Hello everyone,

I have decided to have a colon resection due to severe bouts of diverticulitis. I am only 33 years old which is on the younger side from what I understand.

I have done as much research as I possibly could and have decided that this is the right choice for me. I have learned so much from all you wonderful people and I thank you.

If anyone has any helpful hints that might soothe my nerves or make the process go smoother, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks again,
Crazyjeni ;)

Hi Jen -

I just wanted to wish you luck with your surgery. My mother is actually in the hospital as we speak with an abscess, most likely from diverticulitis. She also has UC, so who knows how much of that had an impact on this condition. She, too is facing some type of surgery in the coming weeks/months. Still not sure exactly what they will do.

Do you mind me asking what type of surgery are you having? Partial or full? When are you having it done?

Hi and thanks for your reply.

I am having a partial colectomy where they are taking out part of the descending colon and all of the sigmoid colon.

The surgery is scheduled for April 11th. Only 3 weeks away! I am so nervous.

Please let us know how your mom is doing. I will keep her in my thoughts.

Thanks again,
Jen

Hi Jeni - I had about 8 inches of my secum removed a few weeks ago during an emergency operation. I had suffered from constipation for 2 years and nobody could figure out why. Apparently, this section of my colon had become twisted and finally decided to die. I feel great now! I have regular bowel movements and everything is healing nicely. I did have problems while in the hospital having a BM, but a double dose of Miralax started the process and now it's great. I wish you well and I have no doubts that this will be just the ticket you need to better health! BTW, I'm only 40, so this kind of stuff happens to everyone.

Hi Jen!
I am exactly 5 weeks post-op and I just want to tell you that the anticipation is the worst part of this surgery. Go back and do a search of BillFisher's posts. They helped me tremendously with my fear before I had the surgery. I had about a foot and a half removed, and apparently, it was a good thing I did! I almost postponed the surgery from fear, but something made me go thru with it. I guess my colon had indeed abscessed and was actually stuck to my bladder, ovaries and uterus. Who knew!! At any rate, I had an awesome surgeon who was able to take care of everything laparascopically. (Tho what was supposed to have been a 2-3 hr. operation ended up being more than 5...) But, the bottom line is, you're smart to take care of this now, before you run into more problems, or worse, an emergency operation. I can honestly say, I have not had that much pain. I was worried about pooping afterward, but, honestly, I'm now pooping better than I did before (all be it more frequently...but even that has gotten more regular.) If you have this done laparoscopically, your recovery will be so much faster. I was only in the hospital for 3 days!! For the first week, I felt like a truck hit me, I was that exhausted....but really the pain was not that bad. I'm 20 years older than you, too, so I think you'll bounce back even faster than I have. Please don't worry. I really think the "thought" of this kind of surgery is way worse than the actuality. Good luck. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them. But I really think if you go back a few months and read BillFisher's posts they will take you through a step by step accounting of his operation and this will help you immensely with your trepidation. Good luck and God Bless!

I had a colon resection due to diverticulitis and perforation with sepsis a year and a half ago. I had to have a temp colostomy as the infection was so bad they needed to rest the intestines for awhile. I had it for 3 months (struggled to accept it,, but learned I was stronger than I thought I was)and the reversal went well. I had to have both done thru open surgery. It was a slow recovery, and I had frquent bowel movements afterward, but that is now slowing. I take imodium once a day if things get too busy. Take the time to let your body recover, many times we push too hard. Walking is the best thing you can do, and I recommend eating the probiotic yogurt as it will help keep the good bacteria that the antibiotics kill off. Best wishes to you! Keep us posted on your progress. Talking about it really helps the emotional healing.

Thanks for all your replies. It's nice to hear from others who have had similar situations.

I have been doing all the research I can on this whole process, but I can't help to wonder if it is the right thing to do.

I just can't bear to go through another severe attack of diverticulitis. That is what ultimately made my mind up. This is the right choice for me.

I will go back through the boards and read the posts by Bill again and hopefully that will set my mind at ease.

Thanks again, and I'll keep you updated.

Jen;)

Jen....

Don't second guess yourself. It is the right (and wise) thing to do! I went thru the same emotions myself......and, to me, it was a no brainer. A large section of my colon was a ticking time bomb....and I realized I didn't want to live in constant fear of the next attack.

Besides, having the surgery electively is so much safer than in an emergency situation. There's nothing like peace of mind.....

Best of luck,
Linda