Sigmoid colectomy for diverticulitis: What's the healing like?

I am about your age and had the same surgery 5 months, ago. I also had the similar situation leading up to eventually having the correct diagnosis/colonoscopy/surgery scheduled. I have read it is a somewhat rare condition. Things do start to get back to normal about four months after the surgery. It is a new normal and not exactly like things before you started to feel sick. The pain will slowly start to dissipate as your digestion becomes healthier. When you are ready you can start to introduce and tolerate more types of food.

I had this same surgery almost one year ago. No cancer, just diverticula strangling the sigmoid. Most of my sigmoid was removed. My recovery was very good. I felt pretty good after one month. I kept a diary of my bowel movements as they were sporadic and immediate! This helped me see I was actually slowly making improvement. I was 75 when I had the surgery.

Hi,

I have a 17 year history of diverticulitis and had Sigmoid Colon Resection 3 weeks ago. I am 65 yrs.
My recovery is going ok but struggling with what food intake balances with my recovering colon. My Dr has me on a soft and moderate fiber diet. Then slowly adding food I had eaten before surgery. If I eat food that doesn't agree with my colon I make several trips to the bathroom plus pain in my lower abdomen. I started to log a food diary.
This process is frustrating.

You may be feeling some residual inflammation in your rectum or hemmorhoid tissue from the staple machine they insert during surgery to perform the joining of the 2 ends of your iintestines after removal of the diseased part. They usually staple the 2 ends together unless they are performing a Colostomy. When I saw that staple machine that was used, it really freaked me out🫣 but I was better able to understand my discomfort.

I am 70 years old and had a sigmoid colon / rectum resection due to diverticulitis seven weeks ago. I had a feeling at the rectum that might be similar to your description of a broom stick being "there" all the time. It definitely becomes less and less and at seven weeks, I don't think about it anymore. It will get better.

When I look back at my recovery timeline, there had been improvements at five weeks relative to eating without getting abdominal pain and/or bowel movement issues. Now, after seven weeks, my appetite is back, AND I have no discomfort with most foods. I am very happy with my recovery now. I was very concerned the first two weeks and four weeks, but my recovery got faster with each day after five weeks.

It takes time and the recovery and continuous BMs can be frustrating. At times you’ll question if things will ever return to normal. Take one day at a time keep a positive attitude and remember, the worst is over with. You are in the healing process! God Bless!

Hi Lucy. Over time it will get much better. I agree with the broomstick feeling. At first I was wondering if I had a leak or something came loose in my colon following surgery. The feeling stopped one day and has never returned. Seven months post-op and feeling great, back to golf and bowling (73 yrs). Only complaint is sometimes stools are loose and not always solid but I really don’t give it a second thought! God Bless you!

I am searching for answers after sigmoid colectomy regarding bladder spasms. It has been continual with only minimal improvement since the foley was removed approximately 18 hours after surgery. I have taken a 5 day course of cipro and i’m taking an antispasmodic. Please advise.

I am so scared that my diverticulosis will become something worse and I will have to go through more procedures. How does one keep from getting this illness worse?

I had a sigmoid colectomy and resection in October, 2022. I am now 80 years old. My recovery was about four weeks but my stools are all over the map, but no pain. I pay close attention to any urge to go and then I go immediately. Sometimes it is more constipated, but I have no pain and I eat mostly everything, but cautiously aware of what I eat. I am very happy I had the surgery. It beats the constant infection and pain from diverticulitis.