jaydees

I have had a colostomy for 2 years now. Therefore my situation is slightly different than your friend's in that my rectum was removed. In a colectomy a part of the colon is removed and the two remaining parts reconnected.

The colon's "job" is to reclaim up to 90% of the water content and some of the salts and minerals in the feces. When part of the colon is removed then that job may not get completed as much as before and the stool may be watery and may also still contain more "food" for the bateria that produce gas.

My problem with gas is that it all goes into the colostomy pouch and I have to "burp" the pouch. I sometimes wake up at night with a Goodyear blimp on my belly. I have found also that although I never smelled like a rose in that department, it is a lot worse now. Your friend may have found that as well.

Solutions are few. I take "Beano" at the beginning of a meal and a "GasX" after the meal. I let carbonated drinks sit in a glass for a few minutes before drinking it to let some of the CO2 escape(if swallowed it has to get out either by burping or passing through to the other end). I also find that acidophilus capsule once a day helps.

Certain foods are harder on the gut than other of course. Beano helps digest legumes such as beans as well as cauliflower and brocolli but nothing helps for onions or green peppers.

Since my operation I have found that it took over a year till I am somewhat regular in that most feces is produced in the first few hours after waking up but some days that rule of thumb goes out the window. I have tried fiber supplements but they give my a stomach ache. Instead I like to have a sandwich or toast with Rye bread that has whole or cracked seeds in it. That helps move everything along I find , and doesn't upset my stomach.

My situation is different than your friend's but I hope some of this helps.