Need help gaining weight after ileostomy surgery

Thanks so much for all the info!

Michspo, I also had to gain back weight. But I will say that you also need to think about giving your body healthy calories to rebuild itself. Protein is very important for rebuilding and healing. One of the things I would use for breakfast was organic peanut butter on whole grain toast. That really helped. Think balance and healthy.

All these food suggestions for gaining weight have been great. I am on TOM at night, an IV food supplement because I have an sodomy as well as a fistula that discharges liquid on my back. I have gone from 88 lbs to 126 in 7 months. Today I just found a new yogurt at my health food store, Liberte yogurt Mediterranee. In 6 oz it's 230 calories and 8 grams of protein. I am going to consume these like candy! Catherine

Hi Michelle, having never been a big eater is to your advantage as it's actually better to eat smaller meals spread out over the day. Having food in the system also reduces gas unless you eat gassy foods. Take care, Ron in Mich. PS: Drink a variety of fluids, not just water.

Drinking lots of fluids is good but don't drink too much in one go or it will all just go through you and you'll get dehydrated, that's what happened to me! Keep drinking little sips all day. Also, I wouldn't eat whole grain bread just yet, best to stick to white at first! x

Actually, I have thought a lot about that whole grain thing. Why should it be a problem if it's not full of large items (tree branches...you know...lol)? I just couldn't stand the idea of white bread, rice, etc.....no real nutrition.....so I carefully ate my way back to health by putting healthy food into my system. Though I have thought of finding a naturopath or such to help me understand what items are useless to me without my large intestine.

I hear you about the whole grain thing. I will eat whole wheat bread but not the tree logs....lol. I just received my Nutribullet and have had two smoothies, and my stool has gotten thicker. Not sure if it is the spinach or fresh fruit. In this machine, you put the whole fruits in there and it extracts all the nutrients. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that it keeps up. I make green sun tea and that seems to stay with me longer than just water. I do love my water. I go through 6-8 bottles of water daily. Always.

I do smoothies too...I use my Ninja to zap a mixture of frozen mixed organic berries, organic banana, a handful of walnuts, organic plain yogurt (Greek is best for protein), organic washed stemmed kale sometimes, and organic orange juice. You can also use powdered organic freeze-dried super greens to add more nutrition. As a beverage apart from that, pomegranate juice adds a super antioxidant punch. You can add a splash of sparkling mineral water to make it seem like a soda. I also drink Sport Tea for a lift and the electrolytes.

Don't get fixated on diet. Just remember that dietary fiber is not what you require at the moment. There is a whole industry selling 'Organic' foods; some are snake oil salesmen. Try different things one at a time, then assess what works for you. It is still early days yet. Be glad you are alive.

Sorry, wrong forum.

Ed

Hi Michspo, I too had lost a lot of weight (went down to 82 pounds). After my ileostomy, the weight only really started to go back on after about 3 months. When you say that food goes right through you, do you mean you have very watery output? I was told that people with an ileostomy have a very watery output but mine was very thick. Before surgery, I was eating a diet high in fiber. Then with the ileo, a low fiber diet was recommended. But even with this, my output was very thick. I did not eat foods containing sugar previously because they would flare up my arthritis pain. Everyone at my ostomy group said their output was watery. I wondered why mine wasn't. So I ate a bit of sugary foods, surprise, my output was watery which I did not like (afraid of leaks)! Since I enjoy my fruits and veggies, I eat them. Fruits in smoothies, veggies well cooked, most times pureed in soups. When I need to thin out, I will have some honey or a bit of chocolate or add a bit of mild spice to my foods like curry. Hope this helps. Your weight will come back on as your body becomes stronger. Good luck, HUGS

Hello flowerlady, I wish I had time to bulk up on fiber before the surgery. It was unexpected. I am going on 9 weeks recovery. I just started drinking smoothies. The fruits and veggies seem to bulk up the stool and seem to stay with me longer. It's like, within an hour the food goes right through me. Now the stool has more of a watery shake, but not thick like after drinking the smoothies. I am not much for sweets and sugar, but I do drink a Pepsi in the morning, as I don't drink coffee. I also drink almost four liters of water daily. Always have. I can't stand the taste of Metamucil so I have been taking it in tablet form. I need to get ready for my reversal. I am not strong enough yet. I've just really started getting my appetite back. I was dealing with a lot of anxiety not knowing what was wrong. I was waiting for a correct diagnosis. I will lose between 8-10 inches of my lower colon. Thanks for your help.

Michspo, after looking at the info on your profile, I will give you my perspective on your situation. I, too, had a sudden surgery situation. Apparently, they aren't sure if it was UC or what. That concerns me because before going into a reversal surgery, I want to make sure I am doing everything possible for a successful outcome. I was told to go home and get strong and healthy before any thoughts of further surgery. I had lost 35 lbs and was skin and bones. Now I am looking way better and doing very well. It has been a year, and I will be talking to the surgeon next month. But I also intend to see a new gastroenterologist and see what I can do to make this reversal work. Looking at the posts regarding others' reversals is very enlightening. Some have had reversals after treatment for UC and Crohn's. I didn't know that could be done before. My main take is...take your time, get healthy again, and get all the info you can. Beyond that...absolutely all the power to you!!! ))

Wow, reading all these comments is nice. A lot more ideas of how to gain weight. I was 107 before surgery, perm-ileostomy. Now I'm down to 98 lbs. I look like crap. Need to gain weight so bad. Had surgery on 1/7/13... I'm still trying...

GreenEyes. It is difficult to believe that you look crap. Most blokes can walk down the beach looking like a whale or a stick and believe themselves to look sexy. Why can't you? Those who know will find you attractive, who cares about the rest. Don't fret.

Hi, just thought I would drop in and let you know I had the same trouble after the ostomy. It took me many months to gain all of my weight back, but I kept drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast twice a day even when I didn't want it. You will be okay as time passes. Good luck, Joyce.

Just thought I let you know: I was declared cancer-free in December 2012. And the 6 months follow-up was positive, i.e. no change. Read somewhere that autopsy studies showed that 50% of the men who died had prostate cancer (not the cause of death). So told my oncologist that since I was cancer-free he must be the lucky one. Also told him that while I may be one, he couldn't call me an a..h.le anymore since that would be anatomically incorrect. Got a good laugh out of him. Ed

You know, 8 weeks is still early. I lost over 35 pounds with my New Maxine. I have stabilized out now that I can eat a more normal diet. I think you need to give yourself more time to heal and stabilize your body. I used to really enjoy a peanut butter flavored protein shake but I would add to it with two tablespoons of regular creamy peanut butter, almond milk and a banana. It helped me to start to gain a little bit but I like my smaller size so I watch what I eat. Good luck to you! ;Pamela