Diverticulitis

For the past few days, I've had a sharp pain in my lower abdomen.  I assumed it was my ovary, so I called my OB/GYN who couldn't get me in and suggested I go to the ER instead/

Um ... no.

Jonathan is headed out of town for work and has been nervous about leaving without knowing what is going on with me.  So I finally sucked it up and went to the ER.

Turns out, I have diverticulitis.  Had to have a CT scan to diagnosis it, and then IV antibiotics while at the ER and then a prescrdiption for two more antibiotics to take over 10 days.  Thank goodness we've met our medical deductible for 2017 and this visit only cost me $200.00+

I asked the ER doc what would have happened if I hadn't come into the ER.  He told me I was on the verge of getting really sick.    I messaged my doc here in Verrado, whose "protocol" I am on and asked him if it was okay if I took the two RX antibiotics.  He told me I needed to take them, or the infection will grow, and I could die.   Holy hell!

A few years ago I had a colonoscopy and learned I have diverticulosis, which is when "pouches" form along the colon and have the potential to become inflamed.  My doc didn't make a big deal about it, and so I didn't either. 

I consider myself lucky that I went for several years without an incident of diverticulitis.   But I have read that getting diverticulitis one time makes a second occurrence more likely.    Great.

And I must say I am pleased with my first-ever ER visit!   First, I gotta pat myself on the back and say it is impressive that I'm nearly 45 years old and this is my first ER visit!   I had many ER choices, and I picked a brand new stand-alone ER facility.   It was a slow evening and they got me back quickly.  I was in a room by myself and had DirecTV all night long.   I joked with the nurse (who was missing his sense of humor) that the only thing that would have made my visit better was to have somebody show up and give me a pedicure.  HA!!  

I was offered strong pain meds several times, but never accepted.  In fact, over the past few days I have been in pain and discomfort, but never enough to take something.   I like to avoid taking drugs whenever possible.   If I can tolerate a pain ... I tolerate it. 

Sounds like diverticulitis pain can get really intense, so I am thankful my pain is tolerable.