Newly diagnosed diverticulosis, What should I do?

In 2008, I had my gallbladder removed.  Shortly afterward, I started experiencing chronic diarrhea.  I assumed that it was related to the surgery, and decided that it was not life threatening, and I did not want to take medicine for it continually.  So I did not complain.

After about 2 years of chronic diarrhea, and worsening symptoms...I broke down and complained to my Primary doctor. (Who asked what took me so long to complain)  By then, the diarrhea was so symptomatic that my stomach was cramping terrible, I thougt I saw blood,  and eating in general became quite a task, even clear broth.

He immediately sent me to the Gastroenterologist, who quickly chalked it up to IBS, told me that every test he could schedule would probably be negative, and we would never find a good reason, but I would have to live with this all my life.  I told him that my mom had Crohns, dad had diverticulosis, and maybe this was more than just IBS or diarrhea from my gallbladder.  He frustratingly agreed to test me with a colonoscopy, endoscopy, and  ultrasound of the surgery site, but snipped that he still wouldn't find anything.

I told my Primary doctor what happened, and he decided to try a few tricks of his own.  He gave me welchol...which I did not tolerate.  Then he offered to change my diabetes medicine.  When I got off the metformin....I seemed better.  No more pain, cramps, diarrhea, or difficulty eating.  I cancelled the tests with the gastro....since they were going to cost me thousands...and he gave me the impression that he only scheduled them to appease me, and he expected no help from the results.  I THOUGHT the mystery was solved.

Then....I entered the hospital for a davinci laproscopic hysterectomy with a rectocele repair, and bladder sling surgery.  To my surprise when I awoke from surgery the OBGYN asked me if I knew that I had diverticulosis.  Despite a full bowl prep the day before, she had found a part of my intestine  was ridden with diverticulosis, and full of feces.

I obviously can't undergo a colonoscopy now.  I had a rectocele repair just 1 1/2 weeks ago, but I fear if my previous gastro signs were a diverticulosis flare up...I need to take action.  I'm obviously having belly pain now...but don't know if it is due to surgery, or the diverticulosis.

Should I go back to my gastroenterologist,  or primary doctor?  What treatment, workup, or followup should I pursue from here?

[mammo]

Definitely don't see your primary doctor, he mislead you to begin with!  See your gastro doc, he will know what to do.  Since it's been verified that you do have diverticulitis a scope may not be necessary, and they try not to do these in patients with diverticulits because they can perforate the colon.  Due to the new nelief that what you eat doesn't matter...this isn't true.  You want to have plenty of fiber, yogurt enriched with probiotics and avoid nuts, food with seeds like tomatoes.  Google diverticulitis and educate yourself on it.  My closest friend was having intense pain in her abdomen and could barely walk, her PCP told her it was IBS (which I have) and since it was Christmas she was trying to get things done and work thru it.  I told her to get to the ER immediately because I knew there was more than IBS going on.  She went and was admitted with a fever of 104 due to diverticulitis.  She was extremly sick and was in the hpsital for 10 days.  Her doctor wanted to remove part of her colon due to the diverticuli, and because of my experience with the medical field...I told her to get a second opinion and she did.  He immediately told her that as much as he enjoyed doing surgery....she didn't need it!  He said you can control this with diet, and with the first sign of pain call my office and we'll get you on an antibiotic because that is the start of a "flare up" of the diverticulitis.  It has been 8 months and only one time did she start to feel some pain so she called her doctor and he gave her antibiotics and it went away.  She feels very good and still has all of her colon.  She does this thru diet, which appears to be old school thinking but everyone I know is controllling their flare ups with diet.  Stick with your GI doc on this one it's his specialty not your PCP  and that's why he was wrong!  Best wishes.