ID appt today,Nightmare.....

[AThurston]

Well I was right, had my ID appt today and he is going to start the vanc taper in 4 weeks. He said the nausea is from the vanc, L side pain from colon spasms and nutrtion is part of the healing and takes mos. Same for exhaustion gets better with healing. He shrugged off that I still take as needed meds for the nausea & pain, like no big deal.He says that I am better since I have not had to be hospitalized. I talked with him about a colonoscopy transfer and he shut me down saying I don't think we should mess with your flora, I said what flora, I've been on vanc since december how can I have any good flora? He says you must have little anerobes or you would have diarrhea. I was in a shock, then the case manager (wkcomp nurse) asks when do we say she is healed? ID looks at me and ask can you work taking the phenergan,donnatol, norco? I said no I'm a nurse, I work 12 hr shifts and I have 38 residents on my hall w/ at least 5-6 max w/ c diff sometimes less sometimes more. I couldn't believe what he was asking? That is putting my license on the line! Is it safe for me to go into c diff environment, 2 GI and my old ID advised not to. I could go on & on and it just gets worse. I can see that I am going to have to do this on my own and truthfully I'm scared to death. These insurance people have sought out a dr finally that is willing to jepordize my life. Oh and he wants me to drink 5 carnation drinks a day to increase nutrition, been there done that, can only drink so much of that. I am worried, my facility where I work is very lax on isolation, employees do not take it seriously, residents on isolation are not contained they move about the facility. We all know all it takes is one person to not wash their hands.
I was already upset by the time I got to my appt, I got stopped downtown Indianapolis, I was scared stiff, he screamed at me, waving his arms all around, he said I turned on a red light. I truly did not see a red light. Boy oh boy was he mad and then I started crying & blubbering and he says Put your license up, go on get out of here. I wish I wouldv'e stayed in bed today & all day....

[Bobbie]

I am so sorry about your day. You are right, "You should have 'stood' in bed." I can't count the times I've left docs office feeling so angry and disappointed. Sometimes it takes me several days to "get over" one.

Do you have an attorney? i seldom mention litigation because it does little good and is difficult to prove. If you think the medical professional is "screwed, up, wait until you see the legal. (I was a legal assistant for years.) You developed C. diff. at work, however. Perhaps a letter from an attorney listing your concerns might help your employment situation. (My client, Alleeta ..., is concerned about her health and the health of her patients. etc. I suggest you find a position where she would not be in direct contact with patients." (Proceed carefully here, however. Hospitals have their own attorneys.) Do you have a friend who is an attorney and could write such a letter for effect? Sometimes the legal letterhead does some good. I am sure your hospital has positions that don't involve direct nursing - charting reports, etc. I think it's unforgivable they would endanger both you and your patients. You are truly "between a rock and a hard place."

Docs. seldom agree about anything - even those in the same field. 5 cans of carnation a day? Ugh. Try Ensure or Boast (see CDI - Nutrition.) They are easier to "take."

I agree - you had a h... of a day. Murphy's Law - "What can go wrong will go wrong."

Wishing you a better day tomorrow.

[natalyjac]

What I have learned through my son's experience with C Diff is that I would pay my weight in gold to find a doctor that was available when I needed them and would take the entire body into consideration (instead of just whatever area is sick). It is so scary that a bad doctor can jeopardize our lives in this fashion. You are truly sick, and you need support. People shouldn't have to fear their doctor's appointments, they should feel hopeful that someone will help them. Instead it seems to be the other way around. People go in to their appointments in hopes they won't be made to feel like they are crazy or overreacting, and are actually grateful if a physician listens.

I don't mean to be so negative about the medical profession, but it has been a crazy few months and I just feel like I have to go in to appointments fully armed with knowledge because I don't always trust the doctors.

You should have NEVER had that experience. He is a specialist, and should be used to dealing with difficult cases. All I can say is I am so sorry, and I hope you find some relief soon.

Kris

[Bobbie]

Kris,
C. diff. destroyed the faith I had left in docs. Unfortunately, they are all we have, and some do care, and some are competent. C. diff. is such a strange disease; many need an extra course in "being patient with patients." We are not in their offices because we want to be there.

[amyc]

Wow. I'm so sorry to hear about that nightmare of a doctor. Will your insurance pay for out of state treatments? Bobbie has spoken with a doc here in Oklahoma City who does the transplants and has had great luck with them. Is this ID affiliated with the university hospital? I thought you saw an ID there who was helpful? Did your insurance company refuse to authorize another visit with that doctor?

Why the heck would they want a nurse working the floor on phenergan, donnatol, and norco? Of course you drove yourself to the appointment today, so they can say you aren't impaired, I guess. But those three drugs together have to knock you out. Phenergan alone puts me out like a light.

Can you go back to the GI doctor? That would be the one who would do the surgery for you if it was necessary, so it makes sense even from a workman's comp perspective to send you there.

Do you feel well enough to work from home doing medical coding or transcription work for a while? Or is there an administrative job at your current employer you could do?

Can you get back to the GI doc again?

[AThurston]

Bobbie,Kris & Amy, Thank you for your posts, Yes to the GI appt it is this month and she is one of the dr's advising me not to go back into that environment. And yes this is the id dr at the university. I dunno what I'm going to do yet, I just can't deal with any of it right now I need to concentrate on feeling better and gain some strength. I'm still to upset to think straight. I just can not believe that people in healthcare can be crooked and uncaring, I could never be that kind of nurse or even think about working in that kind of position. Discussion w/ my family about an attorney has been pending, soon steps will have to be taken. I sent my case history to Dr. Kelly in RI coupla weeks ago and it is being looked at per her asst as of yesterday. I have to continue to take seek outside medical tx just in case of relapse. I'm very scared of taper of vanc because I finish ab tx, go back to work many times and relapse. Thank you all so much for caring, have appt in Indy today and Gary is driving me today, hooray!!

[getwellsoon]

Alletta, Just want to say I'm so sorry you have to go through all this on top of being sick. It is so depressing to get no help from a Dr. when we go there with such high hopes of them giving us good info and things to help us get well only to be shot down. I'm not feeling so well, don't know if Difficid is causing this nausea etc. but trying to hang on. Its so hard. Know you are in my prayers , as is everyone, for a good outcome and help in feeling better at least and at best being cured. I'll settle for feeling better right now. Carol

[Fire2]

Alletta:

I worked as a Career Fighter/Medic when I contracted C-Diff. I continued to work through it and the numerous relapses that followed. I lived and shared 1/4's including the bathroom with the rest of the crew. No one else got C-diff. We just followed normal good hygiene practices with lots of hand washing. I would suggest that you create your own crisis kit of Gas-X, Pepto, Dicycolomine, or Bentyl and anything else that brings you relief. Carry this with you at all times as it will get you out of some awkward situations. Try to control the Stress as it does absolutely nothing good for the C-Diff and your health. Be very aggressive and demanding with your Doctors by letting them know that you will not accept attitudes or ego's, the problems should be avoided. Don't hesitate to fire them if necessary....they work for you.

Fire

[Bobbie]

If you do go the "legal route," be careful. Do it on a contigency basis only. From prior experience (I didn't sue a doc. but considered it re. a pharm. company) it's tough. I saw six lawyers. They all said the same thing in their final finding, "The plaintiff had just cause, but it's not worth our while to pursue." In other words, the judgment would be high enough for them to get their "cut" - they take approx. 40%.

The antibiotic my doc. was Vantin - it caused so much C. diff. it is now rarely used. One attorney said, "Too bad you aren't in a wheelchair. Now THEN we'd have something to show the jury." (I had an original patient insert that did not list C. diff. as one of the side effects. Later, I got a revised one."

The defendant's attorney will "beat up the victim" and look into your past - including high school. I was a middle-aged woman with a middle paying job and no one dependant on me. If I'd been a man with a high-paying job and children, I might have had a chance. Workmen's comp. might work differently. In any event, proceed with caution.

[AThurston]

Thank you all for your much needed support. I am not going to do anything but work on my health and focus on that alone. I have continued to work when they would let me go back and wasn't in the hospital, until this last relapse and the dr's said no more. I practice good infection control and protect my pt's, co workers and myself, I have always tried to set a good example since I teach it as well. My worry is w/ others that do not take it seriously. Thank you all again, I don't know what i would do w/out all of you. Bobbie I will e mail you, Bobbie & Carol prayers are being sent your way, Fire2 thank you for your encouragement and I know when I feel better and get stronger some of these issues will resolve themselves.