diverticulitis

[velogirl]

anyone have personal experience with diverticulitis?

[emily_in_nc]

anyone have personal experience with diverticulitis?

Not personal experience, but a co-worker had it, it became chronic with flare-ups, and he ended up having to have surgery. Apparently he's doing just fine now, a year or so post-surgery. Wish I could help more!

Emily

[lph]

My MIL had a LOT of trouble with this last summer, got really sick, hospital stay, out again, somewhat recovered, really sick again, back to hospital, and finally a gradual recovery to mostly normal. She had a low-grade fever for a long time and I think this whole thing killed most of her energy for most of half a year.

I don't know anything about the medical stuff, though.

[velogirl]

okay, so riddle me this. how can a young, healthy, athletic woman who eats more vegetables than Peter Rabbit end up with diverticulitis?

yes, me! and I haven't had nuts or seeds or corn or anything that might be an irritant.
I've been sick and in pain since Sunday and finally went to the doc today. she didn't make it very clear to me if this would be a chronic condition (let's hope not) or a one-shot pita.

symptoms have been dull aching pain in left lower quadrant (behind my hip bone) which amplifies when I eat or void, low-grade fever, general fatigue, HR wouldn't go up during workout although power was fine, feeling of thirst, frequent urination.

okay, done venting.

[teigyr]

Ouch. I didn't know anything about diverticulitis but it seems like you, being about as healthy as one could be, wouldn't be a prime candidate. What does the treatment entail?

I don't get it. I see people who abuse their bodies all the time who are healthy as can be. I then see people who are active and eat well and something like this happens? Life just really doesn't make sense sometimes :confused:

[alpinerabbit]

Me too, I had a coworker who has it. Her mother too, so it seems to be at least in part genetic.

The vegetables were exactly what made it worse when she had a flare - up, especially salad. I can ask her what she does about it but she also had fever and pain lots of times.

[RoadRaven]

My dad has this, it is managed mostly by diet and choosing not to eat certain things which aggravate it but he has several other health complictations...

[maillotpois]

We had a Death Ride participant last year who got it and wasn't able to do a lot of the rides. He ended up coming out and doing a couple passes, which was good. And he signed up again for this year, so he must have gotten it under control. I will ask him about it when we start training.

Is it an auto-immune thing? Didn't you have Hashimotos before your thyca? I know auto-immune things can tend to multiply - which is why I'm a bit hyper-aware of auto immune stuff, having hashi's myself. (And now terrified I will get frozen shoulder, which is an auto immune thing, with this stupid fracture.)

[emily_in_nc]

I completely forgot until I read more posts here, but I also had a friend who got it as a teen. She was slender and ate healthfully (just the opposite of my 40-something overweight co-worker who has/had it too and had to have surgery). When she was having a flare-up, she had to eat a very low-fiber diet, to let the intestinal pockets rest and calm down somehow. But I have since read that it is mostly caused by too little fiber in the diet. It wouldn't surprise me if there is at least some genetic or auto-immune component, tho, entirely un-diet-related.

Please Keep us posted. Hope it turns out to be a minor inconvenience for you, and short-lived!

Emily

[Crankin]

It does seem like a bad joke that people who make a commitment to healthy living get these chronic diseases that are often associated with some type of lifestyle issue (over eating, lack of exercise). I had people tell me "How could you be sick, you're so healthy?"
The best advice I can give you is that since you have the discipline to train and race, you will have the discipline to keep your symptoms under control. I don't like the thought of having a chronic disease, either. It's a balancing act to find what works and what makes it worse. I don't want people to see me as "sick." So keep working at it.

[velogirl]

thanks for all the replies while I was away.

my doc put me on cipro to ease the inflammation and it seems to have helped. I'm still a little achey there but the fever and fatigue seem to have resolved.

my doc didn't give me the impression that this would be a chronic condition -- I sure hope it isn't.

Lorri

[tulip]

Cipro is strong stuff. I had to take it (drops) for a really bad ear infection last year. It sure works well, though.

Can you eat yogurt? Oral antibiotics tend to kill everything, including the good stuff, which can lead to yeast infections, and no one wants that. Yogurt, as you know, can help replace the good biotics that the antibiotics kill off.

I hope you get well soon.

[CyclaSutra]

PLEASE take some acidophilus or other probiotics (yogurt works, just not as potent) after such a hefty antibiotic. I think three rounds of antibiotics for a nasty lung infection last spring is what let candida proliferate in my gut. Which is a whole 'nother set o problems that maybe could have been avoided...
Feel better!

[Tokie]

Lorri, have you considered getting a second opinion or a referral to a gastroenterologist? Might be a good idea! I'm sorry you are sick... I think it's especially hard when you are so healthy and active, and you can really miss those endorphins! Carol

[hatcat]

My husband suffers from this. His diet is crucial. He eats a salad everyday. He also avoids any foods that have seeds or husks. Nuts are a super NO NO. Hope this helps.

Sheryl

[Jolt]

From what I understand, the reason seeds/husks are a problem is that they tend to get stuck in the little "pockets" and cause inflammation/allow bacteria to grow and cause problems there. Fiber, on the other hand, is a good thing because it adds bulk to the stool and makes it easier for the muscles in the colon to push it along.