@elle1233 , Diverticulitis is the word for when the pouches become inflamed and infected. I have had so many times I cannot count.. diet doesn't keep it from happening. Since the bad bout I had a couple of years ago.. which I did not have the classic symptom that time of left side pain; it was throughout my lower abdomen... I have been tender in my lower abdomen. The pain gets very bad when I get a gassy stomach. Nothing helps the gas and I was told after my last surgery at the Mayo in Jacksonville that no medication will help rid me of the gas.. but I still try the meds for it. Sometimes it helps a little. Walking, heating pad and massages help. With me pressing on any part of my lower abdomen hurts.

I actually thought when I had the bout of diverticulitis it maybe was adhesions from my hysterectomy or maybe a fissure. I had a pelvic exam to make sure and then a MRI... which the pockets showed up and inflammation. So yes it clearly shows on an MRI. Thickening also showed and I had a colonoscopy to check that out and there was no cancer. Instead of the couple of pockets I now have them throughout my colon and more likely to get diverticulitis. Thankfully I have not had another bout for a while.

So far no SIBO or auto immune disease. I have to go to the Mayo for all my upper abdomen, stomach, and esophagus issues. My local GI doctor is very good, but he says they changed me so much during the last surgery that he is not comfortable handling it. He still looks after my lower abdomen. I think soon he will retire.. he is in he mid or late 50s, but I think he will retire early and I will probably have the Mayo handle it all if they will. I am only 5 hours away, but hate the drive.