I would say its normal to have lost the weight, i too am losing weight but i am trying to put it on...very unsuccessful i might add... currently i weight 127, I'm 24 and right at 6ft..

After my surgeries I was at 140 standing at 6'1". I hated looking in the mirror with my shirt off it was all skin and bones and im sure you feel the same way. My suggestion is to stay away from the scale for a while and just focus on eating. I know at first I didn't have an appetite and had to force myself to eat just to get the calories I needed. I would suggest you get something like Boost or I just switched to Carnation instant breakfast because it is 4 bucks cheaper and has the same protein content and vitamins. I usually drink 2-3 a day with meals. I gained about 15 pounds in a month. Its also harder at first because you are going to the bathroom so much. Eat as many calories as you can each day just make sure you're careful with the foods your eating so they don't cause you diarrhea or a blockage that will make things a lot worse. Good Luck friend. Im here for ya.

I'm 5'11 and weighed 165 prior to my first surgery. After the first surgery, I was 147. Then because of obstructions and take down, I got down to 125 - so 40 pounds lost total. But, over the four months after take down I gained 15 pounds back, and am pretty happy with my weight at 140. Once I started eating normal food again, I naturally gained my weight back. Also, ensure/boost didn't work for me because it increased my frequency. Good luck!

I lost a lot of weight with UC and gaining back after the surgeries was a bit of a struggle. I had and obstruction and ileus post opt and basically couldn't eat solid food for 3 weeks. I would say losing at least some weight seems to be the norm with this surgery even without complications, but regardless, your focus now should be on trying to put weight back on. At my documented lowest I was 86 pounds (I'm 5'3). Prior to getting ill, I weighed around 120. My GI wanted me to drink 6 Ensure a day (I was lucky if I could get 2 down).

What helped me most was seeing a dietician; I was lucky enough to have access to one through the hospital's after care program (called CCAC in Ontario). Anyway, the suggestion by the dietician was to eat 6 smaller meals a day rather than 3 large ones. It amounted to basically eating something about every 2 hours. Foods high in protein were recommended. On this regime, I gradually gained back the weight.

At the time of my surgery, Greek yogurt wasn't very popular, but it's everywhere nowadays, and as far as j-pouches go, I think it's the perfect food. It's high in protein for one thing, many varieties also have high levels of probiotics, also great. If lactose is a problem for you, it's lower in lactose than other types of yogurt, and more and more often I am seeing lactose free varieties at the store.

Other things you could try that I was able to tolerate post surgery: smooth peanut butter, avocados, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, oatmeal, canned tuna, Kraft Dinner, rice, grilled cheese sandwiches, and potatoes.

Thanks for the replies. I am 5'10" and before my last flare I was 210 then with the flare I was done to 170 and then after colectomy I left the hospital at 135.

I was able to get back to 175 through surgery 2 and had decenT thick output with my ostomy but was eating hi calorie foods like cheese burgers and fies. Now I came home from reversal at 175 and am down to 169 now.

I am eating rice, grilled cheese, pasta, grilled chicken, not exactly high in calories. I am still going 8-12 times a day even though consistency is good and thick and solid so I am nervous about experimenting with food for fear of diarrhea and the ever looming butt burn.

My other question is at 4 weeks out am I ok with moving off low residue diet and less concerned about blockage now?

Thanks for all your help.

Mike

Four weeks after my take down I started gradually adding more high residue foods back into my diet. I was told that, as the swelling subsides, you have less risk of a blockage. I think the trick is to avoid adding a whole bunch all at once, and to add them one at a time so you can tell if you have problems with a specific food. Eating a large caesar salad for your first veggie meal might not be the best idea. I'd ask your surgical RN or WOC nurse if you have specific foods you are worried about adding at this stage though.