Diverticulitis stories - page five

The story of...Fergal

I had a bad couple of years feeling bloated and lacking energy, knowing I needed to do something but not being able to. I was getting bowel spasms from diagnosed Irritable Bowel Syndrome and alternating between diarrhea and constipation from the rear end. All lovely stuff.

Last November I got a bad pain in the lower abdomen and went to the local hospital, and after a scan they found a small perforation of the bowel from repeated bouts of diverticulitis, so surgery was required. The surgeon was concerned about my weight so after a week in hospital on broad spectrum antibiotics and fasting he sent me home to try to heal there and for me to lose a few ounces!

The following week the same pain came back so I went back in where the doctor said he would need to do the surgery straight away. He went in and found a lot more wrong than was previously thought. The diverticulum were covering about 40cm of my sigmoid colon and I also had a benign tumour on my rectum, which needed to come out. All in all a pretty major operation.

I had an end colostomy formed on my descending colon which failed and needed a revisit to the OR to be closed off and a new transverse loop colostomy formed which is what I have today.

Everything is going fine and I am seeing a specialist colorectal surgeon in a bit to have the colostomy reversed and return to normal waste functions. I am told that my diverticulitis is gone now and I feel fantastic. I can't remember feeling as energetic and as pain-free as I am now. A bit drastic the methods but here I am and fine.

E-mail Fergal: fergalkavanagh[at]vodafone.ie

The story of...Tony

Well, I have some advice. I have suffered with painful diverticulitis for the best part of 10 years. Like most men I told myself it would go away and never took it serious.

In the past week I ended up in the hospital as I went to my family doctor with a new symptom - when I urinate I passed gas from my penis when I finished. This kinda scared the hell out of me.

I ended up in the hospital within one hour with a hole between my bladder and my bowel. I now have to wait for a couple of weeks for the infection to be dealt with, and then major surgery. This is a result of diverticulitis that I ignored for years. The advice - see your doctor when you first get the pain.

E-mail Tony: tonyallard898[at]hotmail.com

The story of...Bob

I was diagnosed with diverticulitis about a year and a half ago. I was able to get by the bout with Cipro and Flagyl. A surgeon recommended surgery after a CT scan and a barium enema study. I put it off.

I had another attack just prior to Christmas. Again, a course of Cipro. But it's taken longer to recover this time. The bottom line seems to be this: diet and stress, I believe, have everything to do with this disease. I also think that attacks could be minimalized and, maybe, ultimately stopped completely. I don't know for sure though.

What I do know is there is a lot of contradicting information out there both from the medical community and the natural healing side. So I, like so many out there, am seeking the truth - I'm sure, not unlike other severe diseases, that this could be controlled or even cured WITHOUT surgery, but rather diet.

I don't know what the answer is and I don't totally trust what's on the internet - and you shouldn't either. Be skeptical, but be diligent. Let's ALL find a real solution that works. I know it's out there! Peace, love to fellow sufferers.

E-mail Bob: bdrhythm[at]gmail.com

The story of...Des

I am a 26 year-old healthy man. I had been suffering from really painful aches on the left side of my abdomen that felt like it was moving down to my groin for around two years when an extreme attack came. My doctor diagnosed kidney stones but tests proved this wrong.

After two days I was submitted to hospital and exploratory surgery was carried out as it seemed that I had an unknown illness. I was told that my colon had burst due to diverticulitis. I was also told how rare this was for someone my age, hence the reason for the misdiagnosis.

I now have a section removed from my colon and a stoma/colostomy bag. I'm currently awaiting the reversal. The pain has gone from the stomach and I am just grateful that the pains in my stomach have gone and it is all repairable.

E-mail Des: derekhamilton2002@hotmail.com

[ Back ]