Is My Stoma Acting Up Due to a Blockage?

Hey all,

So for the last few days, my ileo has been functioning as normal, and I'm usually pretty good at timing when meals are going to pass through. All morning today, also normal,

but at lunchtime, I've been getting a slight stomach ache, and my stoma has been going really hard and pointy. I noticed solid chunks of carrot, which I ate early yesterday morning in a meat and potato pasty, in my output. But a hot chocolate and food I had yesterday afternoon have 'appeared' before these chunks.

Could this be a blockage or partial blockage?

It sounds like a partial blockage to me, but I'm no expert.

Chunks of carrots? You mean they weren't broken down chunks? You forgot to chew, chew, chew? 🤭.. I don't eat carrots anymore. There are just some foods. Veggies, you learn to do without.

Excuse the pun. Clearly a crap shoot.

Are you experiencing pain? Just be careful in the future; remember to chew, chew, chew, motor. Hopefully, you aren't having a partial blockage if you are pain-free and able to pass the carrots.

I do chew lol,

It was a pre-packed pasty, not homemade, or I'd puree the carrot first lol. Just smaller undigested bits, but more in output today than yesterday evening, as my output is fairly predictable in terms of time after eating lol.

But along with the stomach aches, it's been a little different today, and the stoma itself seems to be going really hard and pointy.

Normally quite soft and protrudes nicely into the bag. Just unsure if I need to contact a medical professional or not.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I concur with the others; it sounds like a partial blockage, but it seems like your stoma is working hard to do its job and clear it. Go easy with food for a bit.

Sounds like a partial blockage to me. Carrots are very hard for an ileostomy to process, even cooked ones. I know mine will spit even canned mushy carrots back out. It doesn't like carrots. Chances are yours doesn't either. Be careful what you eat and chew, chew, chew. If you are getting chunks, you aren't chewing enough.

Possibly blockage or even adhesions often get mistaken for the other. See if the same thing happens next time you eat it. Carrots always come off me chunky. I can even eat a small amount raw, but we're all different in what we can/can't digest, and even then it can change in the blink of an eye.

Yes, too much bulk at one time. You have to be careful about how much bulk you take in at one time. As the ancient Greeks said, "everything in moderation."

I've noticed, for myself, not everything passes through at the same rate. I'll pass some mango an hour after I've eaten it, but some vegetables or bread products might take a few hours, so I'm not always seeing things pass out in the order they went in. Make sense? It doesn't sound like anything to worry about to me, and hopefully, by the time you read this, it will be resolved.

Terry

I agree, Terry, it's vegetables that have the slowest transient time for me. What goes in doesn't necessarily come out in the same order. 🤪

Maybe next time, have a sausage roll instead of a pasty. 😋

I think if it was a blockage, there would be a lot more pain involved rather than a stomach upset. But yes, carrots can come out intact even if you have chewed the life out of them. At least they eventually came out.

My theory (for myself) is if food comes out into the bag without any discomfort, it's all OK. I don't chew any more than usual; I don't see the point when the end result is the same, and I can eat anything and everything (but that's just me).

And transit times of food can differ between each and every one of us. I have had my ileo for years, and there's no guarantee what will come out when, but carbs (like spuds) can hang around for ages before deciding to exit.

All this talk of food is making me peckish, so I might head off to Maccas for a bacon and egg muffin meal, and I'm predicting that the coffee will be the first cab off the rank (an hour or two to transit), the muffin a bit later on in the day, and the hash brown will definitely be a late starter, and I'll see it tomoz! 😅

Good luck, and try not to stress too much; no pain = no probs!

Now there's something that goes straight through me, coffee ... like spit through a bugle.

Yes, some days it can have that effect, but it is SOOOO worth it! And like the bugle, it definitely wakes you up! ☕🤎🥯🍪☕

🔒 Login to see image

I would put your mind at rest, contact your stoma nurse; she will give you solid advice. I don't have that problem as I have removed carrots from my diet. Good luck.

How did my thread change title? Hmm 

0 o

\_/

Edit: It took AI about a week but yes, it has changed all the correctly spelt ENGLISH words to yank!  Will change them back with added emojis and see what happens (yes I have too much time on my hands)! 🤭

That would be the work of AI.

It also changes the correct spelling of English words into the American phonetic variety, much to my disgust! 😅

Let's see if it changes the following (the word will be underlined in red when typed):

🧐COLOUR🥳 - not color🎈

😋FLAVOUR😏 - not flavor🍕

😂HUMOUR🤣 - not humor🥳

And a favorite is ALUMINI!UM👌, although admittedly the Yanks do actually spell that differently, which was hilariously described by the gorgeous Matt Rife at a London gig! 🤣

And as for Matt's aloominum!🤭, that can stay because it makes me laugh!

https://youtu.be/box3Ni7qozk?si=jAG6fTJpzTTPeIBd

For ages, it was just titled "Unsure…"

That's freaky. 🤣🤣🤣

I must admit we don't love useless letters like the rest of you.

It probably stems from the Puritan work ethic based on a Bible verse: "He who does not work, neither shall he eat." Those letters weren't doing anything, so they perished. 🤣 Those Puritans were tough!