Jonald’s Story – Diverticulitis

"I was presented with two options: be put on an intravenous drip (a drip into the veins) with prescribed medication and be monitored or have surgery to remove the affected part of my bowel."

Tell us a little about yourself

“I’m Jonald, I’m 51 and I live in Hertfordshire with my wife and two children who are 13 and 16 years old. I’m a project manager in real estate and travel quite a lot for my job. In my spare time, I love spending time with my family and keeping active.” 

When did your diverticulitis symptoms begin and what were they?

In May 2024, I had recovered from the flu but still felt quite tired, more so than normal. I opened my bowels every three days which was normal for me, but I later found out that this can be associated with constipation, which I hadn’t realised.  

One evening, I woke up with a lot of pain in the right-hand side of my stomach but thought nothing of it. The following day I went shopping with my wife and I found walking difficult and had to sit down regularly. I went to bed early and my wife suggested ringing for medical advice. I was reluctant at first but a while later, my wife called for medical help and drove me to hospital. On the way, I passed out and vomited.

When and how were you diagnosed with diverticulitis?

In hospital, I had tests, and I initially thought it might be my appendix.  

My bowel had been perforated and I was presented with two options: be put on an intravenous drip (a drip into the veins) with prescribed medication and be monitored or have surgery to remove the affected part of my bowel. Everything came as such a shock. I’d been none the wiser.  

Weeks later, doctors told me that the diverticula (pouches about 1cm in size that stick out of the bowel wall) in the right-hand side of my large bowel (colon) were inflamed (diverticulitis) and it was likely they had been inflamed for months.” 

Tell us about your time in hospital and your surgery

My wife and I decided quite quickly to opt for surgery. Doctors told me that I might require a temporary or permanent stoma (an opening on the surface of the abdomen to divert the flow of poo into a bag), depending on what surgery revealed, which was a lot to process mentally. A few hours later, I had surgery and around 35cm of my large bowel was removed, along with my appendix. I didn’t require a stoma, but I had heard of a stoma before from someone in my family needing one.

I had no prior knowledge of diverticulitis. I hadn’t known of any loved ones to experience this, but my sister-in-law has experience of a different digestive condition. I wondered what caused it to happen and kept asking myself “what could I have done differently?”” 

How did the experience make you feel emotionally?

I felt a lot of shock and adrenaline at first. I was really concerned that I would need life-changing surgery for a stoma, and I never thought anything like this would happen to me, until it did. 

Being in hospital was hard. Being surrounded by illness and medical equipment was mentally tough. Equipment would beep day and night, and I never rested properly due to being monitored regularly. However, the medical staff were great.”

Talk us through your recovery

I was in hospital for five days in total. When the pain relief started to wear off, it really hit home that I had been through a lot in such a short amount of time and that it was going to take some time to recover. My consultant told me he wanted to see me walking around just a few days after my surgery. He wanted me to go home to recover as otherwise, I’d been fit and healthy. 

Being discharged from hospital was a game-changer for me. I felt like my recovery properly started at home and I was surrounded by such great support from family and friends. I was off work for a few months. Since July, my hours have been increasing gradually back to full-time.

How are you now?

Recovery takes time and I was told it would take four to six months. I’m starting to feel like my battery is recharging again now, whereas before, the energy I did get from resting felt like it all went on my recovery straight away, before doing anything outside of this. 

I felt like I had two choices: to sit back and let what had happened to me take over or to move forward and start to push myself to get back to normal life. I did my first run post-surgery last week, have been on holiday and am increasingly active again.  

I have seen my consultant a few times as I started to experience stomach cramps. A colonoscopy (a thin tube with a camera on the end, passed into the large bowel via the back passage to view the inner surface of the large bowel) to investigate this came back clear. I have an upcoming scan to check that everything else is okay also.”

Why are you sharing your story today?

“It’s vital to raise awareness. Before I had diverticulitis, I wasn’t aware it existed. It can happen to anyone and it’s so important to be aware of the signs and symptoms and know what to do.  

The information on Guts UK’s website has helped me so much. It’s all in one place and easy to understand and your charity is amazing. Thank you so much.” 

“We’re getting to grips with guts!”

Guts UK is the charity for the digestive system. Our guts have been underfunded, understaffed and undervalued for decades. With new knowledge, we will end the pain and suffering for the millions affected by digestive diseases. Guts UK’s research leads to earlier diagnoses, kinder treatments and ultimately, a cure.

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