C Diff after Hip Resurfacing- feel like a prisoner!

[dessay13]

Hi all-

I'm a 42 year old female and caught C-Diff after a hospital stay for hip resurfacing. As luck would have it, I have osteopenia and I'm on a slow recovery protocol- crutches for 4-6 weeks. Believe me, with all the things that can go wrong with hip surgery, I was looking the other way and never thought I'd have to worry about C-Diff. I was worried about permanent nerve damage (that didn't happen, thankfully)!!!

So my definition of hell is 4-6 weeks on crutches 10% weight bearing WHILE having C-Diff WHILE enjoying a whale of a yeast infection from Flagyl. My husband is wonderful and is taking good care of me- I guess I have no dignity left when he has to tote a stool sample to our doc because not only was I really sick, I could barely move around the house. He's cooking, cleaning, fetching things, he's fabulous. But he's got to be a little sick of my fears, tears and frustration, so I thought I'd come here and vent a bit.

My MIL became a quadriplegic from a mishap during spine surgery, and she often says she's happier asleep than awake. I didn't understand that until now. Between the slow hip recovery and issues surrounding C-Diff, life is scary right now. I just finished Flagyl and have tons of hope that I'll recover just fine. But it's hard not to be scared and hard to be positive when things are moving so slowly. I'm not even sure I can go back to work for the last month of school, and I miss my voice students a lot.

Anyway, this board is such a wonderful resource- I feel fortunate to have found it. I really like that everyone reminds everyone else to stay positive, set goals, etc. I tend to dwell on things, but i'm trying not to. A year from now, I'll be walking normally, exercising, and C-Diff-free, I hope.

It's interesting, my mom was talking to her best friend and mentioned my condition, and she confessed that her son had C-Diff too, after ABX for oral surgery. They're best friends, yet she never admitted that until now. There's some shame associated with this, and I think that's unfortunate. It's hard enough to deal with on a basic level.

Cheers, everyone, and best wishes and love to all.

Cara

[NanciT]

Hello Cara,

Welcome to the site, we have new poster information for you to read in the first section.

I am so sorry you are going through this, post surgery!! It's difficult enough and being post op and trying to recover....hopefully the Flagyl has worked and you are on the road to recovery.
If you are not on Probiotics, you may want to start one. There are several and most on the site have taken, Kefir, Florester, or VSL#3.

Glad you found us! Take Care

NanciT

[zinnia1]

Cara- I know what you mean about being feeling so angry and helpless- and it is something we don't want to talk about as it makes other's "uncomfortable". I had c diff during my beautiful daughter's wedding and had to be the hostess w/the mostest, when I literally thought I might faint from dehydration and exhaustion and stress walking down the aisle! I have met others's who had c diff and they whispered about it and told tales of such fear and exhaustion. It is a truly isolating infection, so this board is a god send. It DOES feel like it will never end, but I promise a few weeks will go by and you will look back and realize something got better. We are warriors to be sure.

[georgina]

Zinnia , i can relate to everythng you are saying.I had my wedding last year , when i was 1 week in recovery after the first Cdiff episode and was beeing treated for TB.I had to smile to everybody and attend guests , drink water instead of champagne and eat rice with chicken breast while everybody else was eating wedding goodies.I was scared , i had lots of abdominal discomfort , i was upset , weak and nauseos because of anti TB meds , i couldn't enjoy my own wedding like i was supposed to.

[zinnia1]

Georgina- I am SO sorry. In time I hope you can look back an remember the day as being so wonderful. But as the MOB I felt the same- chicken and rice and pedialyte. I think part of the recovery process is you are just terrified to eat as it is unpredictable as to what may happen and you don't trust or have faith in your own body. A year later I am trying to continue the celebration but in a way more relaxed and confidant manner. We have earned it ox