Surgery Can't Come Soon Enough - Teen Treating Colon Like Crap!

[SupportiveMom]

As some of you probably know my 14 yr old is awaiting her date for her total colectomy surgery, and we are meeting the surgeon next week with the Stoma nurse. She seems to be starting another flare (or maybe never really left one).

Since she knows the whole colon is going, and most likely her entire rectum she has had a very negative attitude basically trashing her colon, eating junk, and it only makes her symptoms worse. Who knows what it may be doing to her inflammation!

I'm sure some is teenage angst but it is still frustrating. Its like she is self harming herself and not seeing the consequences. Anyone have this attitude pre surgery?

 

[24601]

I think I did a bit before my first surgery (resection and strictureplasties). I was sick of being sick. Sick of living off Elemental 028. Barely eating but sometimes when I would it would just be a doughnut or something like that. Everything made me ill and I couldn't digest anything healthy and EVERYTHING hurt so I thought why not? I really didn't understand that I needed to do everything in my power to minimize inflammation before surgery and to optimize nutrition to give myself the best outcome from the surgery and the quickest recovery.

Strange to think now but surgery felt like the end of the world so I think I wasn't really thinking about after. Do you think it would help to focus on how good nutrition prior to surgery should shorten her recovery and get her back to living her life faster?

 

[lenny]

Sometimes people eat junk food to comfort themselves in the moment, with no thought of the future and I can certainly understand your daughter needing comfort right now. She's got to be pretty afraid and angry that she's sick and needs surgery at all, at 14. I think what she's doing is very understandable.

Maybe just ask the doctor about it? Make sure it's okay, if not ideal..

 

[FrozenGirl]

Honestly if it isn't doing huge harm I would let her. I know it must be hard to see Her making not ideal choices but like Lenny said, it might be a comfort thing and forcing her to follow a healthy diet plan might just make her more upset. If it was me I would be upset facing surgery and yet being forced to stay on the same plan diet and treatment wise. Maybe try and get her to add healthy foods in addition to the junk food so she is at least getting the nutrients. A tricky situation for everyone.

 

[SupportiveMom]

I actually have no idea what it may be doing to her besides what her symptoms show. We aren't a 'diet' type family, but more about healthy choices. When I see mcdonalds a few days in a row, gummy bears & coke under her bed then that is not good for anyone healthy or sick.

If I push it she will use this as a rebellion item so I suggest and ask why. She is at the age she knows she is responsible for the decisions she makes.

I just can't help but worry about her & her mental state. The more of this stuff she eats the worse her symptoms are getting. Its only a matter of time before blood is back and bloody stool before surgery can't be good.

 

[UnXmas]

The diet may not be as bad for her as you think. Processed food is generally easier to digest. It's odd you mention gummy bears and Coke as I was actually advised by doctors and nurses to eat jelly babies and drink Coke after my surgeries. I don't know if gummy bears are the same but jelly babies contain pectin. Coke can settle an upset stomach. They also had me chewing gum to stimulate my digestive system. In the first weeks after ileostomy surgery she will need to avoid foods which can cause blockages, which are most fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals and nuts and seeds. With my first stomas, even after my intestine healed I still couldn't eat all those healthy things because of blockages.

That's not to say junk food is fine, I was careful to make sure I still got all the vitamins I needed within the foods I could tolerate, and of course while junk food may actually be the healthiest option sometimes, that doesn't mean it's ok to eat it in excess. Let me know if you'd like any suggestions about healthy eating with a new stoma.

And I realise there is still the problem of your daughter's mindset. Do you think she may view life after the surgery as a fresh start, or could you try helping her to see it that way? Does she like her stoma nurse(s)? Would she be open to hearing more advice from a stoma nurse or doctor? Or a dietician? In a way it will have to be a fresh start regarding diet as the foods she can tolerate may be limited at first, but if all goes well after six or eight weeks or so she can try adding in the healthy foods again (fruit, veg, wholegrains).

 

[2thFairy]

The weekend before my colectomy was a planned Farewell Celebration to my colon. My husband and I planned in advance all of the things I was going to eat...all of my faves. It was a horrible junk food fest that was SO MUCH FUN! I did it out of fear of the unknown of life without a colon, tired of being ill, and also in celebration of possibly this surgery being the fix-it solution. It was a huge distraction, a comfort.

I wouldn't worry about it. She's got a lot going on. Processed junk food is the least of her concerns. Her diet will be very restricted in the first few weeks after surgery. Let her have this time.

 

[SupportiveMom]

It has been tough but I'm just going to let her go on this one. You are all right. Its going. Why try & fight what's already damaged beyond the point of keeping it.

Still hard though!