JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Diverticulitis is a digestive condition in which there is an infection in the colon that can cause severe pain, fever and nausea.
In some cases, emergency surgery is needed.
One woman is sharing her experience with a “complicated” case of the condition and the one thing she would encourage anyone to do if they are diagnosed.
Darlene Regan loves to swim.
In all of 2025, she could not step foot in the pool or ocean, not because of fear, but because of pain so bad it stopped her life.
“Basically, it put a halt on my life,” Regan said about her experience with diverticulitis. “It was unbearable. It was terrible. I was literally on the floor, sweating. I was puking. It was bad.”
Regan said she had a severe case of diverticulitis that started more than a year ago.
Small pouches in the colon trapped stool and bacteria, and then, in her case, turned into a serious infection. It sent Regan to the emergency room several times and led to two surgeries.
“At first I thought it was like appendicitis or something,” Regan said. “I did not know anything like this. It was crazy. It was scary.”
Dr. Andrew Schlussel, a colorectal surgeon at HCA Florida Memorial Hospital, treated Regan.
“It is a lot for the patient when it all happens,” Schlussel said. “They’re going about their life. Everything is fine, and then all of a sudden, they are in the hospital with this immense amount of pain. They have this group of doctors telling them that they have this infection that they have never heard of, and now they have to go to a radiologist to get a drain.”
So, what to look out for: Sudden severe belly pain, fever, vomiting or not passing gas. If that happens, go to the emergency room.
“If you have left-sided pain that is not getting better over 24 or 48 hours, if you have a low-grade fever or feel that you cannot tolerate diet or just really don’t feel right, you should go and see a doctor,” Schlussel said. “Certainly, if you are having persistent pain on the left side or throughout your entire abdominal cavity, you’re having high fevers, you feel sick, you don’t feel right, please go to the emergency room.”
Regan reiterated that sentiment.
“Go to the hospital definitely,” Regan stressed. “Go to the emergency room. Whatever it may be. Just go.”
You can lower the risk of being diagnosed with diverticulitis by eating 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Suggested foods with fiber include oatmeal, leafy greens, beans, apples, bananas and pears.
People should drink a lot of water to remain hydrated and avoid long-term constipation.
Obesity, smoking, heavy drinking, and family history raise the risk.