@nycmusic I have been on a 3 year journey with diverticulitis. My first flare up was very bad ending me up in the hospital for 3 nights and IV antibiotics. I had a colonoscopy 3 or 4 months after that and really still quite inflamed. I could get no real guidance after the first episode. On how to heal and what to do to avoid getting it again. My primary did not have a lot of. experience treating it and my gastroenterologist surgeon who I met during my colonoscopy suggested eating high fiber diet and see him regarding elective surgery to remove part of my colon. This whole time period from the first flare up and beyond was not good. I felt sick for months and battled constipation. Probably because I was trying to change my diet to high fiber in the midst of still being quite inflamed. Getting that first appointment with the gastro surgeon took months. After meeting with him I decided to continue to try diet changes and hold off on surgery. Despite the surgeons view that I would be facing more flare ups I opted not to plan surgery. The following 2 plus years resulted in 4 more flare ups and ER visits and another hospital stay. The side effects of the antibiotics with each episode just kept getting worse. In hindsight, I think I should have not been trying to move to a high fiber diet so quickly and I could have tried using MiraLAX to help with constipation. I have learned that I can use MiraLAX daily safely to help with constipation. But given I did not know to do either of these things I just kept having flare ups. And even if I did do these things there is no guarantee it would have kept flare ups at bay. But I still wish I knew to try these changes. So 3 months ago I had the elective laparoscopic colon resection surgery. I am 70 years old and recovery is going as it should per my surgeon. But I did not expect it to take as long as it is taking based on things people posted on various websites about their colon resection surgery and recovery experiences. Being 3 months out now from the surgery I can firmly say I am glad I did it. My anxiety and stress over the fear of the pain from the disease is improving. Per my surgeon, I must eat high fiber, reduce stress, and take 2 tablespoons of Metamucil daily for the rest of my life. So I don’t ovewhelm my colon I am increasing the fiber and the Metamucil slowly. And if I feel constipated at all I take MiraLAX. And if I need to take it daily I know I can do that safely. Based on what my doctors have told me.