A Poem to Post Above Your Bed in the Hospital

Postby **administrator** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 4:51 pm

Evan User ID: 9161143 Aug 23rd 11:09 AM After reading through a couple of the stories here, I am even more full of questions than ever before, but now my questions can be more specific. Let me begin before Evan was born. I was a nanny for a little boy who got alot of ear infections and we both had bouts with diarrhea through the second half of my pregnancy. He has never been tested for c diff to my knowledge, and neither have I. After my baby was born, I stayed home for three months and then began to nanny for another family. When Evan was six months old, a horrible stomach virus swept through South Georgia and we both fell victim to it. I was sick for a week and Evan for two weeks. He was given IV fluids in the emergency room at one point to fight dehydration. I made the mistake of listening to doctors who claimed I should cease breastfeeding every time he got diarrhea and give him pedialyte, which only increased the diarrhea and ended up drying up my milk supply (which was already weakened by my dehydration during my being sick). At 8.5 months, Evan had fought diarrhea several times, and nothing was ever found on lab tests, so the dr.s said he could go to daycare. There he contracted bronchiolitis and then a couple of ear infections, all of which were treated with antibiotics. During one ear infection (which I believed to be viral, but I was only the parent...sorry for the sarcasm), he was given two rounds of antibiotics orally and then a rocephin shot. I was called at work within days to go pick up my limp child with a 103F fever. C diff came back positive, but the toxin A did not appear. (I had never heard of toxin B until today, and I don't remember any tests for it). He was treated with vancomycin, but because of the damage to his system, continued to struggle with diarrhea until after his first birthday. He had between 10 and 12 poopy diapers and three outfits on his first Christmas day (at 11.5 months of age). The c diff did not show up on a test done by the specialist after the treatment with vancomycin, so he suggested a high fat diet to slow down digestion and aid in absorption. I am currently waiting for test results from a stool test we sent in last week to find out if Evan could be a carrier. Please read Kerena's case history to find out why I want to know this... Lori Lori User ID: 9161143 Aug 23rd 12:04 PM Duh. I put in the children's first names as the originators instead of mine. Sorry. By the way, Evan has had problems gaining weight and is still on Pediasure. A recent upper GI did not show reflux. All of his problems caused such a growth stunt, he stayed the same size for about a year. Lori Lori User ID: 2331104 Aug 24th 10:00 AM The stool test we had done last week on Evan for c diff came back negative. I am at a total loss as to how Kerena has gotten this infection twice in her life and I have never allowed her to be on antibiotics (since I developed that aversion to antibiotics, Evan has been much healthier). Evan too was told he had gastroenteritis, and I used to dread hearing that little explosion sometimes every ten to fifteen minutes. At that time, we lived 1.5 hours from the nearest ped GI. He was diagnosed as being a failure to thrive at 10 months when after a long period of diarrhea and dropping on the growth charts, he finally just stopped eating and lost weight. The ped (the only one who ever listened to me about the diarrhea and weight problems and the one who refered us to the ped GI spec) told me to quit work immediately and force feed him. The GI spec agreed and they put him on pediasure. He aslo told me to place him on a high fat diet to help repare the intestinal tract (after he did tests for everything possible including c diff). Evan's diarrhea slowed withing months. He still has some problems, but is finally growing. They still consider him underweight, but he has gained 6 pounds since February. I have no way of knowing if he really had c diff before or if he aquired it with that unnecessary round of antibiotics and it just added to his troubles. But Kerena's problems seem to all be caused by the c diff, which she probably got within minutes to hours after birth. Right now, Evan is negative for c diff, so apparently he isn't the one giving it to Kerena. I have been careful to wash (scrub) my hands and I have tried to make sure my husband does the same. This episode started the same night my sister in law died and we went to my brother's house in the foothills of the mountains. Perhaps the stress and grief she felt from me caused an upset in the balance of flora? I wish I knew (I am the type to want answers to all my why's). Anyway, she is responding to the flagyl and the gassiness has gone as well as the waking two or three times a night (so I assume her abdominal discomfort has gone too). She is still having occasional slimy diapers and some mucous, but it is not watery anymore. At least I knew this time NOT to take her off food and breast milk and give pedialyte. She is taking one can of pediasure a day for a few extra calories. I feel she's in a better position than Evan was. Sorry so long. It's just so good to talk to someone who's been there. Lori

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Fri Jan 11, 2002 3:28 pm

PLEASE An Ode to Hospital Personnel Don’t touch me unless you love me Or wash or glove your hands. I’m not here because I’m healthy And hope you’ll understand I know you are tired, And working at a frantic pace, But I don’t need infections, I want to leave this costly place. [Guest Posted by: 'Bobbie
']

A Poem to Post Above Your Bed in the Hospital

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