Newly diagnosed and pain is not easing. Any advice?

[KevMitchell]

Hi!

I was taken into hospital in May this year with severe pain in the upper left side of my body, just below my rib cage. The doctors are pretty sure it’s Diverticulitis, as the CT scan showed inflammation in my colon. They will not say for certain as yet, due to me being a 39 year old male. They say I'm a bit young to have it. They blamed it on my 'Western diet', despite them being Western themselves and not knowing me and my eating habits at all. They sent me home after a week with no information on Diverticulitis or on what to do now. I regularly exercise (although not as much at the moment due to the pain), drink lots of water and I've only adjusted my diet slightly since being diagnosed, after reading many websites (brown rice and bread instead of white). I'm still awaiting a Colonoscopy, as they say they have to wait 6-8 weeks after the inflammation has gone, in order to reduce the risk of tearing the lining. It has been booked for 15th July. The information I’ve received about my Colonoscopy confirms there is a risk of the lining being torn anyway.

In the meantime, I'm still experiencing quite a lot of pain and discomfort in the left hand side of my body. However, it has shifted down to my pelvis and groin area. It is worse and flares up when I'm sitting down. I only get some relief from the pain when I lie down. Driving really irritates it. I'm not constipated at all; my bowels are open between 4 and 8 times a day now. They used to be open just once or twice maximum a day before all of this flared up. My GP says I have to wait for the results of the Colonoscopy but nothing he is prescribing in the meantime is reducing the pain. I've been off work for 5 weeks now and am desperate to get back because I love it and don’t want them to have any reason to doubt my capabilities. However, it's hard to explain to them how I'm feeling because I actually look fine. I'm not pale, although I've lost 4kgs since being in hospital, which actually makes me look even healthier. I have a 40 minute train journey to work and have a desk job. At the moment, there is no way I could think about going to work, due to the journey and sitting at a desk. I've had to have 3 breaks to type this out, because it’s painful to sit at the computer to type.

I'm completely fed up of the pain and discomfort.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on how I can get through this and get myself back to work, whilst I wait for the Colonoscopy?

Thanks in advance
Kev

[Bimbo]

Hi there
I am new to this site. I live in East London in the uk. I really know how you feel. I am in a flare up at the moment. I suffer with colitus which is imflamation in the colon. Diagnosed 6 years ago but had probs before. Then after lots of colonoscopies because of abnormal cells they found some diverticular had formed. I am under a Gastro doc and a surgeon. Then 18 months ago I had terrible low left pain come on in work it was that bad couldn't move. I had loose bowel movement that day. Went to A & E took bloods xray. I then vomited. Nurse said bloods show infection. Doc on duty said xray looked like I was constipated. Said bloods bit up . sent me home told me to eat loads of fibre. I was so ill my stomach swelled. 48 hours later got an ambulance. I had a perforation. Was going to operate but last minute my own surgeon who new my case said he wanted to try medication because of bad stuff in me high risk operating. They put a tube down my stomach and was on drips. They checked bloods all the time. If I got worse they would operate. Lucky the perforation sealed as my stomach went down. I had no solids for ten days. In hospital two weeks. Then they wasn't sure if the perforation was caused through diverticulits or colitus or crohns. I spent months in pain because through infection I had internal scarring. They want to hold off surgery for a resection. 3 weeks ago I got terrible upper left side pain just under rib felt like a knife turning. Had my bloods checked just said blood levels up abit. Got to see Gastro doc 3 days later. I had pain low left up left and kept shivering. put me on two lots antibiotics what had before. Metrodizonol and Cipro the metro is known as flagl. Horrible antibiotics for side affects but are good for bowel infections. They are now sayin this is a diverticulitis flare this time. Had to see my surgeon again he wants to hold off operating but the gastro doc feels an operation is needed. I finished tabs last week and I am still in pain they said a bit of imflamation doing this. Doc told me to eat high fibre but I think when imflamtion there it can irritate it. Did they not give you antibiotics may be they should have. Its hard to say. At moment I have been off three weeks from work I wanted to go back today but pain is on off hurts to drive or do too much. I think with this its trying things yourself what suits one don't help another. You also get very down because people say you look well when infact you may have been up all night in pain Dont worry about colonoscopy you will be ok. I have had alot. What hosp you going to. I know how you feel Regards Linda

[marguerite]

What I'm reading is that some doctors are recommending high fibre diets when you are actually having a flareup; while others tell you to avoid ALL fibre!
That's the prescription I had. Cream-of-what (absolutely inedible!), but the same antibiotics you had. I had two flareups (one after the other), but since then I seem to have been okay. I think the antibiotics cleared it up. The flareups DID leave my colon in a bit of a mess, but, luckily I've been okay now for 3 months.
The first thing they gave me was a CAT scan. That's how they determined it was Divertic. Since then I've had a colonoscopy - where they found an enlarged "sac" which gave the monitor a hard time to get past.
I've been okay now for 6 months, but am still not eating apple peel, potatato skins, ANYTHING with seeds. Must say I miss eating the whole tomato, but cut out the seeds and eat the rest.
It sounds as tho you're having a bad time of it at the moment. I think we all do for varying lengths of time. I think you can get lots of good suggestiions from this site. I'd love to be able to eat some of the fruit (with seeds) that we're "forbidden".
Good luck with your treatment.
Aileen