Diverticulitis/ Diverticular Disease

[marciagoin]

Hi I'm 51 and going to have colon resection surgery in the next couple weeks. Alittle aprehensive about what to expect postoperatively. Wouldn't mind alittle pep talk from someone who did it and all went well. Having the surgery for recurring diverticulitis and just had the colonoscopy today to see how much colon needs to be removed. So any words of the wise from someone whose"been there and done that" would be appreciated.. Marcia in Alaska

[QueenBNYNJ]

Hi...It's January and I am sure you have had the surgery by now. I say that no one replied to your post. The Dr. recommended that I have the surgery as well. How did it go? Any tips? I am only 34!!! Very Scared...

[marciagoin]

Hi there yes it went well I am now going back to work tomorrow. Postoperatively it was somewhat painful but no real suprise on that. Interesting getting use to the "new plumbing". I'm finding i can't eat alot late in the evening or I end up with diarrhea in the night"lovely" but it just seems like things move through very quickly, but my Dr says that should straiten out soon. I felt very tired and for a couple weeks after surgery but feel now 6 weks after that I've regained most of my strength. If there is any specific questions you have I would be more then happy to answer them. If you need to have the surgery don't be afraid because I feel like it saved my life Dr said things were way worse inside then what he thought. So very happy to be "on the mend". Take care Marcia

[QueenBNYNJ]

Glad to hear all went well.

1) Did you have the surgery where they opened you up or laser? Why did you choose the one you did?

2) How long before you could get up and walk around?

3) Did you loose a lot of weight?

4) How long were you in the hospital?

5) Can you resume a normal diet or do you have restrictions now?

Thanks for responding! I'm on vacation trying not to stress about it until I get back.

Angie

[marciagoin]

Hi Angie, Yes I had the kind where they opened me up so the incision went from my belly button down to just above my pubic bone. They did this because he suspected I would have alot of scar tissue to deal with from abdominal surgeries of long ago(2 c-sections and a hysterectomy when I was in my 20's). Angie they got me out of bed the same night I had the surgery, that was tough but then the next day they took my urinary catheter out so had to get up to go to the bathroom. Each time was alittle easier. They gave me pain meds but honestly the stuff that helped the most was shots of Toradol, non narcotic like strong motrin in a shot and it made getting up and moving around alot easier. I did loose quite a bit of weight but in the hospital I felt so full of fluid from the IV's and stuff so I lost the most weight once I was up moving around. Probably lost a good 15 or so in the hospital. I was in the hospital for 5 days I believe they will send you home once they know the spot where they hook you together is going to hold and when you start passing gas. I resumed a regular diet but I find greasy things go through really fast sometimes before even finishing a meal so if I'm going to be out somewhere I don't eat things like that. My Dr encouraged me to increase my fiber now to protect what colon I have left from developing diveticulum. I have to tell you I feel pretty good and am so glad I did it. Keep in touch and don't be afraid to ask me anything. Have a great vacation, used up all my vacation time being off work for 6 weeks. Its freezing in Alaska so hope you are getting some sunshine somewhere for me!! Marcia

[BJB]

I just now found this site and read your post and if you or anyone else that has gone thru this can enlighten me, I'd really appreciate it! I am scheduled for a resection on July 10th. and I am really apprehensive about having this done and am close to cancelling it. My Dr. has a fellowship in laparoscopic surgery and is going to try to do it that way...of course with no guarantees. I am 60 years old...have had surgery several times but never colon surgery, and have never been too concerned until now. I have diverticulitis in my sigmoid colon and they are going to remove the affected area and resection. My concerns are the following:
1. Any problems during the hospital recovery time....infection, etc.?
2. Did you have a colostomy and if so and it was temporary, how long did you have it...any problems with it?
3. Length of hospital stay....feeding tube? Did you have uretal stints? If so, were they painful and did they dissolve or do they have to be removed?
4. Have you experienced any incontenience, strictures or blockage?
5. Do you have any of the same symptoms after the surgery that you had before?
5. Now, after this length of time, do you have any regrets about having it done?
I haven't had a severe attack of diverticulitus since last summer ( I had had 3 since the previous August)
but my abdomen is always tender and I have bouts of diarrhea & constipation. When I feel any symptoms coming on I have been able so stop or slow them down with the drug: Dicyclomine( It relaxes the colon) And I guess I'm thinking that maybe I can live with the discomfort of these symptoms versus going thru with this now...altho my surgeon says she recommends I do it now.....but then...wouldn't her opinion be a little bit biased??? How does she know for sure it isn't something else??All of this is going thru my mind..did you have the same fears?
Thank you for listening to me vent and any information that you can give me that you feel would be helpful I'd really appreciate.
Barb

[marciagoin]

Hey Barb well this is Marcia and if you read my post you kinda know my background on this I am now 6 months out from surgery and doing well. Except I'm going in for hernia surgery next Wednesday. I kinda over did my excercising since the surgery and now realizing I'm not as young as I use to be. No didn't have any post surgery complications. No infections or fevers or anything, sore for awhile and my incision leaked from one area that was sorta gross until whatever was right under that little"pocket" was. Just kept dressings on it for a few weeks after. No colostomy after about the 4th day of surgery they could hear me passing gas so they =knew it had "taken" but until that moment they weren't positive they wouldn't have to go back in and make a teporary one. You asked about incontinence, well one time after coming home I ate a big meal sort of late at night and during the night I woke up and I had gone in my sleep it was horrible and especially because i'm a newlywed and just not use to that kinda stuff happenening in front of my new husband you understand right? But when I told the Dr about it he said"oh yeah I should have told you there was a possiblity until your body gets use to a short colon" THANKS huh? But it hasn't happened since, you just don't have an awful lot of notice when you have to go, for me anyway. I know you had a few other questions Barb but everytime I go back to the site to read them I loose everything I've written so if you feel I can be any help just let me know and I'd be glad to give you my home email so we could talk more freely. Take care don't be afraid to do it I have no regrets and not being on constant horrible antibiotics is wonderful. Even if its been awhile since your last bout you never know when the next one will be and if it will cause a perforation and make you really sick. Thats my advice anyway. Take care and write again if you'ld like. Marcia