Brussels sprouts

This time a year ago I was in a hospital of excellence recovering from having had an operation  called Resection retroperitoneal sarcoma left nephrectomy left hemicolectomy splenectomy? Distal pancreatectomy; I had had a liposarcoma. 

Is it a good idea not to eat Brussels sprouts? I ask this because, after not having eaten them for over a year, I had some - only a few, three or four - in a meal the last couple of days and following this have had really excruciating pain.

  • Hi Mary

    I don't quite know what the medical names for your procedure mean but I can guess that the surgery  you've had to remove the sarcoma has removed quite a lot of your insides.

    It takes a very long time for everything to repair and settle into the space left. It took my wife 2 years to feel right after having surgery to remove a large part of her intestine.

    Is it a good idea not to eat Brussels sprouts? you have kind of answered that yourself. Sprouts can cause excessive gas to build up in your digestive tract causing pain especially to people in your situation. My wife permanently avoids cabbage broccoli cauliflower kale beans and lentils and pork for this very reason.

    Nobody will mind if you leave the sprouts on the edge of your plate, I always do because I do not like the taste.

    Hope that your treatment is a success and that you have many more Christmases declining sprouts.

    Ed

  • Thank you. Removing the sarcoma necessitated removing my left kidney, spleen, about half the pancreas and the left half of my colon. A recent CT chest, abdomen and pelvis scan showed no sign of recurrence! :-)Your reply has been very helpful, thank you.

  • Offline in reply to Mary.

    I'm really happy you have no recurrence! Bodies are amazing the trauma they can go through and still function. Yeah, skip the sprouts. I have a mind to and all I have is IBS. Hope you both have a lovely Christmas x

  • Hello and thanks for posting,

    You explained about stomach discomfort after eating sprouts.

    Brussell sprouts and the brassica group of vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celeriac etc), can create painful flatus gas in the colon as they are broken down by the intestines.

    You have had surgery involving the bowel, and also the pancreas. I am not sure whether you are taking any pancreatic enzyme replacements. This does mean that it will be harder for you to digest certain foods. Keeping a food diary note can help identify certain trigger foods. If you think you know what food is causing your wind, you could try eating less of it to see if that helps. 

    I hope that this helps,

    Best wishes,

    Vanda

  • Thank you. Yes, I am taking Creon.

  • Thank you to everyone that replied. Sprouts have always been for Christmas, thus the reason for buying the 15p 500 bag. However, from my health leaflets given to me by a dietitian, I have seen that they are high in potassium. Therefore, sprouts may be out for me now! though I do like bubble and squeak, so perhaps if I have that then it will be extra Creon that mealtime!

  • Offline in reply to Mary.

    15p bag, not 15p 500 bag.!