Diverticulitis-Will Somebody Help Me?

Okay I will. Even though no one helped me, I will do my civic duty.
CAUTION: PARTS OF THIS ARE DISGUSTING

My horrible experience began somewhere near the end of October 2012 and lasted through the end of the year. It was the worst experience of my life (worse than my hemicolectomy) because of the duration. I was in bed most of the time between November 15 and December 25, cramping horribly in my sigmoid colon.
Diverticulitis generally strikes the sigmoid and will affect the bladder, back, gluteus muscles, lungs, hemorrhoids, sex organs, vitality.
I may have had the infection longer than I think, as I did not notice exactly when my stool changed from diarrhea to constipation.
Diverticulitis can manifest as diarrhea or constipation, but diarrhea is sort of normal for me. I'm used to bowel changes post-surgery. So I procrastinated about 3 weeks with the constipation. Still, better than most guys.
By November 18 nothing was coming out. I was in the fetal position most of the time because of the pain.  So my wife did a very romantic Fleet enema for me. The stuff that came out was unbelievable (from the sigmoid colon). My wife was in health care for 20 years but had never seen anthing so nasty looking. Yep, our suspicion was confirmed, diverticulitis. The next day I managed to sneak into a gastroenterologist's open time slot. He had plenty of open slots because he got his license out of a cereal box. We told him I had an infection but he said no. He sent me home with Citrucel and Miralax.
After 3 more weeks in bed, with excruciating pain, I went to another doctor and begged for antibiotics. He gave them to me but didn't tell me to take probiotics also. Antibiotics kill everything like chemo does. Take at least 8 billion probiotic live organisms per day with antibiotics. Optimally, take the probiotics about 4 hours (at least 2 hours) from the antibiotics or the antis will kill the good bacteria you are trying to replenish.  
The 3 weeks between the first and second doctor were unbelievable. Blood and mucous all the time, much of it in my pants when I didn't make it to the toilet. (Diverticulitis rarely causes bleeding but can. I also bled from constipation hemorrhoids.)

The antibiotic I was on was pretty strong (875 mg. amoxicillin/125 mg. clavulanate) and I had to take them longer than the original 10 prescribed days because I was infected for so long. The directions will say "take with food" to avoid nausea. But be aware that food will somewhat hinder the absorption of antibiotics.

Here's the very worst: I saw two "specialists" in gastroenterology. They both said to eat a high fiber diet, which keeps the colon working hard. When I finally got the meds prescribed the doc did not say "I don't think the antibiotics will do any good, but if you did have diverticulitis you would have to do this..." He only said the part before the comma.
High fiber my butt! High fiber is what you want after being cured.
I was eating 35 grams of fiber per day and keeping the sigmoid colon working hard and inflamed. Therefor, the infection was gone but the inflammation got worse and worse. I was now sure I had a blockage or abscess. Bowel movements were excruciating. Little pebbles and strings all day long, like passing stones one at a time, every 10 minutes. I could not wish this brutality on anyone. This had been going on the same way now for more than a month. My hemorrhoids were killing me! I knew the infection was probably gone but all of the symptoms remained (blood, mucous, pebbles, strings, constipation, incomplete evacuation, pain).
Then finally I found http://www.livestrong.com/article/129107-diverticulitis-foods/ which saved my life, my sanity, my wife's sanity. So I was on a liquid diet for Christmas.
Let me clarify a little here. You DO NOT need high fiber with an active diverticulitis attack! Your bowel needs rest, not work.

Referencing the article I cited, do the LIQUIDS for 2-3 days until you feel better. Yes, you will be weak and hungry. Do not cheat at all and rest in bed a lot. Supplements are probiotics only. I normally take all kinds of anti-cancer stuff but refrained.
YOUR BOWELS MUST REST OR YOU WILL NOT BE CURED.
After the liquid diet, do FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, DAIRY PRODUCTS (IF you are not lactose intolerant of course. Add soy milk and tofu to the list), and OTHER FOODS. Do this for 2 weeks! Do not cheat and take it easy. Six small meals are much better than three big meals. It is difficult, but aim for 60 grams of protein per day for healing.
Finally, after 2 weeks on the "soft-diet" go to 35 grams of fiber per day to avoid future diverticulitis. Drink at least 1/2 gallon of water per day always. Not 1/2 gallon of beer or coffee or soda. If you are not properly hydrated, fiber causes constipation and worlds of trouble.
Hope I helped if your doctor didn't. I would have been better off without my doctors if I could prescribe my own meds. They both said I did not have diverticulitis, which I did have. They said I had a motility problem. They did not help me but hindered me. The second guy just wanted to high-dollar scope me. The first guy would do nothing. At least the second guy gave me antibiotics when I begged. Ah, our beautiful health-care-for-profit system.

If you have had a diverticular infection for as long as I did, you may need surgical intervention to repair blood vessels or to drain an abscess. There may be a fistula or a need for colectomy due to stricture. Permanent stricture may involve much pain and pencil-thin stool. Only a doctor and patient can decide if this can be lived with.

Words to the wise: If you have chronic bowel problems you are much better off with pureed fiber. For instance, beans and almonds are wonderful for health. But I think maybe what started the whole debacle could have been an almond piece stuck  in my diverticula. Pureed is not just for babies but also for babes with bowel issues. Drink at least 64 ounces of water everyday.

DIVERTICULITIS CAN BECOME DEADLY. GET INTELLIGENT AND SEEK INTELLIGENT COUNSEL.