Survey of Diverticulitis Patients in this Group- What Stage are we in?

Stage 5. Still not sure if I made the right choice

I’m stage 3 according to the list, but with a recent flare up (without hospital) several years apart.

1. Multiple episodes over 17 years.

I am in stage 1.

I am stage 3. 85 years old. Still have bouts of diverticulitis but not as serious as in earlier years.

I am stage 5. 4+ months post surgery.

I have had my large bowel removed due to blockage. It change my life, good and bad but i am happy.

@lisalucier
I m not in the list. I was in stage 1, had 4 uncomplicated diverticulitis episodes. 3 with antibiotics, and one without antibiotics. I was advised to go through surgery, to avoid any complication in the future. Three months ago i went through surgery-robotical reseccion of sigma- I don t feel yet quite well. Indeed, i felt better before surgery-by the moment. Today I have first postchirurgical control with the chirurgien.

Stage 5. About 20 years ago I had surgery necessitated by a colovesical fistula I had allowed to form by "toughing out" the extreme discomfort associated with the condition. Removal of the sigmoid colon resolved that problem and happily eliminated the diarrhea and cramping I occasionally experienced from what I now believe was undiagnosed IBS. It also lowered my risk of colon cancer which would otherwise be higher due to a genetic predisposition.

Surgery was not fun (it also required a bladder repair), recovery was challenging but by the time I had allowed the situation to progress to that point there really was no alternative.

My advice to someone in this situation would be "Don’t fool around. If you have symptoms, get treated. If diet and/or medications are working, great! But if surgery is necessary, just do it. And if it is going to be a complex surgery and/or you have co-morbidities or perhaps a weakened immune system, seek treatment at a major clinic." I am glad I did. I was about 60 when I had the surgery.

@ajica Best of luck with recovery. So you were a 1 who skipped 2 and 3, then a 4 and now you're a 5. I have surgery in 2 days after 10-12 episodes. I've done a lot of research recently that I wish I'd have done years ago - I would have had surgery after my 3rd or 4th episode, or at the most after my 5th or 6th.