Looks like it’s going to happen
Hello everyone!
Long time reader, first time posting.
My DV story started on late August 2025. Was feeling. bloated and constipated for a few days and decided to go get it checked out. Turns out it ended up being diverticulitis, micro perf, and sepsis. The team that took care of me at the ER was not trained well in terms of speaking to patients because the way they just dropped bombs on me and did not care to explain the positive sides of the outcome or anything was saddening and stressful. Eventually I was taken to a room and the staff was different and really took care of me to where I avoided open surgery and recovered well. Sadly, before I left, which took 2 days longer since all 3 of my doctors never seemed to talk to each other, they found an abscess and had to install a drain. I had to come back in a few days since it was Labor Day weekend and the one physician on call did not want to come out just for me. I had it done, had it for 3-4 weeks, and had it removed at a different facility. This doctor was a whole other ballgame because any question I would have he would respond by saying to “just google it. No one listens to me nowadays so just google it.”
After all that I had recovered well, my diet changed but I learned so many ways I could enjoy food again, stopped drinking which was easy, and lost weight that I really needed to. I was going too hard on life before everything happened.
Cut to February 2026. My job at the restaurant I had worked at for 12 years had to close due to the property owner wanting to sell and we were just in the way. Took such a toll on me as we just had an amazing holiday month and things were going great. The next party was realizing my insurance was also going away and that scared me too as it helped with medical payments in a huge way. Things got stressful but not bad as I was slowly reconnecting things.
Finally in late April, I find a job! I was so grateful but I quickly find out it’s very stressful and mentally exhausting. I had started feeling twinges of pain and weird diarrhea as well and knew that wasn’t a good sign. Low and behold, I had a flare up at the end of April which felt different. This time I had mid to lower abdominal pain, feeling of not being right and so many restless nights. On top of all that, I was still going to work and trying to get that pay check.
That leads us to where I am now. Yesterday I was feeling better in a sense, still felt unwell internally and would have twinges of pain. So I went to urgent care to get it tested out. I went to one that had facilities around it so if I needed anything done I could go across the street and come back for my results same day which was great. Of course white blood cell count was high which I knew but they wanted to do a scan as well since my heart rate was a little high. The scan came through and they confirm diverticulitis but also they saw a mass of liquid and air. They recommended I go to the ER same day but could not as I needed to get my ducks in order at home first. I did so and now I’m here at the ER. My thought was get liquid antibiotics and at most I’d need a drain installed which I’ve dealt with before. Turns out I’m going to need surgery to remove the mass. The surgeons were really nice tho and when I asked to see if there’s anything I mean anything they could do other than surgery they both said yes we will talk to our team. Such a breath of fresh air after dealing with the other side of how staff can be. They come back and since the abscess is internal, the surgery must be done. A sigmoidectomy. The were very detailed with everything and explained any possible outcome. Basically it would be laparoscopic unless of course things are complicated and they would have to open me up, take out the mass, try to reconnect me then and there if all looks good and I’d be on the road to recovering. Obviously I asked about an ostomy bag and they said 50/50 chance I would need it but it wouldn’t be permanent. I was thankful for that. Especially after finding out it isn’t a huge bag like I thought.
I’m more now in the mental state of let’s get this done let’s do this now and get this over with and i will feeel so much better.
I’d like to hear anyone’s thought on this and how the surgery went for them if they’ve had it done. Was it a tough recovery? Did you wake up with a bag? Should I know anything specific before going in? Is there a question I should ask I might have over thought? Anything would help. Also what should I have prepared at home to have a smooth recover. All the blessings and thanks in advance.
-Someone who’s ready but also lost.