At what point should you consider surgery?
I would think if you give yourself a year to try and see if you cannot control your symtoms by changing your diet and avoiding trigger foods. Have you tried the discussed ways of controlling your issues? Do you know how many inches of infected colon you have? How long have you had your diagnosed?
never mind I see the 2 years..
Hi
Thanks for teplying. This is my confusion. I dont know how many po keys i have and the soecialist says that it dies not matter. My GP says no surgery yet. I am kind of confused. I am sick everday with this. I tried the diet not much better except i lost weight.
Any thoughts.
By the way i am in canada toronto.
For me I would let my body determine whether or not it is something you can or cannot live with. I was told I had 4 inches of infected area that could be cut out. It would be keyhole and not intense surgery. If I wait until I had to have it done one day....possibly through a rupture then it would be a big surgery and I would have to wear a bag for quite some time. Since then I have avoided for the most part foods I know that do not agree with me and take my daily fiber and probitics...I have had a small flare in 8 months and got it under control quickly. I was having problems every 2 weeks before. If I were in that kind of pain all the time I would have to have surgery to relieve the pain. I am happy that there is an alternative to that by watching the foods I eat.... and making sure everything is moving daily to stay healthy. In U.S they would be happy to do surgery if you wanted.... for now anyway.
Hi
Thanks. I will be going to GP next week. I will let you know. I feel like my flares are constant. They wear me out.
If that were they case I would go ahead and get it done. You have tried everything to ward off the attacks first? Let me know.
Thanks for the reply. Sorry about my spelling. I had the wrong glasses on. I will need to see Dr. Again. I tell you it is quite a battle.
One more thing. Nobody has ever told me how many pockets I have. The Specialist said that I just had a colonospy one year ago and will not do another one. He feels the Surgeon should do it. I had my last colonoscopy in a digestive clinic and they saw the pockets but did not tell me the length. The report did not mention it either. What is that ?
In my case I had asked about how much colon would be removed if I decided to have surgery and the doc said I had 4 inches of infected colon that needed to be removed. That is how I found out. The first colonosomy I had 6 years ago with the scope the doc just said I had a mild case of diverticuliis.... so it musta really gotten worse in the last couple of years because I was running to doc office every 2 weeks to the point he wanted to do another colonostomy and I wasnt ready to part with almost $2,000 my portion right then. I have changed how to eat and I have had an amazing turn around. When you go ask if your pockets are all over are they in one area. Usually in the lower left colon. If you had surgery how much would they remove... they would give you a good idea. Let me know how it goes.
Wanted to share something with you guys. Funny but not too funny. So I went to sleep last night at about 8.00 pm was totally exhausted. Guess what the cramps woke me up at 11.40 pm but I got to see the last show of David Letterman. Of 0course I had to run to the bathroom a couple of times but thanks to my diver. I got to see the show. Need to laugh about it sometimes. My appt. With GP is on Monday. We will see. I feel another flare up coming on.
Well there you see now there is an upside to this horrid disease. I missed the show and will have to catch it online. Be sure and give us an update from the doc after appt.
Hi everyone
Went to GP. Prescribed another set of antibiotics. I think this is my 3rd or 4th in the past year. If this does not work which it probably won't based on my past history, I will be referred to a Surgeon for CT colonoscopy and possible surgery. The antibiotics have me in the bathroom all day. I will start them tomorrow. I am dreading the side effects.
Vivian
I am so sorry to hear this.
Hi
I am so upset about all this. I decided to eat a hot dog. Big mistake. I have so much pain. I am confused. I have had about 3 sets of antibiotics but I was disgnosed with diverticulosis never with diverticulitis. By the time I had my colonoscopies and CT scan there was no infection. Diverticulitis could not be seen. However since the last flare up about 4 months ago I have been having constant pain and discomfort. Loose bowel movements followed by constipation and a feeling of unwellness. Chills also. What does this mean? It just does not feel right.
Vivian
Hot dogs affect me the same way. Sometimes I just have to have one knowing I will pay for it. Then of course I regret it.
How do you know if you have an abcess?
I have been in terrible pain the whole weekend. Nothing is working. I have to wait to go finish the antibiotics before I gi back to the doctor. Does an ultrasoubd show anything? Was thinking of going to Emergency.
Vivian
Yes ultrasound can pick up an abcess or cyst. I had an utrasound looking at one other part of body and found to have a cyst in kidney. Small and doesnt bother me and surprised to hear it was there.
I hope a pocket hasnt ruptured... if it is very painful go to hospital ASAP.
I am in the hospital now. They took blood work and urine sample. I had 2 tylenol 3s. Waiting for results. They said I should go back to GP for a scan in case of abscess. Apparently if I had perforation I would be sicker. I had a scan at this Hospital before. Don't know why they won't do one now. What does an abscess fell like?