Adapting To A Diet Routine After Ostomy Surgery

It is normal to feel unsettled when you get back home after ostomy surgery. The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about most of the aspects of your lifestyle, including your diet. You can adapt to a healthy diet routine, which will certainly not be a restrictive one. You only have to keep a few things in your mind, and you are all set to be yourself.

Right after surgery

During the first few weeks after surgery, your stool is going to be fluid-like. The waste gains a thicker consistency with time. You can consider having foods that can help you thicken your stool.

Every day

You must aim for the intake of at least six to eight glasses of water every day. Dehydration can pose grave risks to your health if you have an ostomy. If your urine is straw-colored, pale or clear,  it means you have enough fluid in your body system. If your urine is brown or dark yellow, you need to drink more water. You will need to talk to your doctor about the diet restriction you might need to follow every day.

In six to eight weeks

Your stomal output will develop a consistency that will be constant. Make sure that your diet consists of the right amount of fluids, salt, and calories. If you are not sure what and how much you need to eat, you need to talk to your doctor to get a diet plan.

Once you start feeling better

You may feel like yourself when your body is ready. Once you are fully adapted to a diet routine, you have different and new foods. Generally, it doesn’t take much time for ostomates to return to their pre-surgery diet, with only a few limitations.

Get into a routine

The best thing about following a diet routine is that once you adapt to it, it becomes the most convenient thing to do. There are no set rules on how to set a diet routine. Every patient’s case is different due to several factors that may include lifestyle and social values. Once your system recovers from surgery, you can have a diet like other people without ostomy have.

Final thoughts

It’s good to work on your own to settle into a diet routine because you know your body well. But make sure that every step you take is not going to be harmful to you. It’s better to have your doctor or ostomy care nurse on quick-dial.