Getting To Know: Diverticulitis

When it was publicly announced the Ken Griffey was suffering from diverticulitis, the author was scared. How do you get it? Is it contagious? Can I get it from a complicated handshake celebrating a homerun? Nobody seemed to have the answers.

Turns out, there's nothing to be worried about. It's just an infection of tiny pouches in your disgestive tract. What a relief. With a few simple changes, such as switching to a low fiber diet, the disease is very treatable and as the Mayo Clinic website says "having bulging pouches (diverticulosis) in your digestive tract isn't necessarily a concern." If the condition calls for home treatment, you'll need to remove all whole grains, fruits and vegetables from your diet and implement antibiotics to kill the bacteria which causes the bowel infection. Should the disorder persist, you may be a candidate for primary bowel resection surgery. It's a simple procedure where your surgeon removes the diseased part of your intestine and then reconnects the healthy segments of your colon. This allows you to have normal bowel movements. Normal bowel movements!

See fans, there's nothing to be afraid of. People with diverticulitis are just like you or me. Infection of the tiny postules in your bowel is just a relatively common symptom of aging, chances are someone in your family has the disorder. But do the author a favor, next time you see Junior, don't offer him any nuts [as they get lodged in the intestine causing a painful infection] and remind him to watch out for offspeed stuff away.