David Backes out 3-4 weeks with diverticulitis
The Boston Bruins will be without David Backes for 3-4 weeks, as he was diagnosed with Diverticulitis.
The Boston Bruins have been dealt a big blow just two days into the NHL season. David Backes is set to miss 3-4 weeks of hockey due to his recent diagnosis of diverticulitis.
WedMD describes diverticulitis as such:
"Divertivulitis happens when pouches form in the wall of the colon. If these pouches get inflamed or infected, this is called diverticulitis. Diverticulitis can be very painful."
WedMD also lists the symptoms of diverticulitis as follows: belly pain, usually in the lower left side, that is sometimes worse when you move; fever and chills; bloating and gas; diarrhea or constipation; nausea and sometimes vomiting and loss of appetite.
Bruins announce that David Backes has been diagnosed with diverticulitis and will be out at least 3-4 weeks.
— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) October 5, 2017
The treatment for this is relatively straightforward. The doctor will give those diagnosed with these some pain medications to manage their discomfort and antibiotics to fight any possible infection in the pouches mentioned before.
Backes is going into his second season in Boston. He played in 74 games with the Bruins last season, scoring 17 goals and adding 21 assists. That was his lowest point total since 2012-13, a lockout-shortened season. Other than that, he had only ever had less points than 2016-17 in his rookie season when he had 23 points in 49 games.
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Before arriving in Boston he had played in 727 career games with the St. Louis Blues. During his time with the Blues he scored 206 goals and added 254 assists. Backes is fifth all-time in games played, sixth all-time in goals scored and eighth all-time in assists in St. Louis Blues history.
Expectations of Backes were to have a bounce back season. But with this setback, that is becoming a less than likely occurrence. The fact that most patients with diverticulitis have to start off with a liquid-only diet is going to be a big setback in starting off the season on the right foot for both the Bruins and Backes.