy greens, large leafy herbs, and lentils. Go slow and try one new thing at a time.

Colostomates should be able to eat anything after surgery that they did before surgery, assuming they don't overdo it. Drinking plenty of fluids with meals is important too.

What I do is just remove the skins and eat what is under it. You can do that with peppers and fruits like apples and mangoes. If you blister peppers over fire, they peel really easily.

Lee

To my colostomy, the main problem is raw food: veggies and raw fruits don't agree with me. So I basically eat only cooked veggies. I might get a slice of raw tomato and have no problem. But a whole tomato is horrible! As for fruits, frozen strawberries and canned pineapple are okay, and I also use apple sauce. But a raw apple is terrible! Watermelon has no problems whatsoever because it is mostly water. I also have no problem with oranges. But you will find out little by little. I've had my colostomy for 5 years, and what I was most scared of was sushi. Turns out I have no problem eating rolls, so I limit myself to tuna and salmon rolls with avocado. Oh yes, avocado also no problem. Just give yourself a chance to get back to normal! Good luck!

I eat whatever I want, and my doctor gives me a never-ending supply of lactulose, which is pretty much a liquid stool softener. I only used it right after my surgery almost 3 years ago. I keep it on hand in case I ever have a need for it. But I know my body and what fruits, vegetables, fiber, and dairy products cause my bowel movements to be loose, and I can regulate it with my diet alone. I'd suggest eating and enjoying whatever you want and talking to your doctor about getting a lactulose prescription. Just my 2 cents worth. Best of luck, blessings, take care, and start enjoying food again. 😊💛

Hi. I was just like you initially, but 18 months in, I eat most things (but not apple skins or other tough skins). Just cut your tomatoes and peppers up fairly small - also mushrooms; cut those up into small pieces - they don't break down in your digestive system. You'll be fine if you do this.

I'm vegan and have no problems at all and eat what I want.

Hey Moe. You shouldn't worry about skins. It's a real extreme colostomy or ileostomy that can't digest fruit and veggies with problems. The key is to chew, chew, chew! Try in small doses and increase accordingly. I can eat any fruit or veggies. Also on the list are nuts. If they are cooked, it's even easier. Just remember to chew, chew, chew!

I am surprised, but happy to say, that I can eat anything and haven't had any issues. (Knock on wood!) I had my ileostomy one year ago and was very worried about what I could eat and what to avoid. As time went by, I tried more and more things and found that if I chewed a lot, nothing went wrong! I have always been a slow eater, so I am sure that has helped me on this journey, and I am happy about that. At first, I avoided all the goodies that I always enjoyed, like fruits with skin, vegetables (corn, which I love), and really paid attention to anything I ate. I still avoid popcorn though, for some reason that is something I don't want to tackle. I guess because I think no matter how much I chew, it goes down in chunks. I worry about that getting “stuck,” so I don't tempt fate. I also avoid peanuts, and pretty much for the same reason. Eat slow, chew a lot, and you can probably enjoy pretty much anything. My doctor told me that I could eat whatever I wanted, and to just take it slow. If it bothers you, stop eating it. If it doesn't, enjoy!

I have had an ileostomy for nearly 50 years and I eat and drink whatever I want with zero problems.

The only problem ever was eating fresh coconut, which blocked my stoma.

Hey Moe Moe. It all seems like trial and error to me. You'll get to know what you can tolerate and what you cannot. I cannot eat bran! Other than that, I eat just about everything. Of course, I wouldn't sit down to a plate of corn on the cob and nothing else. That's put me in the hospital, but if you eat things in moderation, and with other foods, you should be all right.

Yes, I completely agree that vegetarians with a colostomy should be able to eat whatever they want. My diet includes lots of nuts, fruit with skins left on, seeds, and whole grains, plus copious amounts of raw and lightly cooked vegetables… and I have never experienced digestive difficulties of any kind. I have never bothered to follow the mantra of 'chew food really well', and often see small pieces of nuts and seeds in my output, but in my case, these never seem to cause a problem.

This positive outcome is despite the fact that my colostomy was caused by severe trauma that occurred in a near-fatal car accident, which caused a large rupture of my descending/sigmoid colon (followed by severe peritonitis) and heavy trauma to the rest of my abdominal organs — e.g., rupture of the spleen and kidney damage. The end result was that more than half of my large bowel had to be removed during the emergency surgery. So, in my opinion, someone with a more 'normal' colostomy (i.e., with a greater length of intact colon) should have no problems at all with blockages, etc., when they resume their normal vegetarian diet. Particularly if they start with relatively small amounts of high-roughage foods and gradually increase these over time.

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate every single one of you! Going to blister up my peppers, peel them, and see how it goes... Crossing my fingers! Hope all of you have a super fantastic day!

Hi MoeMoe,

Listen to your body and your doctor. I am one of the ostomates who cannot eat a normal diet and cannot tolerate grains or vegetable fiber without extreme bloating, fatigue, and pain. I'm 2.5 years in and struggled terribly for the first 2 years. I started with skinless and seedless vegetables, but it wasn't extreme enough.

I'm now 100% carnivore and happy to say goodbye to all the digestive and bowel issues I had after my colostomy as long as I don't eat fiber or grains.

My blood work is good, and my doctors are happy.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

Terri

I'm waiting for surgery to remake my ileo after multiple blockages due to adhesions (I've had 11 abdominal operations if you include a C-section!).

Cartons of tomato passata are my savior! I make and freeze a big batch of sauce - onions, garlic, herbs, fennel, or chili, wine if you wish, Worcestershire sauce, whatever goes in! Blitz to make sure the veggies are all encompassed. A portion of that goes over pasta or I might throw that and some cheese over chicken or prawns. I often add a couple of teaspoons of Bovril to add flavor and protein, but that's definitely not veggie! It goes great with couscous, rice, bread. I avoid peppers completely as they hurt, and I always do the boiling water - peel on fresh tomatoes. Give it a go!

I still cannot eat most of my favorite vegetables; it's been 3 years. I've been known to chew them but not swallow (very gross for anyone around, but I'm usually alone). My odors, noises, and explosive accidents are too much for others to tolerate. Onions, mushrooms, and corn seem to triple in size even when chewed to a pulp. Broccoli, asparagus, and cabbage cause stronger odors than usual. I have not had a salad in forever, did okay with a few bites of chopped once.

Drinking with meals increases gas. You're lucky if you can.

I have problems digesting pickles, sausage skins, mushrooms, coleslaw, sauerkraut, corn, raw celery, carrots, broccoli, and peppers, bran, multigrain or high fiber breads/cereals, coconut, seeds/nuts, and Chinese foods like chop suey, bean sprouts, etc. Many times, I ended up in the hospital. Sometimes it was diagnosed as a stomach flu bug, but on many other occasions, after doing bloodwork/X-rays, they could not find anything wrong, and whatever was stuck in my digestive system was already vomited out or eliminated at the other end. I would always feel much better after they gave me Gravol and other medicine to settle down my digestive system. The last time, they checked me over more extensively, I think it was called an MRI. They discovered that I had a lot of scar tissue inside from getting the ileostomy, which was making a very narrow path leading to more intolerance to fiber, and I guess that I just have to live with that, because I was never offered a surgical solution. I have had my ileostomy since 1981 (when I was 21). My problems started with ulcerative colitis when I was 14 years old in 1974.