Recovery from Ostomy Surgery: How Long Will It Last?

I had my ostomy surgery on February 28, 2019. I stayed in the hospital for 26 days and lost 22 pounds. I feel tired all the time, and when I eat, it runs straight through me. How long should I expect this to last?

What do I need to do to gain my weight back?

After my hospital stay, I gained a pound a day for 45 days. I was eating everything in sight. It took a couple of months to get back to riding though.

Wow, that was a long stay! I only lost 10 pounds and needed to lose more but unfortunately, my appetite came back slowly and gained that 10 pounds and more over the holidays! Dang Christmas cookies! Lol

Your appetite should also get better after a while.

You say you had Ostomy surgery. Is it a Colostomy or Ileostomy? I have a Colostomy so I can eat certain foods to thicken my output but I understand that an Ileostomy will continue to be liquid due to it being in your intestines as long. I prefer more liquid output. When it becomes thicker, it pancakes and sometimes pushes your pouch up.

Puppyluv

I have an ileostomy. I am getting ready to have my resection.

Rider1000rr--the resection is the surgical removal of large or small intestines--- reversal is the attempt to put things back together. An ileostomy tends to be more liquid because when you remove a portion of the large intestine, which is the part that absorbs liquids from your body, the liquid does not get absorbed and so output is more loose. Many foods can thicken your output like marshmallows, potatoes-- especially sweet potatoes, applesauce, pasta and bread. Most fruits and vegetables tend to loosen the output. The "normal" time from eating to seeing output from THAT meal is 4-6 hours, however, when I eat salad I can see some output immediately. Usually the output is what you ate previously and has been stored in whatever portions of your small and large intestines are left intact, and the stomach-- but for some reason some veggies like lettuce and spinach move quickly through the digestive system. Since you are having your ileostomy reversed, I assume you still have a significant amount of the original 5 feet of large intestine (colon). The 22 feet of small intestine is usually not receptive to a reversal if there is no large intestine left. It can be reversed but the output will tend to be loose and accidents are more common because of the inability to absorb the liquid portion of output.

Peace

Dadnabbit

I have no large intestines. I had a complete colon removal.

Has anybody had an ileostomy reversal without a colon that was successful?

Rider1000rr

I did not mean to say that an ileostomy reversal will not be successful if there is no large intestine/colon. The reversal certainly can be a success, it's just that there will not be a formed stool, and the output/stool will be of a looser consistency. Sorry for the misleading way I stated things.

Peace

Nancy

Morning Rider.....Some of us ostomates have constant liquid waste. It all depends on how you are processing. As for gaining weight, here's what I was told after over a 40 lb loss....add cream to everything. Eat at least 5 times per day, including sweets and treats. I recently started to gain after 3 months. I have an ileostomy and no large colon, only lower. But my go-to is loaded baked potatoes with no skin. I include bread or buns, etc. Anything we used to consider fattening, I shove in my mouth. I am only gaining a pound or 2 every 2 weeks.....it takes time as the inside healing, even without pain, is still healing. But it is possible to gain. Again, your output will change with the foods you eat, but you will adapt and conquer. Have a great day and eat on.

Your homie with a stomie

Tracy