Hi Kandee! I didn't know I had diverticulosis until I ended up in the hospital and had the catscan, so I really can't tell you how long I had HAD it. According to what I've read, "About half of all Americans age 60 to 80, and almost everyone over age 80, have diverticulosis." "The chance of developing diverticula increases with age, so that by the age of 50, about 20-50% of all people will have some diverticula. By the age of 90, virtually EVERYONE will have developed some diverticula." (Emphasis added.)
"Until recently, many doctors suggested avoiding foods with small seeds such as tomatoes or strawberries because they believed that particles could lodge in the diverticula and cause inflammation. However, this is now a controversial point, and no evidence supports this recommendation." "For most people with diverticulosis, eating a high-fiber diet is the only treatment needed."
I don't remember the name of the antibiotic I was prescribed in the hospital, but when I had my second attack the doctor gave me Flagyl, which worked equally as well. I have cut out all seeds from my diet and am glad to say I haven't had a third attack -- it's been a year since the second.
The attitude of the GI who showed me the door when I refused the surgery was most confusing to me because he said I had only a few diverticula and that they were minor, yet on the other hand he wanted me to have surgery to remove them! Then, of course, when I opted to treat it with diet and fiber instead, he wanted nothing more to do with me. I need to find a good GI!
In the meantime, I'm convinced I'll be fine as long as I keep up the fiber and watch those damn seeds. Good luck to you too -- we can do without nuts; who needs 'em! And, I don't know about you, but I feel a LOT better having increased my fiber.
Bev 
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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The Answer is Fiber!
