Removal of sigmoid colon due to diverticulitis: How to deal with pain?

Have you personally sought help with a naturopath or holistic healer and what did they recommended? I’m a 68 year old female and my GI said I have “smoldering diverticulitis” and she feels I should have surgery. I consulted with a colo/rectal surgeon who said no to that. The only other advice I keep getting is “more fiber/lots of water”. Well the fiber almost does the opposite and plugs me up. I’m seeking help from supplements and other advice. If you have suggestions I’m open to it! Thanks!

You may try to add miralax once a week and see if it helps. My GI said it’s important to help our bowels remain soft but moving. She suggested to keep Metamucil and Miralax as part of my regimen. I find it helps. I also do gut and breathe exercises that I discovered through a tichi/yoga instructor. Our core has to be strong to protect our intestines and organs. You may want to reach out to a body and brain studio. My best to you.

Did the surgeon say why he/she recommended against surgery ?

I had a colon resection almost two years ago.
I experienced pain on my right side as well. It was severe at times and really had me worried as it didn’t make sense to me when the sigmoid colon is on the left side.

I never found out why that was but after a month of healing it did resolve. Hope that is the case for you too!

I did get a post surgery stretch wrap that really seemed to help during the healing. I bought it from amazon. Totally worth buying!

Lynnkeith
I can relate on some level. I didn’t have emergency surgery but I did have history of diverticulitis which I was having colonoscopies every five years. I was always able to avoid too many flareups by making sure I never got constipated and dealt with it right away. That was up until February of this year. I ended up going to the ER spending five hours where they concluded I had a diverticulitis flareup and released me with medication to take. Eight hours later I was back at the ER with severe stomach pains. And after a painful time in the ER waiting room and being brought back in the ER bed they admitted me for four days and gave me IV antibiotics. so after spending all of Saturday in the ER and half of Sunday when they admitted me they did a Covid test and said I tested positive. After I was released it was every 2 to 3 weeks I had a flareup and was on antibiotics I’ve been told I ended up having a sigmoidectomy at the beginning of June and had my sigmoid colon removed. It was smoldering. Even after all the antibiotics I took and how careful I was with my eating it still showed signs of infection and abscess seen. I to believe that Covid had something to do with this flareup because that is a weak point in my body. The hospitalist doctor I saw in the hospital said it was just a coincidence but I don’t feel that it was. And never well. I don’t think they know a lot about Covid other than it does attack weak areas in your body. I’m glad to hear that someone else has the same feeling. Sucks to hear this was an emergency visit for you. I think so many times our body tries to tell us things but we are so busy with our lives we don’t always know what is going on. But as we get older these things seem to be hard to avoid. I hope you are doing better now and get back on track. As I say I want my life back. And that’s why I had the surgery. I had to do a lot of fighting with my G.I. doctor to get Results that led me to getting a appointment with the surgeon and getting surgery set up. Few letters and drop them off at his office. But you have to push these doctors to make them realize how much pain that you are in.

You might want to search out references and investigate a third opinion option. I had a similar situation and decided to go with a third opinion. I had symptoms that I knew were not normal [for me] and I felt that I continued to slowly weaken. You know your own body, there is a solution to make you feel better.

Hi, I had surgery last Tuesday and I had pain on my right side as well. I’m wondering about the multiple bm’s. And so far I’m not eating much. My entire sigmoid as well as several inches of my colon was removed last week. Is everyone out there doing well that had surgery recently? I was cut open my surgery wasn’t robotic. I had a colostomy due to diverticulitis. Please let me know how everyone is doing

i had half of sigmoid taken out in march of 2020. robotically. have had nothing but problems ever since.. surgeon said 5-6 staples are still in there.. and that nerves in rt side could have been damaged from bringing it from left side to rt. side to pull it thru the cut.. i will never due robotic surgery ever again.

I too have diverticulitis mild as seen on a CAT scan. Ever I’m morning I have pain ver
Low in my abdomen. When I massage or push down with my fingers on right lower side I get a small amount of gas, walk around have a bowel movement, pain is gone until next morning. Have had this over a year, anybody have same symptons?

Had laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy 7/6/22. Three months post-op and doing quite well. In the beginning you will not have much of an appetite.
Yes I agree multiple+ BM’s first few weeks. Challenging to get too far from the bathroom no less leave the house. It gets better over time, it’ll surprise you. It does take time for the colon to adjust. Did not have a colostomy so unable to comment, sorry! Hang in there, over time it does get better. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact your surgical team!