If you are not sure then don't have the surgery. Look into the SCD diet. It definitely is helping me. You also need to keep a journal of what you eat and how you feel.

Surgery should be the last resort. Please try something else first. I have a friend who had surgery and removed most of his large intestine. He regrets that now -- he has to wear adult diapers.

Hi , i am in the same situation , pretty much .
Was in hospital for 4 days recently with an acute episode of diverticulitis. Diagnosed in 2009 and have had 3 previous episodes not requiring hospitalization.. docs and surgeon saying they highly recommend I get resection.
Have appointments set up to meet with a few different surgeons in NYC.
Very worried about surgery and would like to try and manage with diet . I eat high fiber diet for the most part but i still have episodes.
I really don't know what is the right option.

I was on Diverticulitis forum for years till a nasty troll came in and broke it up. There were so many people that were there. Some knew way more than Dr's. I swear they saved my life.
I learned everybody is different on how their body reacts to a Diverticulitis attack. Some have almost no pain, some have lots of pain. Both can have dangerous complications if not treated.
Some people have found they can't eat as much nonsoluble fiber such as broccoli as they used to, cause it seems to irritate the colon. Most people never start on raw veggies such as brocolli, kale, raw carrots, etc, till 3-4 weeks after they start SLOWLY with a low fiber diet.
As soon as you feel any discomfort get back on your liquid diet.

This diet comes from the Mayo Clinic

A diverticulitis diet gives your digestive tract a chance to rest while your doctor treats your diverticulitis.
By limiting yourself to clear liquids and slowly adding low-fiber foods to your diet, your digestive tract has time to heal.
Diverticulitis diet during an attack
During an attack of diverticulitis, your doctor may recommend diverticulitis treatments.

Your doctor may also recommend that you stick to a clear liquid diet for two or three days, or until the pain goes away.

Foods and beverages allowed on a clear liquid diet include: Broth, Clear soda, Fruit juices without pulp, Ice chips, Ice pops without bits of fruit or fruit pulp, Plain gelatin, Plain water, Tea or coffee without cream.
Diverticulitis diet once signs and symptoms begin to resolve
As you start feeling better, your doctor will recommend that you SLOWLY introduce low-fiber foods.
Low-fiber foods include: Canned fruits, Desserts without seeds or nuts, Eggs, Enriched white bread, Fruit juice with little or no pulp, Low-fiber cereals, Milk, Yogurt or cheese without seeds or nuts, Smooth peanut butter, Tender meat, poultry and fish,White rice or plain pasta, noodles or macaroni, Well-cooked vegetables without seeds or skins.

You may need this low fiber diet for 2-4 weeks or more before VERY slowly starting back on the fiber foods.

Too much food can also cause a good amount of pain. Eat small meals for awhile,

Mayo Clinic web site has lots of good information.

Good luck

NiN. I too went to see a surgeons in NYC. I've been to Mount Sinai & Colombia Pres. I also went to see someone I was referred to at Englewood hospital in NJ. I'm scheduled for the resection, but I'm still very apprehensive. They tell me that in my case, the risks of not doing the surgery out weigh the risks associated with the actual resection. I found a Diverticulitis Support Group on Facebook this week, that has helped me tremendously.

I've been told the same cra123 seeing that I'm 37 . I haven't scheduled my surgery yet I'm still meeting with another surgeon and have to have a few more scans and scopes done in the next 2 weeks . ,
I'm not on Facebook but I'll look for that page all the same .
Good luck with everything and wish you a speedy recovery!

Hi there,

I was diagnosed with diverticular in aug.2014. 1st time was horrible, over 3mos.on antibiotics II could not move past chicken broth. Finally after flushing my system for colinoscopy, I had some relief. Still had several more months on and off of flare ups and antibiotics. Finally found a gastrointestinal Dr. Who prescribed amytriptaline benefiber and Align probiotics and told me if I had patience that they would get me back to normal.....well here we are almost 2 years later. I have had several mild flare ups and right now going through a rough one....but as time went on and I found that lots of fiber and water was definately key and the minute I feel left side pain or have a unusual bowel movement, I drink about 6 Oz of prune juice and stick with my oatmeal and some empty calories...aka...junkfood....a few pretzles or cookies poptart sweet cereal just to name a few....food that will keep things moving, but that don't have much substance left after leaving my stomach....zip have been doing that for about the past year and it all really seems to be working well. No flare ups since Dec. Till now, but things were going so well I started eating meat a bit too much and I really feel that's where this flare up came from. All and all I would say if you have the patience and time allows avoid the surgery as long as possible....this is a horrible disease to have, but it's not cancer....for me I realized God had to Slow my stubborn self down and get my attention somehow and I have been able to embrace this as a blessing in disguise and work on and fix alot of things in my life. I know most will not feel this way, but I just wanted to mention it in case anyone else was walking the same road as I was when this disease knocked me on my butt!! Hope my little blurb here can help someone even just a little!!

My GI Doctor wants me to have the surgery, but he said the operation would need to wait until six weeks after the flare-up so I'm surprised they didn't tell you the same thing. I am still mulling over whether to have the surgery and praying I can buy some time.

The 2 things I have learned for sure is everybody's different and there is no doubt in my mind that stress has a very important roll in my Diverticulitis attacks. Over the years other people have been coming to the same conclusions. Go back and try to remember. I have always eaten everything, and the only time I had an attack was when there was stress from my job. I was getting an attack every 3 months.I retired and when my stressful job went away, my a ttacks stopped.
You need to learn to listen to your body, as everyone really is different and that's what
makes Diverticulitis is so difficult.
I wish you all the best.

So I'm 5 days post lap surgery , 10 " removed of diverticulosis..no ostomy needed .
Anyone else having a tough recovery? It's been a tough few days with pain and bowel trying to get back to normal . Anyone willing to chat with be great.

Hello. How are you recovering now I'm going through a flare up now. Been stuck in bed for 4 days horrible pain. I'm having to go back to work in 2 days just hope I'll be okay. But I'm wondering about the surgery.

It's going ok . I still have post op pain and I am very pale. I seem to be having issues around the bladder area . Could be nerves healing and residual post surgery pain/ healing but I've been to the hospital for check up each week and another this week . They are keeping a good eye on me thankfully.
It's hard for me to say how this is going but I'm confident in the fact that I had to get it done! I too was in hospital few times for 4 days with attacks and my situation was one attack away from a disaster.
I'm going to bathroom fine with regards to colon resection and that's a positive for me. I'll remain positive and try to heal and forget this happened hopefully.
Try and find a doc you trust and let them guide you and get 2nd opinion if it makes you feel more comfortable.
Feel better .!

I will be having part of my colon removed soon due to a diverticulitis abscess. My surgeon feels confident that part of my colon is "bad". I've been in the hospital twice in two months. Changing my diet has never been mentioned as a fix. From what I was told, recent research doesn't confirm diet has much to do with it, and I have found no patterns related to food. When it hurts, it hurts all the time. Experimenting with diet changes while always getting sick sounds like a bad option to me. The doctor thinks I will continue to get sick without surgery. At this point, I am ready for surgery, which will occur in the next few weeks. The surgeon said this won't even be a thought for me in a few months after the surgery.

That's what I was told , pretty much . Stay positive and you will get through it . A week or less in the hospital and home recovery for a few weeks and you will get back into you're routine .
I'm 9 weeks after my surgery and doing well .

Hi, I sound like a broken record in all my replies but here goes. If you have diverticulitis you should be seeing a COLON SPECIALIST!!!!! This is a complicated disease and needs to be treated by the best informed doctor you can find. There should be no doubt in your mind exactly what is wrong with the exact part of your colon, treatment options, surgical options and nutrition. There should be no guesswork when it comes to nutrition, a specialist will guide you through this with the help of a nutritionist. I just had life threatening emergency surgery, my first attack ever, and I'm so glad I did. The diseased part of the colon is gone along with the possibility of more attacks. When they do reconstructive surgery in 3 months the remainder of my healthy colon with be reattached and I shouldn't have a problem again. Do not rule out surgery, it may be your best life long option, the alternative is just waiting for that next attack, those awful antibiotics, hospitalizations and missed time from work. I hope you find your healthy path.