Hi, @cardigan - Hope the results will be helpful to you.

I'm also hoping that members who've talked about ulcerative colitis such as @sparky54 @mariajean03 @softail2000 @tahuna @jjob73 @susanemaa @johnson53rl will have some input for you as you undergo testing to see if you have diverticulitis in addition to colitis. @kayabbott @camprunamuck @astaingegerdm also may have some thoughts for you as you wait for your test results and try to get things sorted.

Are you still experiencing the left-sided pain, in the meantime, cardigan?

I have collagenous colitis and Celiac diseases, rather than Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. Crohn's and ulcerative colitis can increase one's risk of colon cancer, but colonoscopy and other tests are good at finding early stage, such as polyps (most of which are benign). This is easy to say but hard to do, try not to stress too much because stress can worsen diverticulitis and colitis symptoms. Escape as much as you can into hobbies or other escapes. If you are positive for Crohn's or similar colitis there are some fairly new meds, such as Budesonide, that have minimal side effects are help to decrease inflammation. It would be good to talk with a nutritionist familiar with colitis, to see if any dietary changes help. Some of the old suggestions like avoiding fiber and seeds are no longer recommended, for example. I've had colitis for 8 years, and it is manageable; it didn't limit my biking 300 km/week and I only had to go on Budesonide for two 3 mo stints starting last year.