rb wrote:
I ran across this in another group that both Jill and myself frequent so
I posted it here on her behalf since she was not able to with good reason:

Subject: OT:: FYI Jill's in the hospital

Easier to get the word out to her friends here all at once.

They believe that her diverticulitis has caused a rupture, so she's
going to undergo a cat scan to see if they need to operate. Let's
keep our collective fingers crossed that she doesn't. They've
already got her on morphine, she's in some pain.


Big purrs are provided that she is ok and recovering by now.

rrb

Poor Jill! Many of us past middle age have diverticulosis (the
intestines forms small pockets), which can develop into diverticulitis
(when food impacts into one of the pockets). That usually only means a
few days of more-or-less intense gastric pain (which is bad enough), but
if the impacted area develops an infection, it can be serious, requiring
antibiotics and even resulting in a need for surgery.

I've learned to avoid things like popcorn and sesame seeds (which often
set mine off). The last time I had an attack, the doctor I went to
would not simply treat it with antibiotics and antispasmodics as my
California doctor did - he insisted on testing by a gastroenterologist,
first. Since the earliest appointment I could get with one was two
weeks in the future, I chose to let nature take its course. (I knew
from experience that it would probably go away by itself, and if not I'd
end up in an emergency room, getting immediate treatment.) As usual, it
went away. However, he did have one good suggestion - daily doses of
soluble fiber, in addition to avoiding the foods I KNOW set it off. (He
told me he recommended Metamucil or Benefiber to his elderly mother some
years ago, and she's been symptom-free ever since.)

I suspect that, with so much going on in Jill's life at the moment, she
may not have been as careful of her diet as she should have been
(although of course stress can be a triggering factor, too).

Purrs for her fast recovery (hopefully WITHOUT surgery).