Colon Resection for Diverticulitis and Chronic Constipation

Posted by tracy430 @tracy430, Jan 27, 2019

Hi All,

My name is Tracy. I had sigmoid colon resection just about 7 weeks ago for diverticulitis. Before surgery, I could count on one hand the times in my life I needed to take a laxative. Now, I don't really have a choice, as I am suffering from chronic constipation. My surgeon gives me no recommendations, with the exception of more fiber, more water and to be more optimistic that it will improve. I get more depressed by the day, as this is coloring every aspect of my life. My surgeon told me having this surgery would "give me my life back". So far, it's taken all the joy from it. Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you.

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Sorry to hear this, Tracy, but I am 84 and had same surgery 2 years ago. My feces now comes out in small, hard round balls (TMI, I know). I was also told to eat more fiber; and to drink 64 ounces of water daily. I find this very helpful and, occasionally, have "normal" bowel movements. I was not a fan of beans but am able to eat them with salad dressing.

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@ppat4pr

Sorry to hear this, Tracy, but I am 84 and had same surgery 2 years ago. My feces now comes out in small, hard round balls (TMI, I know). I was also told to eat more fiber; and to drink 64 ounces of water daily. I find this very helpful and, occasionally, have "normal" bowel movements. I was not a fan of beans but am able to eat them with salad dressing.

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I also hate water so I mix it with iced tea, small amount of soda, etc.

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@diver126

Thank you for your candor. I am still on the fence on this and was hoping that watching my diet would take care of it but if that won’t help I will probably go through with surgery if I continue having these episodes. ☹️

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Sorry I have been out of power for 9 days. All I could think was I am glad I had that surgery.
It will be where you eliminate so much in your diet you will not have good nourishment.
I was supposed to be robotic, and they ended up cutting me from belly button down and had to call other Dr's to help to make sure other organs were not damage.
He said that there was so much damage and scar tissue from all the episodes.
Not trying to scare you. But, really just want to help.

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@gennaro629n90277

In discussions surrounding "stomach" problems ie; Constipation, etc, it shows that by comparison to other medical issues, current American Medical folks do not have curative-type answers. Looks like we are "on our own" to find solutions to Gastrological issues.

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I completely agree with you that we are mostly on our own to find the solutions to our gastrointestinal problems. Issues of the digestive system seem to be so different for everyone as well as what works for one person may be adverse for another. This is extremely depressing to deal with. I am resenting the fact that the GI doctors recommend surgery so soon. All surgeries carry risks. If the benefits outweigh the risks then you're pretty much stuck if you want to live. I'm so sick of it. Many of us have developed such a fear of food in general because we don't know what will cause a problem, so it's a constant trial and error which makes us suffer. I've been dealing with diverticulitis since 2018 and I think I also have IBS because of the reported symptoms. I am conservative about taking Pharmaceuticals as I'm noticing that the overuse of antibiotics is literally killing people. Thank goodness it's not the first go to for my doctor to recommend. I've Incorporated natural remedies that have been very helpful. Due to my depression surrounding how much this disease has affected every aspect of my life, I had to seek out support groups because my loved ones tend to not understand and I'm sick of explaining why I don't feel good or I can't eat this or that or I simply don't feel well enough to participate in activities we normally love to share. Rachel's tea, and they have a website, products have been very helpful in managing my symptoms. As soon as I start to have pain I have to get right on top of it with an intervention which has prevented me from going to the hospital more than once when I was initially diagnosed. If you wait with diverticulitis, it can turn real bad, real quick. I take oil of oregano capsules as my antibiotic now and switch to a liquid diet for a few days and get lots of bed rest and I can get through a flare without suffering too badly. Tylenol is the only thing I can take to get me at a pain level I can tolerate. My BMS are inconsistent but I do go everyday, sometimes more than once. After a flare, I can be on a low fiber diet for a couple of months to give my colon a break. Magnesium citrate has helped with any constipation as well as apple juice, prune juice, coconut water and small amounts. The incorporation of pelvic exercises, which you can find in abundance on YouTube has helped tremendously as well as getting that Squatty Potty thing. All of this may seem like a lot of work but for me it's better than taking all of the Pharmaceuticals that the doctors are throwing at me and wanting to put me under the knife as a quick fix, causing yet another problem. If it's something that I can get healed or resolved, which they don't have the patience for, then I'm ahead of the game. If this disease ultimately kills me, it won't be due to a lack of trying. So far, I'm determined to keep trying, utilizing my PCP as an essential part of the process to get the diagnostic testing I need monitor if what I'm doing is working. I'm very happy to say that she is on board. I think more research needs to be done to address the various digestive issues which seem to be an epidemic here in the US.

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Two tablespoons of Chia seeds a day will help constipation. I put it in my over night oatmeal. Heat in microwave eat.

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