3rd party frustration

[Mulmoman]

I just went to a funeral on Tuesday for my aunt. She died of C-diff...and I didn't even know what it was. She had been suffering with it for over a year. She went to the doctor over a year ago and was loaded up with antibiotics for a couple of illnesses she had contracted. She eventually got sicker and C-diff apparently took hold of her. She was hospitalized, but seemed to get better. However, there were no follow-up appointments and they just gave her medicine to make the diarrheal symptoms go away. Then, a year later, she goes with my uncle to visit my cousin in FL and her symptoms flare up. They take out her gall bladder before they realize that it is c-diff again. Then they take out her colon 24 hours later. Then 24 hours later, she passed away. It's not fair. It seems like it came out of nowhere.

What I'm wondering is - did she just ignore symptoms? Can it really hit you that bad, that suddenly? Did doctors screw up? I know once they realized what was wrong they did everything they could, canceling all surgeries for a day to try and save my aunt. But she was not an elderly lady - and it makes me scared that this disease could kill such a strong person. This post was mostly to put this out there, to help make sure her story is out there. I couldn't bring myself to look up information about the disease before today, but I've found it to be helpful and angering - to understand it, but to know it doesn't have to kill you.

[TheVike]

like a combo of all the issues you brought up!??? Her age was? Doctors seem to me have screwed up MAJOR!???

[cindym]

Obviously they must have had her contained either on meds or she had gotten over the first bout of cdiff. Cdiff spores can lie dormant in your body and wait for opportunity when your body is run down or another antibiotic is taken and reappear from nowhere. YES IT CAN TAKE YOU DOWN QUICKLY. I have suffered with this beast for 6 years and now am told I am colonized and not to go off vanco totally. I can go from being well to near deaths door within 4 hours when I go off vanco within 5 days time. It makes no concessions for age when it strikes. It effects the elderly more it seems but in my opinion only because they are too weak to fight it off. I PRAY that before I go full blown again with cdiff that I DIE as that is how sick it makes me. The last episode I was begging to die as I was so ill before they got it under control. Taking zofran and phenegran might as well have been candy for all they helped with the nausea and the diarrhea was like turning on every water hydrant in the house full blast and even funneling I could not keep up with liquids. This is a serious deadly condition for many people. There are various stages of this illness and people with mild cases should be thanking God! Sorry for your loss and the quick nature of this deadly beast!

[TheVike]

100% correct...hit it on the nose!