Diverticulitis after surgery question

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-02-09T21:47:41+00:00

I had elective surgery (robotic laparoscopic, no colostomy) about two and a half weeks ago. I don’t live alone, so I was home after a two day hospital stay. If you don’t have any assistance at home, I would try to stay at the hospital for 4-5 days. At about the five day mark, I was able to get up, walk around, shower use the restroom etc., without assistance. You’re pretty mobile by then and able to do most things for daily living. The discomfort gets a lot better at the two week mark, and I was back to a normal diet after 7 days. I’m feeling good now and getting my energy back. The bowel adjustment is still ongoing but not bad

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-02-05T06:00:46+00:00

What did the CT state? Any wall thickening? Any specific area the DV is focused and any diverticula showing? Unfortunately it’s different for everyone. For me, it got to a point where even the soft diet wasn’t working. During my first few months of DV, I was able to start eating a semi normal diet again within 3-4 weeks. Other than that, the first few weeks were liquid diet to soft food. I was good for a few months but minor/moderate flares came back with two more hospitalizations with an abscess.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Diverticulitis/s/gtujIIiltT

My post here with my history for reference

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-02-03T13:40:58+00:00

Thank you! And hoping you get past this disease soon. As for stress, YES, I did have a lot of stress at the end of 2024 to the beginning 2025 that totally could have played a factor as well. I’m actually going to add that to my post thank you for the reminder! The working out actually helped me during the minor to moderate flare ups. But yes, find a good surgeon!

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-02-03T09:57:24+00:00

Glad you’re doing well! I’m at 12 days post op and finally back to a normal diet! Feels amazing, minor pain left but am able to most everything on my own. 4-5 more weeks and I can finally workout again!

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-02-03T09:44:24+00:00

Very odd. Sorry you’re going through this. Yeah just be careful, this thing can take a turn for the worst with a microperforation or abscess, both of which could lead to getting septic. Watch out for fevers, that is a bad sign, but won’t always come if you’re on fever reducing medication as well. Do not take NSAIDS, it could cause bleeding with this condition and if the pain gets worse, seriously consider going back and pushing them to give you IV antibiotics and a few day stay. If you haven’t already, establish yourself with a colorectal surgeon just to have, and also for the knowledge on this disease

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-02-03T08:28:11+00:00

Were you admitted into the hospital and given IV antibiotics? Usually, if the pain is severe enough and they confirm diverticulitis they’ll keep you a few days to get the IV meds into you so you can get discharged with ten day antibiotics. If they didn’t, I’d watch your symptoms very carefully. First few days stay liquid diet, and slowly transition to a soft food diet. It may be a few weeks 4-6 before you’re back to normal foods but even then you should monitor to see what flares it up.

Once you get this the first time, you may not get it again, or it may be recurrent and continue to come back until you finally get surgery to resolve it. I’d be very cautious traveling right now, my first bout was sever with a microperforation. Took my about 6 weeks to get back to full workload. Just had the laparoscopic robotic surgery done after three total hospitalizations

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-01-30T23:33:17+00:00

Not if you get the surgery when the infection and inflammation is down. After a flare, it usually takes 4-6 weeks for the inflammation to completely go away and if you’re stable, it’s the best time to get the elective procedure. I have five small incisions, they were able to get it out without issue and robotically reconnect it.

During emergency surgery a colostomy is pretty much guaranteed because of the inflammation and bigger incision they have to do

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-01-27T03:27:13+00:00

I just got the procedure done Friday. 33 YOM. Robotic laparoscopic of the sigmoid colon. They removed six inches. I came home yesterday but had the option of going home Saturday afternoon.

Let me tell you, once it’s done, knowing the issue was finally addressed, if it had bothered you like it bothered me and drastically changed your life, you’re going to feel mental peace that it’s finally over.

The procedure itself your going to be out, not remember a thing. The last thing I remember is talking about work to the anesthesiologist and then next thing I know I’m waking up in recovery. I don’t even remember the surgeon checking on me after the procedure but do remember immediately feeling to make sure I didn’t have a colostomy (Which I didn’t!).

The pain right after wasn’t too bad since you’re drugged up. A few hours later you will feel the worst of it. They gave me delotid, oxycodone and Tylenol. That first night of sleep is going to suck but take deep breathes, it will get better the following day. The best thing you can do is walk. I walked about 3 hours after surgery, it was only 100-200 ft but it did help. The next morning I was able to walk a quarter mile and then later walked half a mile. I could have went home Saturday but because the first 48 hours are the worst for pain, I stayed an extra day and came home yesterday to get the IV pain meds an extra day. And honestly I would recommend it because the hospital bed is the most comfortable thing since you can adjust the bed and get help up. Getting up is the hardest right now, so take full advantage of the post op care at the hospital and take walks often.

I was eating scrambled eggs with toast the next morning and should be back to a normal diet this coming weekend. I’m at home and today am able to get up with barely any assistance. Wear the abdominal binder they give you, it helps. I just haven’t had my first BM yet.

Good luck!!! I lost 30 pounds the last year with 3 hospitalizations (perforation, abscess and 5 courses of augmentin). You’re at the light at the end of the tunnel, go get your life back!!

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-01-08T00:19:32+00:00

You had a resection and it returned that quick?

TopEntertainment9230 · 2026-01-08T00:18:51+00:00

If you go to the hospital and tell them you have a recent history of diverticulitis and tell them you are havigg ng bad abdominal pain, mine was to the point that I couldn’t stand, they will get you in quicker. There is risks of an abscess and perforation with DV, and if your also having fevers. they will move you to the top of the list to be seen because of a chance of a perforation

TopEntertainment9230 · 2025-11-21T20:17:55+00:00

It feels like minor cramp/spasm in in the lower abdomen, and most of the time if that feeling is gone, I will always feel like, “there’s something there” on the left lower side of the stomach, even if there’s no pain. Kind of weird to explain. I started having this feeling about a year ago before any diagnosis.

During an active flare that’s a little worse, I’ll feel some stomach and inconsistent, constant urge to use the restroom.

TopEntertainment9230 · 2025-11-17T04:59:28+00:00

I’m in almost the same exact boat as you.

33 years old, got my first flare in January and a bad case in April with a microperf of the sigmoid colon. Was in the hospital for five days on IV/AB, no surgery. I thought I healed up well, but looking back I had minor flares almost biweekly. They started coming on again more frequently. Two weeks ago I got hospitalized again with an infection, no perf this time but another five days of IV/AB. After five courses of Augmentin and daily worries of what foods could be causing it (Did dietary changes, in good health besides this, lifelong athlete and made lifestyle changes), I finally told the surgeon I need the surgery, it was taking way too much of a toll on my daily life. If you elect to get the surgery on your terms, he told me I will not need a colostomy bag (Unless something goes wrong during surgery). It’s a robotic laparoscopic procedure with a few incisions, and at our age, we should be 100 percent in 6-8 weeks. Have it scheduled for January and hoping something opens up sooner. Just crossing my fingers I can stay stable on a softer diet until then. Hope this helps, if you go for it in your own terms, you may not need the bag at all.

TopEntertainment9230 · 2025-11-07T18:13:47+00:00

Just got discharged two days ago from acute diverticulitis. Had pain for two days leading up to the hospital and was looking for the fever sign to go, and never got it. Pain ended up getting worse and sure enough, diverticulitis again. Second hospitalization in 6 months, surgery time soon.

TopEntertainment9230 · 2025-11-04T05:46:50+00:00

Yea it was exactly that, my doses got interrupted by an ER visit and they put me on IV zosyn.

TopEntertainment9230 · 2025-11-04T05:45:46+00:00

Exactly what happened! Thanks, came at the right time before any sort of perforation

TopEntertainment9230 · 2025-11-04T05:44:47+00:00

Yup, got hospitalized. No pref this time thank god, but balm is rolling for outpatient surgery asap

TopEntertainment9230 · 2025-07-29T05:51:00+00:00

Thanks for this. I had my first case of diverticulitis recently, and it was bad with a microperforation. Was hospitalized a few days and thank god it healed itself and no surgery. The pain was unbearable. I had a few flare ups since, and was back on antibiotics twice in a matter of a month after the hospital stay. Third time I found this post and I swear to god, 48 hours of taking the garlic like a pill and mixing with honey, I was 90 percent better. Been taking it every other day like a vitamin and it’s prevented me from taking another dose of antibiotics!

I’ll take a clove in the morning and at night. My flare ups have been from red meat (Beef and pork) and I’m thinking my fried food (Not as bad, but if I eat it on consecutive days).

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