Success comes in all different shades— don’t give up!

We spend a lot of time talking about the bad news in this discussion group - here's the spot for the good news. If you've had c-diff and are now well, please tell us about it here.
armak
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Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:27 pm

Success comes in all different shades— don’t give up!

Postby armak » Wed May 26, 2021 5:07 pm

Hey y’all,

Wow. I was actually convinced that this day would never come for me. Most of you all can relate when I say these last 7 months have contained some of the darkest moments of my life. In fact, I still don’t totally feel like “myself,” but I’m getting there. Taking it day by day!

Background on my story: My name is Adrienne. 28 y/o female. I contracted c diff after a battle with sepsis during a pregnancy, resulting in having to take a heavy duty dose of cefazolin for 4 weeks and a 7 day hospital stay which left me with c diff. 1 round of vanco, followed by a relapse after 2 weeks. Completed a vanco taper that lasted 6 weeks, and currently am 4.5 months post vanco taper.

Success for me hasn’t been anything that I was expecting when I first started recovery— I’ve had so many moments where I’ve felt like I’ve relapsed, and still have days where I’m all over the place and am ready to call the doc and get back on antis! But what I can say is this—especially if you’ve had gut problems even before c diff like me— recovery can take a loooooong time, and you may not return back to what was “normal” before you had c diff. Couple of tips that have helped me during my post-infectious phase:

-Once I stopped florastor and restricted probiotics to just kefir, pain and BMs started to improve for me. Please consult your doctor before making any changes, but after a month off of the vanco taper, this is what my doctor and I decided on and it helped me. For some, excess probiotics can cause more stomach issues, so keep that in mind and speak with your doctor about that. I still drink 8oz of lactose free kefir every day and I do feel that it helps me.

- I am currently on a low FODMAP diet, and it has GREATLY improved my digestion. I am someone who has struggled with IBS even prior to c diff. After antibiotics, there were so many moments where I was convinced I was having a relapse. 2 weeks ago, I spoke with my doctor about what was going on, and she suggested to try a low FODMAP diet before retesting for C Diff to see if that helped since I wasn’t having more than 3x day of WD at any given time. The change in diet worked almost immediately. Please speak with your doctor before trying this out, since if you are having an actual relapse, this will not help. Also, a low FODMAP diet may need to be overseen by your doctor, as the goal is to eventually reintroduce foods that do contain FODMAPs.

-I kept a journal mainly just to get my feelings out as this whole ordeal turned my world upside down. It can also help you if you are keeping track of symptoms, so that you can get a sense of if you think you are getting better/worse. Although this disease can create a sense of urgency in more ways than one, taking it slow and not rushing to judgment has been very important for me to remember during this process (unless you are having severe symptoms and need to seek immediate help, of course). I also was in therapy during this time (and still am). Therapy has greatly helped me and has helped me feel more normal, day by day.

-Most importantly, be gentle with yourself! I am so sorry that you’ve been dealt this terrible card, it doesn’t seem fair and it can feel so disheartening and upsetting. You are already dealing with so much, so being kind to yourself and taking it easy is what you deserve! You WILL recover from this. You WILL get better. I had lost all hope during my second vanco taper and thought there was nothing that could be done. It will be okay, it just may take some time! Surround yourself with people and experts who lift you up and give you hope, because hope is always there!

- For my ladies, remember that your time of the month can significantly effect your digestion! Speak with your doctor if needed, but remember that you could be having symptoms associated with menstruation rather than it being a relapse. I have gone through this the last several months, and things clear up almost as my period is ending.

Thank you to everyone who gave me great advice and hope during this time. I am so grateful for your support and help.

And to those of you who are still in the fight, keep going!! You’ve got this!! The light is there, just keep pushing forward. And if you need anything, please reach out. I am happy to chat and speak with you.

Wishing everyone so much peace and happiness,

Adrienne
27y/o F. Contracted c diff 10/2020 after 4 weeks on high dose cefazolin. Untreated for 3 weeks. Started vanco 125mg/4x day for 14 days 11/2020. First recurrence 2 weeks after. Finished vanco taper Jan 2021.May 2021 - 4.5 months post taper

beth22
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Success comes in all different shades— don’t give up!

Postby beth22 » Fri May 28, 2021 1:10 am

Adrienne - Thanks so much for posting this and giving hope to others. I'm very happy to hear that your symptoms have improved and that your body is finding its way back to normal.

The low FODMAP diet has helped others on the site and it is worthwhile trying, although as my own doctor pointed out to me some foods on the diet that are allowed cause problems for some and not others and likewise some foods that are not allowed do not cause problems for some, but do for others. It is all very individual, but it does seem to help. Hoping that as time goes by, you will be back to as close to your pre-c diff normal as possible.


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