Dealing with Blockages and Hernias: Dietary Advice Needed

How to deal with blockages, hernias, and sacs that contain a small amount of stool. I am very confused about how to eat.

There is a lot of info on how to eat on www.ostomy.org, and I highly recommend you look around on that site. As far as blockages go, Miralax is the only thing that will clear me up. I've had a colostomy for 14 years and have had blockages lasting up to 9 days. It's horrible! I finally talked to a GI doctor about it, and he recommended I do a double dose of Miralax and see how that worked for 12 hours. If nothing, then do another double dose. One was all I needed after 9 days!

As far as what to eat, I have been having a lot of diarrhea for about the last year. I have found that what causes diarrhea for me are mostly greasy foods (even just potato chips) and alcohol. But what helps me the most, with all of my ostomy issues, is eating fruits and vegetables at every meal. It sounds like more roughage would cause more diarrhea, but it's really the opposite.

I've never had a hernia and don't even know what the sacs are that you are referring to.

Hope this helps! Hang in there!

Jodi

Blockages… have you had them already? Small meals and lots of fluids.
Hernias… watch what you lift. They can be caused by very minor things like coughing/sneezing, so total prevention is difficult.

Small sacs of stool… no idea, never heard of that.

Do you mean diverticula?

Blockages - depends on how bad it is. I had one last January where I had to go to the emergency room because I was throwing up and having watery output and had gotten dehydrated. But I think I had a minor blockage recently, and I drank lots of water and changed position often, and it worked its way out.

Hernias - if you have one or more already, don't do any exercise that uses your core muscles. Otherwise, just be careful what you lift and how heavy it is.

Sacs of little stool, I am assuming you mean when your bag is not very full. What I do is wait until there is at least about 100cc in the bag before I empty it. You don't have to empty your bag as soon as there is anything at all in it.

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