Diverticulitis surgery pain level

I am a 60 yo female who has had two diverticulitis episodes in 6 weeks. I drove myself to the ER for the first one and then knew what was going on for the second. I, like someone else, had lower left ab pain for 9 months previous to the full on attack. The specialist advised me to see a surgeon and I will in three days. I am reading these reports and my major concern is that I live alone and really don't have anyone near me for after care. I need to know if it is even possible for me to handle this( if I have surgery) at home by myself??? And, of course, the time off work having a single income???

if you are in good physical shape - not overweight
and decent stomach muscles - you will be
fine. I am also a 60 year old female.
I had groceries delivered and my friends
drove me if I needed a ride. good luck

Thanks for the reply. I have thought of the options for grocerys etc. and who I know that could drive me since I am new to the area. I would hope there is another way other than surgery...

I am 40 yr old male and I recently had surgery on 15 Mar 11.  I have had several infections over the last 5 years but on each incident, the antibiotics were able to clear the infection.  Around the end of Feb 11, I went to bed with the usual lower left abdominel pain.  The next day was worse, so went to ER.  They did CAT scan and found I had yet another infection.  But this time I took the anitbiotics and they did not help.  I was on liquid diet and I was getting worse.  Pain was getting worse.  Went back to ER.  All they did was give me pain med and sent me home.  Over the weekend, I got even worse with pain and sickness.  Went back to ER, did another CT scan.  By now I had finally got referral to see a gastro Dr.  He set up colonoscopy for a couple days later.  He said he could hardly get the scope through due to the inflamation even with using the smallest one he had.  He called my surgeon immediately and told him I needed surgery right away.  I had to wait out the weekend but had the surgery on tuesday 15 Mar. 

He had to open me all the way up, so I have a 10" scar from my groin to just above my belly button.  Like someone else said, looks like a sprial notebook.  I chose the epidural for pain and am very glad I did.  Other than the bag for the epidural running out once, I had very little pain that I could not deal with.  Of course the most difficult part is trying to cough or sneezing which were both extremely painful.  My doctor said the my colon had folded over on top of itself and was closed off like pinching a garden hose.  He only had to remove about 7" of my colon but he was able to get all the diseased section.  I spent 8 days in the hospital.  The hardest part was waiting to have a bowel movement.  Once I got home, I started eating slowly but the first few bowel movements were very painful.  but the pain does get better quickly.  I have been walking about 2 miles each night with my wife and that has helped.  I did lose about 30 lbs all together.  I am a runner so I was already pretty thin.  That has really helped my recovery since I was in good physical shape prior to surgery.  I am now just over a month out of surgery.  My Dr says I should be able to start light workouts in a couple weeks.

I fully recommend this surgery to anyone who has dealt with the pain from divurticulitis.  I can tell a huge difference compared to before my surgery.  It is well worth the pain and discomfort.  I have had several other surgeries so I am used to dealing with the recovery part but it can be a little overwhelming so make sure you ask your Dr as many questions as you can.  There are alot of good sites to help you talk to your dr about all of your options.  And if surgery is the best option, it is worth it.  I am very thankful and blessed that I was able to have this done and start feeling better.

Hello,  I had surgery for diverticulitis in November of 2010.  This surgery is extremely painful.  My hospital stay was 7 days.  When I returned home it was the normal recovery, until 2 days before having my staples removed.  I started running a fever and had some abdominal pain.  I gotout of my chair went to the bathroom tolook into the mirror and see drainage from my bellyband and now seeping between my staples.  I called to my daughter and she began asking where the horrible smell was coming from.  We went to the hospital went through many teststo find that the surgery I had failed and I was immediatly sent to surgery where they opened my stomache flushed my intestines and left this gaping wound open to heal.  This was the most excruciating pain I haveever experienced.  I could not eat for 11/2 months and know have a colostomy also.  Dec. 24 I was sent to the nursing home becauseI was much too weak for returning home.  While in the nursing home I became more ill and decided to be sent to a hospital in Pewaukee.  AMAZING hospital.  Underwent 38 sessions of hyperbaric treatments and because they found many severe infections from the surgery I was on the strogest antibiotics they had.  All of my hair fell out and also needed 2 units of blood.  The pain everyday was unreal.  I came home March 3rd.  I still have a opened wound which I have home health care everyother day.  I will be having surgery may 16 and hope and prey this will be the end of my nightmare. please really think about the surgery and maybe some other allternative.   

Hello I am a 44 year old man ...I was diagnosed with diverticulitis in January of 2011 after 2 years of chronic lower abdominal pains  I went to the er-  after spending a weekend in the hospital. The doctor came in on Sunday morning and told me that my intestine had ruptured but then sealed its self off  and I was being released. That same day after the morphine had  left my system I was in more pain than before ... I was re-admitted the following weekend and scheduled for surgery on Friday , my intestines had ruptured . 

Please make sure you ask your surgeon about all the risks.  I'm not sure if what happened to me is rare, but I deffinately would rethink this surgery again.  I still am having alot of pain and really don't understand why.  The colostomy is something very difficult to deal with.  The cost for all this is unreal.  My family has been wonderful and I don't know what I would do without them.  During my 4 month hospital stay they were very supportive.  I prey I will never have to experience this again.  I am so afraid to have the colostomy reversed, I don't want to be in the hospital again.  Surgery is extremely painful.  I will not sugarcoat this.  There are many risks.    

hello i am a 28 year old male former us marine now i am a construction worker and proud father i just had the surgery a week and a half ago. I wont lie the pain after the surgery was very intense and i like to pride myself in the amount of pain i can deal with but like i said it was bad but.... if you tough it out it passes quick i can move around pretty freely now i was only in need of help at home for about 2 days lucky for me my girlfriend is amazing, so a week and a half later i feel good and hope to start exercising again soon. hope all is well for you on your surgery

Also,thank you for this post my husband might need this surgery I'm worried about it so we're finding all the info and talking to as many people as we can who have had the surgery.  We have 4 small children and I just want him to be ok from it.  Someone he works with had it and said that they wished they had many years ago, and of course I just worry about everything. I would love to talk to everyone I can about this for him.

Was yours done by lapro? I'm just worred about everything if my husband ends up having this. From what I've read he should have it while it's an elective one so it doesn't get worse I'm just worried about everything. I was worried about his gallbladder surgery so I can't imagine how I'll feel if he has this one. I'm glad things went well for you and hope my husband's can go as well if he has this.

Please make sure you check all your options through your DR.  My surgery turned into an extreme nightmare for about 1 year.  Hopefully in 2 months I will be able to have my colostomy reversed and all will be well again. 

Hi there, I am a 51year old female living in a small town of Umkomaas on the South African coast of Kwa Zulu Natal.

Like most of the people above I have had same operation, in Feb 2012.  Just a small question to all of you who've had all colon removed and part of large intestine .......  it is now April and I still have pain, but under the 12 inch scar (somewhere under the skin) and it burns like hell and is most day very hot and inflamemd .... then the right hand side of where they operated I keep getting a stabbing and strange pain.   I'm too scared to go back to the surgeon who operated on me, as all they do id give me a stronger pain tablet each time.

When I first left the hospital, they gave me mood altering medication that had paracetamol and something else, that masked the pain, but later found out that was addictive, so as I weaned myself off the tablets, and the pain was real bad.  Then I was given another pain tablet, but that made me quite " zombie" like.  After complaining about this the doctor gave me "Stilpain" tabs and an anti-depressant (to take before bedtime only, just to relax me) and a sleeping tablet (wich I only take half a tablet).  But every morning and throughout the day, I still have same pain.  I dont take the "Pain tablet" often, unless the pain gets real bad.  Has anybody else experienced the same problem?

And if so, what can anybody suggest? 

Posted by Mrs Umkomaas lady  12 April 2012

 

Hi im 54 years and i had surgery for diverticulitis  one week ago and they took 71/2 inc ooff my large intestent and i was home in four days i feel pretty week and have a lot of gas but not  alot of pain if i dont eat alot and eat slow.

I was 40 when I had surgery and removed 2 ft of sigmoid colon. A big vertical scar and recovery of an incision this long wasn't fun but you must have the procedure if diagnosed. I am 52 and over these 12 years never felt better. Do it.

Great to read your post. I am a 44 year old female, and have had about 6 bouts with Diverticulitis over 4 years. Each time they get worse -so surgery is probably in the cards. I have never had any surgeries, so it is fear of the unknown. I love to workout so I will continue and hope that aids recovery like it did for you. Great to know that you are feeling better and you are glad you went ahead with the surgery.