Ten months later…
I’ve lost 50+ pounds. I weighed in at about 225 last July (the fattest I’ve even been in my life) and I’m under 175 today. I’ve made some fairly radical changes to my diet to manage the underlying condition. I eat very little meat, very little starchy food, very little animal fat, I eat a LOT of fresh fruit & veg and salads, and I’m extremely cautious about over-eating. I gave up beer and liquor. I only drink wine occasionally with dinner if we’re at a restaurant. I was careless about eating & drinking through the holidays, and had another bout of diverticulitis in January, and that was enough to convince me that I needed to be serious and diligent.
In April, I thought I was having another bout of Div. but it turned out to be IBS, and I got a referral to a GI doc and had a colonoscopy a week ago today. The prep was unpleasant, but the procedure itself was a walk in the park (I don’t remember a thing, and was treated very kindly by all the staff at the hospital).
Anyways, long story short: now that I’ve got my diet and weight under control, the Div. should settle down (hopefully for good), though I suspect I will experience an occasional attack as I proceed through middle age and into my Golden Years, but it could be worse. My main goal is to manage this without resorting to surgery, which means eating light, eating smart, and laying off anything stronger than wine. All stuff I’ve learned I can live with.
This cloud has two silver linings - at 170-175 lbs, I look and feel great, and I’ve discovered Malbec, which I think is the nectar of the Gods.