Seeking support for recovery from diverticulitis surgery

Posted by suziq52 @suziq52, Nov 8, 2022

I hope I am posting in the right section! I am almost four weeks in recovery from surgery to resection my colon because I have had so many diverticulitis flare ups. My last flare up started in June, 2022 and lasted until my surgery on Oct. 14. I had no choice but to have the surgery because I developed a stricture in my sigmoid colon. The surgery was supposed to be laparoscopic but ended up being open. It was seven hours. I was in the hospital for 11 days. Now home, I am still in some pain although the surgical site is healing well. My bowel function is a mess. Lots of gas too. I am getting no guidance on how to proceed or what to expect. I wonder how others have survived this. I am looking at a longer recovery because of the open surgery. I would love to avoid more problems in the future, and regain my health. I just turned 70. I don’t know anyone who has undergone this surgery and would like to talk to others who have!

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Thank you for sharing. I have been using Miralax and Konsyl and I am not pleased with either one. I will give
Benefiber a try. All the best to you.

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@lucy155

That's the problem. I can't tell you. Had my colon resection in December. I thought I waited long enough walking, easy stuff....then, I think March-April made up my mind I would recover my energy and strength. I started swinging golf club, doing senior boot camp, swimming, gardening. I had a great, very active summer, golfing three times a week. Then in August, I noticed my waist being bigger than usual with no weight gain. No pain, just a slow, growing waistline with a slight bigger protrusion near the belly button. Saw my surgeon. He confirmed a hernia in September. He said it would not get smaller, only bigger. The danger was a bowel blockage if the hernia got too big. By Jan 8 when I had my elective surgery, my waist was a 42! I weigh 145 and am 5'8". Not skinny, but certainly not a 42" waist! I'm a 71 year old who is vain! 😂. I'm not sure if I'll plan a forced slower pace this Spring-summer. I know I don't want anymore surgeries to recover from!

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Lucy,
I'm happy I saw your post. I had a resection 18 month's ago and went back to the gym when my surgeon gave me his approval. My post-op CT noted a small Ventral Hernia, which, surprisingly to me, doesn't concern my surgeon and Gastro. I had robotic surgery with seven incisions including one in my belly button. My lower stomach protrudes a bit since my surgery. How was your recovery from the Hernia surgery? I'm afraid that might be in my future.

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@lauriecurly

Hi, I haven't gone thru the surgery but am about to. I'm scheduled for April 9 and I'm scared

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Hi, @lauriecurly - you'd mentioned that your surgery is coming up tomorrow and that you'd been feeling scared. Wondering how you are doing now that your surgery is almost here?

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@lauriecurly

Nobody's mentioned diff to me, Sorry that got left out of my comment

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Hi, @lauriecurly - thinking of you now that you've had your surgery. How are you doing?

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