Sunday, November 2, 2008

Diverticuwhat?is

I don't usually enjoy this time of year especially going into winter. I do appreciate that Halloween is over and the time has changed. I am looking forward to renewing my morning exercise sessions. I am looking forward to being more healthy & energetic. This past week has laid me low though. I came home from work Monday with pain in my abdomen and chills and fever. My left side was in pain. I slept it off and went to work Tuesday, had my hair done in IF, then came back home to experience the same thing only this time I didn't sleep it off. Stayed home Wednesday and Thursday. I was figuring I had some kind of intestinal flu but this was getting ridiculous. I felt well enough to go to work Friday but went into chills and fever again that evening. Saturday I went to Community Care. I had an elevated white count (infection) but they couldn't see anything in the intestines with an x-ray such as that I was constipated, etc. They sent me to the hospital for a CT scan. It showed that I have diverticulitis. Now I know what is causing the cramps and pain I've suffered all week.
Jenny had this and had to have part of her intestine removed. I asked how bad mine is and the PA said the guy who read the scan said it wasn't pretty. Since it came on so fast, I can't see how mine can be so bad as to need surgery. It is usually pretty treatable with antibiotics and diet and exercise. One more reason to get back to exercising.
I have to back today to see if my white count is down and then I see a surgeon tomorrow about doing a colonoscopy...something I've never gotten around to doing for the past 2 years.
Once you get as miserable as this disease makes you, you'll do anything fast if you think it will help. I'm definitely looking forward to feeling better.