Hello,
I am 45 and newly diagnosed with diverticulitis, for which I just had surgery. A few weeks ago, I had bad pain under my left ribcage, which eventually sent me to the ER. A CT scan revealed it was diverticulitis, which blew me away because I had never had any symptoms. The plan was to give me IV antibiotics for a few days and then remove the diseased part of the colon. By the next day, my white count was up, my temp was up, and the surgery was done right away. Afterwards, the surgeon confirmed that it had ruptured, so I am grateful he made the decision to go ahead with surgery, even though it meant a temporary colostomy.
Honestly, a colostomy is not as big a deal as people think it would be. One of my nurses said, "think of it as your new butt." and another said "that saved your life", which was a dose of reality. So trust me, if you ever need one, it's not that bad. The incision has been --much--more problematic than the colostomy. It became infected, just after I left the hospital. My husband does the daily dressing changes for me. Thank God, he is not squeamish and handles it like a pro. I've never seen him take anything as seriously as he takes this. Early on, I cried, because I didn't want to put him in the role of caregiver.
I have been trying to find out all I can about how to eat after this is all over and will definitely add Metamucil daily (I never considered myself constipated but I know my diet did not include enough fiber). I'm also wondering about how to eat right now. I am supplementing my diet with protein drinks for healing and also taking probiotics since I was on so many antibiotics. Do you think I should start Metamucil now (surgery was three and a half weeks ago)?
My other questions involve what food to avoid. I read "avoid what bothers you" but I didn't have any symptoms before, so I don't know what "bother" means. A stomach pain? I would like to avoid that! I don't want to fear food in general but will probably avoid seeds and nuts. The doctor says I won't have to avoid anything, as all diverticular disease will be removed, but couldn't more develop? I do not want to go through this again!
And lastly, I will have 18 inches of colon removed. In what ways does this effect your digestion?
Thanks so much for reading this and for any advice. I think it has been helpful to me to write down my story to sort it all out in my head.
Andrea
The Following User Says Thank You to izzy1 For This Useful Post: jinglebts (02-27-2011)
So sorry to hear about your sudden problems! Mine was more coming on gradually and eventually being a constant problem. I didn't have a colostomy, but I did have 18 inches removed. I honestly have to say after 18 months or so, I do not notice any difference from what I remember as normal, although that was a long time ago! One food that I still cannot eat is popcorn!! I have had diarrhea in the middle of the night, as well as vomiting, from regular popcorn. I have found that I tolerate the low hull varieties quite nicely though. Other than that, I have added everything back into my diet. I had a setback at about the 12 month mark. I had pain on the lower left, felt exhausted, diarrhea for at least 2 months. I never did figure out what was going on there, but it was gone as suddenly as it started! I added foods back rather quickly after the surgery. How I took the "foods that bother you" was, if it sounded good, I ate it. And if it didn't make my stomach or the rest of my digestion upset, I figured I was OK. It was hardest to add back in fresh fruits and vegetables as I had been on low residue for months before my surgery. So those caused a lot of gas and rumbling, but I eventually got to where I could handle those as well. I would ask your doctor about adding the Metamucil at this stage in your recovery, as I am not familiar with any colostomy care and cautions you may have. God Bless you, and keep us posted as to how you are doing!!! When are you due for your reversal?
Thanks for your help, Mrs Queez.
I am not sure yet when the reversal will be, but the doctor anticipates that I will be healed enough to have it done at the end of June. I have an appointment tomorrow and I have lots of questions for him.
Speaking of popcorn, I ate it a lot. I was on Weight Watchers and popcorn is an approved snack. I will never eat it again! Maybe that did it and maybe it didn't, but I'm not taking any chances. I can live perfectly contentedly without popcorn!
I am happy to have found this board. It helps to talk to people who have been there.
Hi Izzy! I had surgery for diverticulitis a few years ago and this board was a huge help and source of information for me. Like you, I hadn't known I had problems. I thought I was having female trouble!
My surgeon told me I could eat anything I liked (I lost 8 inches), but might as well avoid popcorn, corn and nuts. He has diverticulitis himself, so I figured that was good advice. I do sneak a few nuts at Christmastime, though. Like MrsQueez, I found it took a couple months to build up to eating fruits and veggies without the gas and bloating, but now I'm like anyone else with that stuff. I make a point of eating lots of fiber, which keeps movements regular and soft so I don't strain. My favorite foods are beans and a certain brand of tortillas that have enough fiber that one a day is more fiber than most people eat in three meals. Good stuff. Lots of fruits and veggies, too. I think my improved diet is the main reason I've lost 40 pounds since my surgery. That and my surgeon's advice to take a nice walk every day because walking stimulates the colon to move regularly.
Sorry to hear about your troubles but glad you're on the mend. I too had a resection a few years ago, my 3 year anniversary is coming up soon. If it were me I would definitely wait a little longer on the metamucil and be very careful with that stuff. If you don't drink enough water while taking it the results can be pretty unpleasant. You don't want a bowel blockage. I use Fibersure which seems to be more gentle to my system.
After the resection they tell you that you can pretty much eat anything, which I do within reason. Of course a whole food diet with minimally processed foods is best for anyone, not just us resectees so that's what I aim for. I think common sense and personal experience will be your best guideline. If you eat a certain food and feel discomfort refrain from eating that food again, at least for a while. It will take several months or more for your G.I. system to settle down after the last surgery is complete so play it by ear until then. I do know that gooey cheeses such as mozzarella on pizza can really slow things down so I try to avoid those as much as possible.
As far as digestion after losing 18", I can't say for sure since I only had 8" out but my digestion seems the same as it always was. I'm pretty sure all digestion has occurred before the large intestine and that is where the water is removed from the stool, so you might have diarrhea??? Best of luck to you and make sure to get the doctor's ok about the metamucil first.
Like MrsQueez, I found it took a couple months to build up to eating fruits and veggies without the gas and bloating, but now I'm like anyone else with that stuff. I make a point of eating lots of fiber, which keeps movements regular and soft so I don't strain. My favorite foods are beans and a certain brand of tortillas that have enough fiber that one a day is more fiber than most people eat in three meals. Good stuff. Lots of fruits and veggies, too. I think my improved diet is the main reason I've lost 40 pounds since my surgery. That and my surgeon's advice to take a nice walk every day because walking stimulates the colon to move regularly. 
Linear Mode
