By Heidi Smith, Contributor
The pain in Michele Downing’s abdomen was so excruciating, she couldn’t stand. When she could only move by dragging herself across the floor, there was no question she needed to be at the emergency room.
Five years earlier, Downing had been diagnosed with diverticulitis disease, a condition where small pouches, or sacs, form and push outward through weak spots in the wall of the colon, then become inflamed or infected. When diverticulitis causes symptoms such as bleeding, inflammation, or complications, doctors call this condition diverticular disease.
By the summer of 2021, Downing’s condition was so advanced, she was basically limited to eating like a baby – tiny portions of soft foods.
“I attended a family wedding in Michigan, and maybe I had a slice of cucumber or some slaw with celery seeds in it,” she recalled. Within hours, she was at a local hospital emergency room where she was diagnosed with an abscess in her colon.
Eager to return home to Venice, Downing promised the Michigan hospital team that she would follow up with her family doctor, who referred her to a gastroenterologist, Jaime Baquero, M.D., with ShorePoint Medical Group.
Dr. Baquero recognized that surgery would be necessary. He immediately referred her to Hussein Mohamed, M.D., F.A.C.S, who is an internationally renowned, board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in minimally invasive and robotically-assisted surgical techniques for conditions like diverticular disease, as well as all aspects of liver and pancreatic cancer.
“Michele’s disease was very advanced,” said Dr. Mohamed, who also is with ShorePoint Medical Group. “She had abscesses, and stool was leaking into her abdomen from the colon. If left untreated, infection and even death can occur. Her condition required surgery. Fortunately, with advances in robotically-assisted surgical techniques, we were able to perform a minimally invasive surgery to remove the diseased portion of the colon, reattach the healthy tissue, and avoid the requirement for a colostomy bag.”
Dr. Mohamed performed the surgery at ShorePoint Health Venice in early September 2021. By Thanksgiving, Downing had returned to her usual activities of walking, pickleball and calisthenics. Best of all, she was able to enjoy some of her favorite dishes during the holiday, including pecan pie.
“The way the doctors all worked together so quickly to give me the care I needed – it was incredible. Dr. Mohamed and his team, and the nurses and staff at the hospital, were wonderful,” said Downing, who looked forward to enjoying Brazil nuts and walnuts at Christmas for the first time in years. “I feel like Dr. Mohamed gave me a second chance at life. He’s my hero. Every morning when I wake up, I say a prayer of thanks.”
To learn more about diverticular disease and treatment options, including advanced surgical techniques, call 941-344-2882 or visit ShorePointSurgery.com.
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