@queenie52 i’m 76 years old and had a colonectomy on July 7. They removed a foot of diseased bowel that had a stricture that was closing up because of scar tissue from two years of ongoing diverticulitis. I was in the ER four times in that two years.
Each time you get diverticulitis, I believe it increases your chances of continuing to get diverticulitis.
Mr Colon would’ve eventually closed and I would’ve needed emergency surgery.
Emergency surgery is often without a colon specialist so it almost guarantees an ostomy from my understanding. I was lucky enough to be able to be re-hooked up.
I felt it was much better to find a reputable colon surgeon and plan it..
I am also very active and in the two months that I was waiting for the surgery I was trying to eat very healthy put on weight and exercise as much as possible.
I have lost too much weight from being sick for so long.
When they removed the sigmoid (left side) it also had simmering/smoldering diverticulitis. So my assumption is that for two years it never went away. It was just their waiting to flare up again.
One thing I’ve learned from being on some of the support groups is that the earlier we get surgery the better chance we have of a better recovery.
It’s different for everyone, but the frequently ask questions above are excellent and I printed them out and highlighted.
I also had a torturous colon and I’m hoping that taking out that portion and stretching it will rectify that.
My gastroenterologist refused to do another colonoscopy until I saw a surgeon.
I also had a procedure called a colonography that took pictures of my colon and further up where the gastrologist couldn’t get to there’s a polyp so I will need a colonoscopy to remove that.
They did take the area that kept getting infected, so I’m hoping for the best, but it has been a very difficult recovery for me. I’m realizing that it’s not the same for everyone.
I wish you all the best and can associate with some of what you’re going 🙁 through.