Harry: Yes, what's happening is that in the colon or the large bowel, she has what we call diverticula, which in simple language are blow-outs in the colon. It's a very common problem.

Alan: Where do we go from here? Are the treatments or a cure?

Harry: Unfortunately, and I've got to be honest with you, we haven't got a cure for this. But we can try and control it. You are under a gastroenterologist or a surgeon, is that right?

Alan: Yes.

Harry: Well they will tell you what the score is. So it's not a matter of a cure, it's a matter of controlling it. One of the important things is to have a high fibre diet to lower the pressures inside the colon. Because if you've got high pressure inside the colon and you've got to be straining at stool, for example, this would aggravate these blow-outs. But there are other things that they can try and do to help her.

Alan: So would it be worthwhile going to a dietician?

Harry: A dietician would be useful in terms of putting her on the right diet.