georgiana7

Close Diverticulitis

I am a 32 year old female who was diagnosed with severe diverticulitis (which is usually found in people over the age of 50) when I was 31. Not having any idea what that was at the time I was about to be faced with one of the scariest years of my life. Along the way I realized that some friends aren't really friends at all, I lost my job of 2 years (due to my illness) and I had a new outlook on family and life in general. I have decided to tell my story about all that has happened to me thus far. I am not doing so for sympathy, more so for therapeutic reasons and maybe it will even help someone else in a similar situation. For as long as I can remember I had stomach issues and was always told that I had a stomach flu/virus and later that I had IBS. My stomach would hurt on and off with bouts of constipation/diarrhea and later vomiting came into play. In my adult years I found out that it was something way more severe than a mere stomach upset and that leads you up to my story. (taken from one of my previous blogs) I have been in and out of the hospital for a couple of months and I have had problems with my stomach for years. Well, this year (2007) it all came to a climax. I was admitted to the hospital back in March and found out that I had diverticulitis. I was admitted in the hospital for about a week and then home I went. All I was told was to change my diet (increase fiber intake, don't eat nuts or anything with seeds) and I was sent on my way. I kept having severe problems with vomiting and diahrrhea and such and was admitted again in May. I stayed yet again in the hospital and this time again told diverticulitis was the culprit and that I had an abscess on my colon which was drained during my stay; that procedure in itself was painful. I was let go again and sent home on the same diet and with the same medication. Within a week or so June comes, oh and by the way, I just got married!!! That was the upside to all of this. Anywho, two days after the wedding I was back in the hospital sick and finding myself having severe diverticulitis and the abscess had returned. They again tried to drain the abscess and decided to put in a temporary drain. The surgeon told me I couldn't live like this and I would die, so surgery was scheduled in about 10 days while I lay in the hospital bed receiving IV antibiotics and pain medication every 4 hours or so. I became scared/worried about dying and the outcome of the surgery. The next 10 days I spent on and off in pain and being depressed. Surgery day came and I had 18 inches of my sigmoid colon removed. I was full of staples and hoping for the best. After a couple of days after surgery they found a microscopic leak in the re-connection of my colon as well as infection. My only option was the one I had dreaded before the surgery and that was a temporary colostomy. So, back into surgery I went and came out of it in ICU, which I recovered from. I went home a few days later after having been in the hospital this time for a month with a few inches less of intestine and a foreign object attached to my left side. I am so thankful to be alive, but I am also having a hard time dealing with the fact that I now have a colostomy bag. I know it saved my life and that it is only temporary but by far, this is one of the hardest things I have been dealt in life thus far. I will have my bag for at least 6 months to give time for the colon to heal and then my surgeon will reattach it. I've read similar stories online after researching and I know I am not alone. I know the light is at the end of the tunnel and I pray for strength and thank god everyday for the blessings that I do have. Having a supporting family and husband has made it a little more bearable. This explains a little further: http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/Diverticulitis-Surgery I am looking forward to my third and hopefully final surgery. I have a colonoscopy scheduled in September to make sure that my diverticulitis is gone and that everything is healing as it should. This will be my third colonoscopy this year. I have heard horror stories about them and honestly they aren't as bad as people say or think. I feel the worst part about them is the preparation for them. Having to drink that 1ml bottle of awfulness and all the water and those horrible enemas, other than that they aren't that bad. Anyway, if everything goes well I will be able to have my surgery shortly after. The colostomy has gotten easier to deal with as I don't cry every time I have to have it changed. And I have even begun doing it myself. Well, everything went well with the colonoscopy and surgery is scheduled on November 12, 2007. I will be in the hospital between 5-7 days. I am ready for the reversal and to get back to life before all of this happened. Although once I am better I will have to search for a new job. I have been on LTD (Long Term Disability) and lost my job due to the company no longer wanting to pay for my insurance (So sad and disappointing). What an eye opener this has all been, between finding out who your real friends are, losing my long-term job at a cancer center that I loved to not taking LIFE for GRANTED and realizing how special it is. I wonder now why people wait until someone's death to celebrate their life. I went in for my last surgery on Monday, November 12, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. My surgeon was able to do this one laparoscopic which means he didn't have to open me up as far this time around. He removed 4 more inches of my colon making it a grand total of 22 inches removed. The colostomy was also reversed with no leaks :). So that means no more bag and the reversal was successful. I was in the hospital for 7 days and was released on Monday morning. I really have an awesome surgeon. I am now in recovery mode and I will have to start somewhat where I left off 9 months ago. My heart goes out to people who aren't able to do the reversal. People who have not experienced this have no idea what I went through, how I felt, and I am so thankful for my husband. I often felt alone and he was by my side the whole time enduring my pain with me. After the surgery there was such a difference. I no longer had the severe cramping, diarrhea/constipation or vomiting. It felt good to not always feel sick. I continued to have pain on my left side where the stoma once was. I had another CT in May and to my dismay a peri umbilical hernia was found along with 2 masses measuring almost 4 inches in diameter each and thought to be ovarian in etiology. The pain had increased over the months and I was now seeing a pain management doctor and seeing a gynecologist/oncologist for the new discovered masses. I will have to have the masses removed and he has informed me that he will know within 15 minutes while I am under if the masses are malignant (which he doesn't think they are). I will also have my previous surgeon repair my hernia at the same time so that I won't have to have 2 surgeries. I am out of work yet again on STD/LTD and getting ready for yet another surgery. I'm not sure what to expect or how I will feel after this one. I am hoping for the best and ready to put this behind me as well. My surgery is currently scheduled for July 14, 2008. Update soon...

Close Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis

Well, I was initally diagnosed with severe diverticulits and had a colon resection. I have chronic severe pain which is being treated. Later had Colitis and just recently had yet another colonoscopy and now Crohn's is also a diagnosis. So, any information will be helpful.

Treatments

Lialda Too Soon to Tell

Gassy! Just started taking it about a month ago!