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I've had my stoma for five years now, and during that time I've experienced four bowel blockages.
Four.
Trust me—that's four more than I ever wanted.
If you've never had one, I hope you never do. Every blockage ended the same way for me: a trip to the emergency room, begging for pain medication while hoping I wasn't headed into emergency surgery. Thankfully, I never needed another operation, but I did spend more than one miserable night in the hospital with a tube down my nose, my stomach being pumped, and a lot of time wondering how I had ended up there again.
Those experiences changed me.
Not because they made me afraid of food forever, but because they forced me to pay attention to something I had taken for granted for most of my life.
It Wasn't the Broccoli's Fault
For a while, I blamed certain foods. Broccoli. Raw vegetables. Fruit skins. Anything with a lot of fiber. Eventually I realized I was asking the wrong question.
It wasn't really the broccoli's fault.
The bigger issue was that my digestive system isn't the same one I had before cancer. After multiple abdominal surgeries, I have scar tissue that creates narrow areas in my intestines. That's my reality, and it means I have to be more intentional about how I eat.
That doesn't mean everyone with an ostomy will have the same experience. One of the things I've learned from talking to other ostomates is that we're all different. Some people eat foods that I could never tolerate, while others avoid foods that don't bother me at all.
The goal isn't to copy someone else's diet.
The goal is to understand your own body.
The Simplest Advice Is Sometimes the Best
If there's one lesson these blockages taught me, it's this:
Chew your food.
Then chew it some more.
It sounds almost too simple, but it's probably the single biggest change I've made.
I don't rush meals anymore. I take smaller bites, slow down, and make sure my food is well broken down before I swallow it. It's such a small habit that most people would never think twice about it, but for me it has become part of taking care of the body I have today instead of wishing I still had the body I used to have.
Sometimes the smallest habits make the biggest difference.
I Had to Rethink Nutrition
The blockages also changed the way I prepare my meals.
Today I don't just think about whether something is healthy. I think about how easy it will be for my body to digest.
Every morning I make a smoothie packed with nutrients. Once a week I cook a large batch of vegetables and blend them into a puree that becomes a thick soup or sauce for different meals throughout the week. It gives me the nutrition I'm looking for in a form that's much easier for my digestive system to handle.
Instead of fighting against my body, I've learned to work with it. And before anyone panics...
There's still room for cookies.
Ice cream hasn't caused me any problems either.
Living with an ostomy doesn't mean giving up everything you enjoy. It simply means becoming more aware of how your body responds and making choices that help it function well.
Experience Is a Great Teacher
One thing I wish someone had explained after surgery is that adaptation isn't just about learning how to empty a pouch or change an appliance.
It's about learning your new body. You begin noticing patterns. You discover which foods work well, which ones require a little more caution, and which habits leave you feeling your best. That kind of knowledge doesn't come from reading a brochure.
It comes from paying attention.
Your healthcare team can give you excellent guidance, but your own experience becomes one of your greatest teachers over time.
Fear Eventually Gave Way to Confidence
Having several blockages caused me to be nervous every time I sat down to eat. I wondered if every meal was going to send me back to the emergency room. Thankfully, that fear didn't last forever. What replaced it wasn't certainty.
It was confidence.
Confidence that I understood my body better than I did before. Confidence that I'd developed habits that reduced my risk. Confidence that I knew what warning signs to pay attention to. There's a big difference between living in fear and living with awareness.
Fear makes you want to stop living. Awareness helps you live wisely.
That's the place I've been trying to reach.
Learning the Hard Way
If someone had sat me down after surgery and shared these lessons, maybe I could have avoided a few trips to the emergency room.
Maybe not.
Sometimes experience is the only teacher we'll listen to.
Those four blockages weren't experiences I would ever choose to repeat, but they changed the way I care for myself. Today I still enjoy food. I still go out to restaurants. I still live a full life. I'm simply more intentional than I used to be.
Living well with an ostomy isn't about finding one perfect solution. It's about paying attention. It's about respecting the body you have today. And sometimes it's about slowing down long enough to chew your food.
Funny how something so simple can end up being one of life's biggest lessons.
