Mikeey, if sugar bothers your pouch, you should know that dried fruits are highly concentrated in sugar. I suppose if prunes help you have formed BMs, you could slice one or two into your oatmeal for the fiber and sweetness. Food replacement drinks such as Ensure are high in carbs. Read the label before buying it. If something has more than 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving, that is a lot of sugar in one helping.

Mushrooms, asparagus are different in each person. You could buy the smallest quantity to cook and see how it affects you. If you love shrimp, try it and see. No one can know but you. One piece of advice my surgeon gave me was to introduce all foods to my new pouch, but to CHEW it thoroughly and carefully. 

If you want to gain weight, try adding high fat, high protein foods such as peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, any nut butter is high fat and has protein. Avocado is high fat, and it's a good fat. I have it on toast, or in a sandwich in place of mayonnaise. Extra virgin olive oil is a good fat to drizzle on cooked vegetables, potatoes, into a bowl of soup, great for stir frying your shrimp! Eggs are high fat and protein. Cheddar cheese on toast or as a snack, same. Whole milk. Canned cream soups are high fat. Google high fat, protein food. Don't be afraid of food. Try small amounts.

Winterberry- Thank you so much for that well informed note you sent me,  It meant so much and will definitely take much advice.  Have so many on going problems with my health it is completely devastating . The virus like all of us are all so worried, cannot help but worry so much daily  about my family and partner who does so much to help me. Living in New York City is not easy at this time, so wish I had even a patio I could sit out and enjoy.

Please take good care, stay well, and may God Bless You.

Michael

Hello Michael,

I found I was able to eat all the things you mention once my j-pouch settled in (around the six-month mark), but my j-pouch is not bothered by sugar, so you might want to go slowly with the dried fruit. Also some people find the fruit skins a bit indigestible even on dried fruit. Maybe sprinkle a bit chopped up small on something you know you can eat.

A note of caution with mushrooms: make sure to chew them properly, or have them cut up smallish or sliced finely. It is easy to swallow a larger chunk without chewing, and occasionally people get into trouble with this. (I never had anything as serious as a blockage even though I gulped down a few mushies accidentally but it can happen). Same with steak, I believe – small pieces and make sure to chew.

Re weight gain, I used to eat a baked potato with a rich topping like grated cheese, butter, or sour cream. Maybe worth consulting your doctor or a dietitian about your lack of appetite.

I don't know whether this will apply, but sometimes you can get advice from staff at the hospital where you had your surgery, e.g. stoma-care/pouch-care nurse, dietitian.

Sorry to hear you can't get outside. At least perhaps you can open some windows and enjoy some unpolluted air?

Best wishes from Down Under,

Sarah

Hi Sarah- Wow so exciting  you are from down under, one place I had always wanted to  go, but unfortunately not in this lifetime.  Thank you so much  for you're  very informative advice, it does help a lot.  Take good care, and God Bless.

Michael

You might want to try raisins before prunes and if you tolerate them move on to prunes. Cooked asparagus and shrimp are okay for me but mushrooms caused a partial blockage. 

Have you tried a protein powder smoothie? I use a powder, recommended by a nutritionist, that doesn't contain sugar. I use it with various fruits and veggies whipped up by my blender.  

I could eat everything before my pouch revision at about 10 years. Then the scar tissue narrowed the spot where the pouch attached to small intestine. Since then I've had multiple partial obstructions from plant matter that wasn't chewed properly or was just too fibrous to get small enough, like brussel sprouts and mushrooms. My advice is like the others. Try small amounts of what you want to eat, and enjoy! You will probably be fine. Just be a little more mindful than you used to be about chopping and chewing fibrous plant foods. Enjoy the journey and try not to live in fear of food. You'll figure out what works for you if you stay mindful and take them one at a time. Be well!!

Dear TE-Marie and tulsamom- I want to thank you both very much for your excellent and caring advise.  For some reason this came in on  one message.

Please stay well, take care and God Bless.