posted
So after a solid day and a half of consistent and aggravating abdominal pain I started getting fevers, and that's never a good combination. Up till that point I was assuming constipation and all the laugh-a-minute joy that comes with that, but a fever meant something was blocked or something was septic or something was about to blow up, and I didn't see Ex-Lax or Pepto helping that, much.
My fevers were around 100.7 - just enough to worry, not enough for an obvious ER visit - and we weren't positive that it would be considered an emergency and therefore covered by my insurance, so we went to an urgent care place first to let them make the call. Doctor there took my money and said get to the ER and let them make sure my appendix wasn't about to blow, and hie us hence we did.
At the ER we got in fairly quickly (i.e. under an hour) and the nurses were great. The admitting nurse told us to call the next nurse we'd see "Candy," because they had all decided upon their "hooker names" today (the admitting nurse was "Bambi," we found out later). After I was shown to a room and given a robe "Candy" came in, set some IV stuff down, and said this was going to hurt a bit. "Ah, you're that kind of hooker," I said. She laughed, and Teres and I both agreed that hookers with needles were a bad combination.
I got a shot of something that turned me into a fully aware, yet mindless shambling thing (my medically-aware housemate told me later it was a relative of thorazine, and if that's true it was the kind of relative close enough that thorazine should never marry it) and got CT scans, which revealed that it wasn't my appendix. They didn't show what it was, though, and the doctor assumed diverticulitis. He told me about and made sure I understood what I needed to do, and I responded with perfect clarity even as I immediately forgot everything he was telling me because I was still doped to the gills. Teres got everything, though. I think.
Apparently diverticulosis is a condition where your intestines have little bubbles, like bulging places in an inner tube. Normally food whips past them, but if you have a low-fiber diet bits will accumulate in those bubbles and the the pain begins. That's diverticulitis.
I now have a clear, liquid diet for the immediate future, a high-fiber diet for the rest of my life, and most likely a colonoscopy in the next six months. Also prescriptions for various antibiotics, something for nausea, and Vicodin so I can play House.
All of which is a great way to begin my vacation, which started today.
So, how was your day?
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Glad it was better than you feared, but that still sucks
My grandpa has diverticulitis, and near as I can tell, other than needing a lot of fiber, the only real dietary restrictions they place upon him are no seeds and no nuts, I'm guessing because they have a tendency to get stuck somewhere in the pipes. But it could be worse. My brother's fiancee has Celiac's, and there's a LOT of stuff she either can't have, or needs to buy an alternative version of that never tastes as good as the real thing. My family is a grab bag of medical food related maladies.
Sucks that it comes on your vacation . Are you going anywhere, or is it a relaxing staycation?
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
My father had diverticulitis. It's no fun, but the good news is that if he's any indication, it passes pretty much completely without any lingering unpleasantness.
posted
Thirding the no seeds. Foods that shard are no good, but you'd have to look up what that means. And corn, since you don't digest the shell.
So let's talk high fiber. I don't know about you, but I used to assume that meant a lot of grains. I got just about the 25 g a day recommended, and I was still always bloated, gassy, and having a difficult time going.
A few months ago I dropped the grains and started doing more fruits and veggies. I have no idea what my fiber's like since no one ever labels the fresh fruit, but my stomach got visibly smaller, I almost never get gas now, and it's so much easier to go to the bathroom.
So be prepared to play with the kinds of fiber you're eating. A certain kind may work much better for you than others.
Posts: 2283 | Registered: Dec 2003
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If I'm recalling correctly, diverticulitis is what happens when those little pouches become inflamed or infected. Diverticulosis is the condition of having the pouches (diverticula) at all. My mother has diverticulosis, and it's likely that I do too.
If it's any consolation, once the inflammation/infection has passed, it's really totally livable. It just means that you tend to have slightly more frequent, er, gastrointestinal episodes than most people.
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Megan: If I'm recalling correctly, diverticulitis is what happens when those little pouches become inflamed or infected. Diverticulosis is the condition of having the pouches (diverticula) at all.
Yes, exactly.
Chris, you have my sympathies. It has not been an easy few days for you.
In sort of good news, though, as noted above, it is something that can be lived with once you make some modifications. I have heard that referred pain from (sometimes very low-grade) diverticulitis can be an undiagnosed cause of lower back pain, so if that has been a problem for you as well, you may see it improve, too.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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What's annoying/ironic is that my diet and fiber have improved drastically the last month as I've been making a conscious effort to lose weight. Veggies with every meal, apples as my afternoon snack at work, etc.
Which probably just means I postponed my attack slightly.
Ah, well. I can live without nuts and corn. Strawberries may be more of an issue; hard to have a romantic evening with chocolate-covered carrots.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Sounds a lot like my story (minus the hooker names) up to the CT scan, which also revealed no appendicitis for me but instead found a cancerous tumor. So hey, it could be worse.
I'm sorry you and Teres had such a terrible day, but sounds like you had good nurses with a sense of humor which always helps. I hope you feel better soon!
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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My mom still eats corn on a somewhat regular basis, so I don't think it's entirely out of the question. However, I am not sure about that, and I am also not a doctor.
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Megan: If I'm recalling correctly, diverticulitis is what happens when those little pouches become inflamed or infected. Diverticulosis is the condition of having the pouches (diverticula) at all. My mother has diverticulosis, and it's likely that I do too.
If it's any consolation, once the inflammation/infection has passed, it's really totally livable. It just means that you tend to have slightly more frequent, er, gastrointestinal episodes than most people.
Exactly. Those little pockets, which some people have all their lives and never know it, get infected or inflamed, and that causes the pain.
Avoid things that have seeds and/or are hard to digest to avoid problems.
It can lead to serious complications, but it doesn't always.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Belle - the doctor actually said he couldn't rule out tumors or other causes, just that it wasn't my appendix. So who knows? My life is full of emerging mysteries.
In the meantime, I am having both strawberry AND orange jello for breakfast. I'm livin' the good life, baby...
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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On the plus side, it took me a month and a half to lose 17 pounds, and then I lost 4 since Thursday. So hey, weight loss jump start!
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I once had food poisoning so severe I could eat nothing for a week. I lost 12 pounds in that period, I wouldn't suggest it as a viable weight loss strategy.
Glad things seem to be taken care of Chris, hope the dietary changes aren't too inconvenient.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Chris if that is the case then I urge you to get a colonoscopy ASAP....don't take the risk that it might be cancer and not get it caught and treated right away. Colon cancer is very treatable in the early stages...and very fatal in the later.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I went to school with sisters named Bambi and Candy (or Candi?), last name Clapp. Unforgettable names. IIRC, they were both cheerleaders, very popular, seemed like nice girls (although well ahead of me in school, so I didn't know them personally).
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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Be aware that the seeds/nuts/corn thing isn't a definite no-no for diverticulosis. My dad's a GI doc and told me he doesn't suggest avoiding seeds. I found this section from UpToDate quoted (one of the common online medical references used by docs):
quote:Patients with diverticular disease have historically been advised to avoid whole pieces of fiber (such as seeds, corn, and nuts) because of concern that the undigested fragments could become lodged within a diverticulum, thereby inciting an episode of diverticulitis. The commonly heard advice to avoid small undigestible foods (such as seeds) because they may theoretically become lodged in a diverticulum is completely unproven and is probably little more than an old wives’ tale. The authors have seen tens of thousands of diverticula and never seen a single seed! There continues to be considerable practice variation with regard to this recommendation. In a survey of colorectal surgeons, one-half believed that the avoidance of seeds and nuts was of no value. We have generally not recommended the avoidance of these specific foods.
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