u/Priority0912

Great news.. If I'm reading the report correctly.. I had acute diverticulitis at the time of surgery??

Its seems that surgery was eventually going to happen..
Makes me appreciate the fact that I made the right decision to have this procedure done especially with the "possible fistula" tract..

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Clinical Information

Diagnosis

Diverticulitis of large intestine without perforation or abscess without bleeding

Final Diagnosis

A. Colon, sigmoid, low anterior resection:

Diverticular disease with multiple diverticula, acute diverticulitis, associated focal abscess formation, and possible fistula tract

Negative for dysplasia or malignancy

Six lymph nodes, negative for malignancy (0/6)

 

B. Colon, proximal and distal anastamotic donuts, excision:

Benign colon with no significant histopathological abnormalities

Negative for dysplasia or malignancy

 

Gross Description

A. The specimen is received in formalin labeled "", sigmoid colon" and consists of a 22.0 cm in length by 3.0 cm in diameter segment of sigmoid. The specimen is received with one end stapled closed and one end open. The serosa is remarkable for focal patchy adhesions, but is predominantly pink-tan and smooth. The specimen is opened longitudinally to reveal an unremarkable pink-tan mucosa with the usual folds. A small focus of black discoloration from tattoo ink is noted approximately 9 cm from the stapled margin, but no mucosal lesions are identified in association with the tattoo ink. Sectioning reveals multiple intact diverticula. A possible fistula tract is identifed in the area of serosal adhesions.

 Representative sections are submitted as follows:

A1: Diverticulum with possible fistula tract

A2-A5: Additional representative diverticula

A6: Representative lymph nodes

B. The specimen is received in formalin labeled "", proximal and distal anastomotic donuts" and consists of two annular fragments of colonic tissue, each approximately 2.0 x 2.0 x 1.0 cm. Both fragments contain numerous staples and sutures, consistent with anastomotic rings. One of the fragments is received loosely attached to an EEA anvil. A representative section of each is submitted in B1.

If you want a read
https://www.reddit.com/r/Diverticulitis/s/j6o8vCobcv
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WOW! Is all I can say..

A week ago I was spiraling.. in the thick of prepping for surgery..

Dreading the surgery.. dreading the pain..

12 inches of descending/Sigmoid colon removed
Extensive left abdominal inflammation
3 day hospital stay
Pain meds and worrying my family..

A week later..

I woke up at 6:30 and walked 2 miles today..

Showered.. made banana pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast (with assistance in reaching some items)

Spent the afternoon just soaking in the sun..

Napped and now we are going to Whole Foods for our weekly groceries..

Im still taking gabapentin and celebrex for pain
Im still being cautious, being careful to not over-exert myself.
I’m still figuring out my new bowel movements.. they will settle over the next weeks..

Im just amazed.. robotic assisted procedures are amazing.

I know we all heal differently but now I know I made the right decision to have the surgery.

I have minimal incision pain but I know this pain will go away eventually.
I don’t have that nagging diverticulitis pain anymore..
I don’t have that awful bloating and sudden nausea..
I’m not scared to eat..

Wow.

If you’re suffering and you’ve tried everything and elective robotic surgery is offered.. do your research.. ask questions.. get a second and third opinion..
don’t suffer for years like I did..

it all seems so daunting but it’s so worth it..

My next update will be at my surgery follow up.
I’ll give yall a break from my spamming 😂😂

Pre-Surgery Experience Here

Surgery Experience Here

Update #1 Thursday August 13th 2026

Howdy Folks! Just Checkin' in.. Been at home since yesterday Wednesday August 12th 2026

It was kinda rough getting home yesterday cause it was a 45 min car ride plus waiting for the RX from the Pharmacy..

I showered as instructed.. only scrubbed where I could reach without hurting myself.

Let the soap and water run down my incisions.

My surgeon wants me on 4-6 small meals throughout the day..

I am going to play it safe the next couple of days..
I am eating Grilled Chicken.. White boiled Rice.. very very soft carrots.. scrambled eggs..

Protein shakes.. for dinner I am going to have some white pasta with grilled chicken and a drinkable yogurt for convenience.

I have pain when I walk and move around.. but It's very manageable with Acetominophen (Tyelonol Extra Strength), Prescription NSAID (Celebrex) and I am still taking gabapentin for nerve pain.

I have Tramadol.. and I did take one yesterday because I had a pretty rough time getting home.. but I have not needed it all day.. and I've been able to walk around the house.. a bit outside earlier in the morning (it's wayyy too hot in North Texas) plus I hate how Tramadol makes me feel..

My sister did visit me for a while she brought a soup for me to have today and tomorrow.. she's going to stop by tomorrow to check on me again.

I did schedule my post surgery follow up for August 25th...

I do doze off a lot.. which never really happened before.. I guess its the post surgery fatigue..

I do have about 6-7 bowel movements.. especially after I eat.. still very liquid.. but going towards a more mushy consistency..

Though I am tired.. I am feeling quite well.. I hear my intestines make all sorts of crazy sounds lol
and for once.. the left side of my abdomen doesnt hurt.

Presurgery experience all historical DV flares
https://www.reddit.com/r/Diverticulitis/s/iQZfVp4qso

Update#5

Tuesday August 11th 2026 18:21
My Surgeon dropped in. Told me I’m going good..
He wants me out of the bed and walking every hour and sitting in a chair
He said he took 12 inches of colon because the diseased part was higher up in the sigmoid colon and blood supply to the bottom section would be insufficient.

I ate dinner. Grilled chicken white rice and boiled carrots
Feeling better but still that nagging shoulder pain.
And the one incision.. I named it Pierre. He’s giving me so pretty strong pain when I clear my throat or cough. 😷

Update#4

Tuesday August 11th 2026 14:26

Had a soft/low residue lunch.
I was able to tolerate lunch. I had chicken noodle soup
Mashed potatoes, a slice of white bread, banana and a ginger ale.
I got diarrhea an hour afterwards. A lot of gas too.
Was told this is normal for the first few days/week

Still having pain on one of the incisions on the right side of my belly.. and still can’t seem to get rid of the gas stuck in my shoulders

No Dilaudid.. just OxyCodone

Spoke to a social worker said if everything continues and I can manage my pain at home I should be good to go home tomorrow.

Update#3

Tuesday August 11th 2026 09:33

Catheter has been removed.. mobility is much better now. I am walking every hour.

They wanted to make sure I could pee... so I had to use a portable urinal so they could measure output.

I also was able to have a bowel movement.. it was liquid and not bloody.

I had a liquid diet for breakfast..
They are moving me to soft/low residue foods for lunch

I can go home tomorrow if I have no issues eating.

I am so happy to have a great team here at Baylor University Medical Center.
The nurses are so compassionate and helpful

Update#2
Tuesday August 11th 2026 02:55

Lab people came by and disturbed my sleep
Now I’m fully awake.
Had my first strong cough and My god I swear I saw stars
It hurt so much 😂😂
Had some Dilaudid around 10 pm yesterday I can feel it’s wearing off..
Catheter comes out at 6am
I’m assuming my surgeon will come after that for his morning rounds.
Still have not passed gas or had any sort of urgency but I also haven’t had any real food.

Update#1
Monday August 10th 2026 21:44

Ate the liquid food they brought me.
Haven’t passed gas yet..

Got up and did 4 laps around the nurses station.

Holy smokes the shoulder pain from the pumped gas is no joke lol. I was chewing gum as I walked and kept burping up a ton of air as well.

The catheter is really uncomfortable but thankfully it’ll be removed tomorrow first thing.

Saw all my wounds.. I had 6 small incision and a pretty good sized c-section wound

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I made it! Surgery started at 8:30am CST
Took about 5 hours to complete.

Woke up feeling so bloated and confused
5 small incisions as it was robotic (Davinci)
I was in recovery for a quite a while because they wanted to make sure my oxygen saturation was above 90
They made me dangle my feet off the bed.. and boy did that hurt lol!

From what the surgeon told my family.
Everything went extremely well.
I guess I won’t see him til tomorrow. I don’t know how much colon was removed.

I do have pain.. but it’s being managed very well as I’m not shy requesting meds. And the pain Is far less than what I experienced during a complicated flare.

I have some pretty terrible cramps but they said they should go an away once I start moving.

I keep dozing off.. tonight will suck.. but I hope tomorrow is much better.

Thank you for your comments and well wishes for those that posted. If you’re a silent reader I hope my experience encourages you to seek relief from this awful disease.

Howdy, y’all — 39M here.

In 2025, I had a complicated diverticulitis episode with a microperforation. I documented that experience as well, in case anyone wants to read about my “journey.”

2025 Complicated DV with Microperf

Unfortunately, I had another diverticulitis flare in late May 2026. I went to the ER, completed a week of Augmentin, and thankfully improved pretty quickly.

Afterward, I met with a colorectal surgeon at Texas Oncology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He reviewed my imaging and medical history and told me that I probably should have followed the recommendation for elective surgery after my complicated episode in 2025.

After considering everything, I decided to take his advice. My elective surgery is scheduled for August 10, 2026.

This will be my first major surgery, and honestly, I am terrified.

At the same time, I have been sick for a while now. I think many of us with diverticulitis gradually become accustomed to the daily pain, discomfort, food anxiety, and other “gifts” this condition brings. It slowly becomes our version of normal, even though it shouldn’t be.

My surgeon explained that the procedure could take up to five hours, depending on whether there are adhesions or other complications. Strangely, the pain itself is not what scares me most. The pain I experienced during the perforation last year was excruciating, and even then, I avoided the stronger pain medications. I tried hydrocodone once, and it made me break out in a cold sweat.

However, I understand that staying ahead of the pain after surgery will be important so I can get up, walk, recover, and hopefully go home sooner. For those who have been through this, were there any pain medications or pain-management approaches that worked particularly well for you?

My surgeon also explained that because this is an elective procedure, the likelihood of needing a temporary colostomy is very low—but, of course, there are never guarantees.

Thankfully, I have a very strong support system, and I am financially able to cover my deductible. I am spending the next two weeks gathering everything I may need for recovery at home.

I have arranged for two weeks of PTO, followed by another two weeks working from home. My normal commute is about an hour each way, so I am not sure whether I will be ready to drive that distance by week three. I would appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences returning to driving and work.

Receiving the ERAS kit in the mail made everything feel incredibly real. It hit me hard, and I spiraled a little over the weekend.

Today, though, I am feeling much better. I am trying to focus on taking back control of my life—being able to plan trips without worrying about canceling, enjoying food without fear, and, most importantly, hopefully living without the constant pain.

I hope sharing this helps someone else. So many of your posts have helped me find the courage to advocate for myself, and I am incredibly grateful for this community.