Small Bowel Obstructions

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Sunny1978

I had a small bowel obstruction last week. Required a 5-day hospital stay with NG tube, etc.

Wondering if having one makes me more susceptible to having another obstruction??? Also, do I need to watch what I eat even more, even though the blockage was most likely due to an ileus that developed from surgery (not GI surgery)??

Thanks for your help,

Sunny

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NJ Bain

Sunny,

Sorry to hear about that. What type of ostomy do you have? I have an ileostomy and I know there are some danger foods one has to be careful with. And I've been lucky to only have obstructions and not blockages.

With me, it's mostly raw fibrous foods but I've learned as long as I chew them well or eat with other foods, I seem to be fine. My addiction is dry roasted peanuts and I have to chew them until it's basically peanut butter before I swallow. I learned the hard way shortly after my surgery. And other people here at the site will tell you that I constantly remind them to chew, chew, chew their food very well. It aids digestion, can absorb more nutrients, and helps the "full" meter in your stomach work properly so you don't overeat. Hope this helps.

Bain

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shona1960

Hi, I have had four surgeries due to obstruction. I also have an ileostomy, but for me, it is a case of tumors. I did ask my stoma nurse, and she said if all else is okay, it is dietary. To avoid nuts, seeds, fibrous foods, etc., as they are known to cause obstruction. I mainly eat proteins like fish, chicken, or shellfish with some pureed carbs and some well-cooked veg. I also restrict my eating to a small plate three times a day to reduce output. I hope this is helpful. Coloplast has dietary guidelines as a booklet if you go to their website.

Kindest regards

NotDeadYet

Hi, Sunny!

You were "more susceptible" to having an obstruction before, during, and after you had your first obstruction. Look at the potential for blockage as a new normal that you need to guard against.

And I'm so sorry you went through that! Often, the pain meds from surgery are enough to stop our flow so greatly that our colons block up. If you ever take narcotic pain meds or iron or anything else that can block you up, get proactive and drink lots of prune juice at the same time!

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