What type of beans would be safest for someone who has had a colostomy?!
Question:
What type of beans would be safest for someone who has had a colostomy?
My husband had to have his entire large intestine removed because of ulcerative colitis. He had a colostomy for a while but the doctors were able to reconnect things and reconstruct his rectum, fortunately. Now, he is back to normal except that he needs more time in the bathroom and there are certain foods that he can not eat anymore. The worst are mushrooms and broccoli - it is like they get stuck and block things up and cause a lot of pain. Gassy foods are a problem for him, since he can't fart anymore! He does OK with hummus in moderation. I would like to be able to use beans sometimes so I wondered what kind would be safest to try. If any of you have any experience with this I would appreciate your input. Thanks!
Answers:
Unfortunately, what works for one person won't work for another. What is a 'safe' food for one can prove disastrous for another ostomate. Everyone is different as to what they can and can't tolerate.
I have an ileostomy and can eat all the 'no no' foods without a problem, ie mushrooms, peas, corn, popcorn, nuts, etc and know many others with ileostomies and j pouches who are the same way.
Introduce new foods, one at a time and, initially, in small amounts. If they cause no problems, then you can try him with a bit more.
Have a look at http://www.j-pouch.org for heaps more info plus a very active message board.
Good luck to both of you.