I have had diverticulitis since about 1980 and was doing quite well, only minor flare ups and almost none for the last few years. In April I was called for jury duty and got picked for a trial. It was 3 days and extremely stressful. The following week I had a diverticulitis attack that just wouldn't break. I went to the PA and got antibiotics and referrals for a CAT scan and a GI doctor. Made appointments but didn't make it that far A terrible pain developed in my low back and when I could no longer stand it I got my husband to take me to the ER. They did a CAT scan which showed an abscess. They inserted a drain then told me the fluid they took out had gas in it which indicated my colon was leaking. The next day I was in surgery and that's how I wound up with my colostomy. The surgeon says it can probably be reversed but I don't think I want to do that as it will be another major surgery which is totally unnecessary since I have come to terms with "the bag" and don't want to go through another long recovery. I'm back to doing pretty much what I was doing before with some minor adjustments. And there's no guarantee that there won't be complications.