I had my surgery 5 months ago. My quality of life has definitely improved. Last year I had too many visits to the ER, constant pain on my lower left side and constantly felt sick from the strong antibiotics. The surgeon was worried my bowel might perforate and wanted to do the surgery before that happened, so it was an easy decision for me.
The hardest thing to deal with is probably getting my system to be more regular. At first I had to go (BM) at random times all day long. That got somewhat better, but my digestive system is still messed up. I was having issues before surgery as well so not sure how much is surgery related and how much is just me.
The pain was manageable so I didn’t need to take pain pills very long. I was in the hospital for 3 days.
I would say overall that my biggest struggle is knowing what I can eat and what to avoid. The surgeon said I can eat whatever I want but my gut doesn’t agree. For example, a couple of weeks ago I ordered a salad for the first time. It tasted so good. But the next day I had diarrhea all day. This has happened a few other times, especially the day after eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. I need the fiber but I haven’t quite figured out what I can tolerate.
I had robotic surgery so my recovery time was quicker than if they would have had to cut me open. They can never know for sure until they get in there and see the damage. There was a lot of diverticulitis in the portion they removed.
I couldn’t continue living like I was so I know I made the right decision. Now I just have to get my system regulated. I’m hoping my doctor can give me guidance at my next appointment.
I hope this helped. I know others on here have had different experiences so hopefully you’ll get information from them as well.
I’m happy to answer any other questions you might have. Good luck in whatever you decide. I’d love to know how things turn out for you.