Has anyone here lost a parent (mom) from c.diff?

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stephrae
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Has anyone here lost a parent (mom) from c.diff?

Postby stephrae » Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:38 am

I lost my best friend, my mom, 2-1-18 due to complications from c.diff that was not treated as aggressively as it should have been, toxic mega colon developed, then sepsis. Can anyone here relate to my pain? I feel her death was unnecessary and I feel angry that I expressed my fear to her medical team that oral flagyl BID was not improving mom's diarrhea or her overall wellness. I continued to ask them to please add IV Vancomycin but I was ignored. She was very first diagnosed Dec 27 2017 and she passed as I held her tight 2-1-18! Anyone who relates, I really need to talk to someone that is or has been in a similar situation as to mine...
Im Steph,...and I am Motherless due to c-diff and failure to hear my pleas to add vanc to the flaygl. i need someone to talk to about the 'C" word that stole my Mom from me 2-1-18. Help?

roy
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Re: Has anyone here lost a parent (mom) from c.diff?

Postby roy » Wed Jul 24, 2019 9:27 am

Yes
My mother died from c.diff.
IV vanco woud not treat it though but oral vanco might have.
Flagyl might have reduced her symptoms as it still kills c.diff but the chances of c.diff relapse is high with flagyl.
She also seems to have been on a low flagyl dose.
Did your mom have another illness?

tgould
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Re: Has anyone here lost a parent (mom) from c.diff?

Postby tgould » Mon Oct 21, 2019 5:54 pm

I joined this forum when my Mother was diagnosed the 2nd time with CDiff. I think this forum helped to save her life, that and a lot of luck. She was given a broad spectrum antibiotic by the Dentist, and then a couple of other antibiotics, and finally Flagyl. She had experienced CDiff the first time about 2 years earlier, and had been treated with Flagyl. She quickly got better and we forgot all about CDIff. This second time, she probably had CDiff when the Dentist gave her Flagyll. She ended up in the hospital a couple of weeks later, and they tested for CDiff, she didn't have it. A week later she had CDiff and they gave her Flagyll again!! She ended up in the Emergency room a week later, and because she had CDiff, they sent her to a hospital that had a GI doctor available for consult. This is what saved her life. The new hospital gave her IV Vanco, and she was put in touch with Infectious Disease Doctor. It wasn't easy to get rid of the CDiff, but the Vanco gave her a fighting chance. She was 81 years old when this started. It took over two and a half years for her to recover. She lost 50 pounds, which she didn't have to lose. She became extremely week, to the point she couldn't walk without a walker and was provided an electric cart. She had been completely healthy before all of this started. I am so sorry to hear you lost your Mom. I lived with that fear for over a year, but that is nothing compared to the pain and suffering my Mom went through. She told me more than once she just wanted to give up. I've spent some time thinking about this, it started about 3 years ago. I was really mad at the Dentist to begin with, recklessly prescribing antibiotics. Then the medical profession for ignoring her health history. But the more I know about others experiences, the more I realize that it just is. Yes, it's an awful illness, and it's horrible that it seems to effect the week and elderly the most. But I learned a lot from my experience with my Mom. Just recently my sister developed CDiff. The experience with my Mom taught me to fight. She was prescribed Flagyll for the first round. Today she went to the doctor and was tested (three weeks after initial test) for CDIff again. Yes, she's having the symptoms. The doctor wanted to give her Flagyl, but I had prepared her to fight for Vanco. So she did. If the test results come back positive, she will be taking a long taper dose of Vanco. I guess sometimes these things happen for a reason.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Tracey

AllisS
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Re: Has anyone here lost a parent (mom) from c.diff?

Postby AllisS » Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:38 pm

tgould, the only "reason" these things are happening is that the U.S. has a backward, ridiculously under-regulated health-"care" system. The CDC is toothless and the FDA is in thrall to the pharmaceutical industry. Despite the proliferation of antibiotic-stewardship programs in hospitals, doctors and dentists continue to harm patients with their outdated, data-averse prescribing practices. It's an uphill battle for individuals to prevail in malpractice suits since the U.S. legal system mainly accommodates the wealthy. But hopefully more class-action suits will emerge, and eventually, incidents of needless suffering, such as that of your mother, will all but cease to happen.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

Bobbie
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Re: Has anyone here lost a parent (mom) from c.diff?

Postby Bobbie » Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:22 pm

Stephrae and tgould,

So very sorry for your losses. As a long time survivor of c diff (and my young son also had it ) I bleed for you. It is a nasty infection that is often difficult to treat, and some in the medical profession are still ignorant about it. Please become involved in fighting for more knowledge about it. It will help with your grief and aid others.

Again, so very sorry.


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