Test came back positive & I'm terrified & don't know where to start
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 7:26 am
First off, apologies if this comes across as a little pathetic... it's 4 am where I am and I got the results emailed to me only a few hours ago. Haven't started a course of treatment or anything -- just waiting until my doctor calls me back at some point in the next day with a course of action. So, right now, it's just me, alone with my thoughts and the symptoms. Not a great personal moment!
Bit about me: I'm 39, female, have always been pretty healthy except for a predilection for UTIs. I get them really frequently, and always have -- at least 2-3 times a year, which of course means antibiotics. My last bout was in early-July, and I was prescribed azythromycin (because lucky me, I'm allergic to penicillin & sulfa antibiotics). Finished the course of abx and went on my merry way...
I thought everything was fine up until this past Sunday morning when I woke up with what I thought was diarrhea, but only clear liquid and some mucus-y looking stuff came out. This happened many more times over the course of Sunday and Monday, and I was totally baffled. I felt mostly fine, but every hour or so, I would feel that urgency and need to run to the bathroom only to be presented with basically nothing.
Anyway, long story short... I went to the doctor Tuesday (yesterday) and had the full work-up. Something about the combination of the antibiotics in the last 2 months + watery stool + mucus must have tipped my doctor off. She mentioned c diff right off the bat and ordered the test immediately. Sure enough, the PCR came back positive for toxin B. And this is where I am now... wondering wtf am I supposed to do from here on out?
I have so many questions... starting with, do I need to quarantine myself? Is my fiancé safe to be around me? My friends? My cat? Do I need to douse my house in bleach? Burn my clothes? Is the fact that my symptoms are mild and caught early a good thing, or is severity and length of time before diagnosis irrelevant when it comes to prognosis?
It's all so overwhelming and I am just looking for some reassurance. Just lying here in bed, feeling gross and full of disgusting spores and questions... ugh.
Bit about me: I'm 39, female, have always been pretty healthy except for a predilection for UTIs. I get them really frequently, and always have -- at least 2-3 times a year, which of course means antibiotics. My last bout was in early-July, and I was prescribed azythromycin (because lucky me, I'm allergic to penicillin & sulfa antibiotics). Finished the course of abx and went on my merry way...
I thought everything was fine up until this past Sunday morning when I woke up with what I thought was diarrhea, but only clear liquid and some mucus-y looking stuff came out. This happened many more times over the course of Sunday and Monday, and I was totally baffled. I felt mostly fine, but every hour or so, I would feel that urgency and need to run to the bathroom only to be presented with basically nothing.
Anyway, long story short... I went to the doctor Tuesday (yesterday) and had the full work-up. Something about the combination of the antibiotics in the last 2 months + watery stool + mucus must have tipped my doctor off. She mentioned c diff right off the bat and ordered the test immediately. Sure enough, the PCR came back positive for toxin B. And this is where I am now... wondering wtf am I supposed to do from here on out?
I have so many questions... starting with, do I need to quarantine myself? Is my fiancé safe to be around me? My friends? My cat? Do I need to douse my house in bleach? Burn my clothes? Is the fact that my symptoms are mild and caught early a good thing, or is severity and length of time before diagnosis irrelevant when it comes to prognosis?
It's all so overwhelming and I am just looking for some reassurance. Just lying here in bed, feeling gross and full of disgusting spores and questions... ugh.