Please help me - I am miserable

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Tinafish
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Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 7:16 pm

Please help me - I am miserable

Postby Tinafish » Sun May 24, 2020 7:31 pm

Female, 46 years old. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer about a year ago. After my chemo sessions, I went through radiation therapy in March. Five weeks into my six-week radiation course, I could no longer stand it. The diarrhea was so intense, I couldn't leave the house. The radiation doctor said he'd never seen such a severe case of radiation sickness. My oncologist told me to stay home, stay hydrated, and just try to get better. We all thought it was radiation sickness!

I must have dealt with it for at least 4-5 weeks. The diarrhea became more urgent and violent, I had to hire an in-home nurse to give me fluids. I passed out on the bathroom floor one day. Finally, I woke up one morning totally jaundiced, and the oncologist said to go to the hospital.

The hospital suspected c-diff, and they were right. I was sent home with vancomycin. But a week later, I was jaundiced again! I went back to the hospital, and I was diagnosed with sepsis!! Thank god for the jaundice, right? They treated my sepsis, and I was sent home.

It's been about 2 1/2 weeks since I finished the course of vancomycin, and although I am feeling much better, I still have toothpaste-consistency diarrhea, and the worst thing is that my stomach becomes distended whenever I eat anything. It's uncomfortable and takes hours to go away.

My question is: does this mean that my colon may never get better? Might I deal with this distention indefinitely? Might I need surgery to get rid of damaged parts of the colon? My oncologist keeps telling me that my colon has been through a lot, and it will take a while for it to settle down, but the longer this goes on, the more worried I become.

NanciT
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Re: Please help me - I am miserable

Postby NanciT » Sun May 24, 2020 8:35 pm

Hello and Welcome to the site Please read the first thread for all new posters

I am so sorry you are going through all of this, CDIFF is tough enough but add your history and difficult treatments and you have a complicated case.

We cannot give advise here and often we review our own experiences. With your case, it is very difficult.

I did not read you are being followed by a GI, I think that is very important having been treated for CDIFF. You have mentioned the oncologist and that you were diagnosed in the ER. If you do not have one, I would see one and find out what is causing the distention. If it gets bad, head back to the ER.

There can be various post CDIFF symptoms but when you add your history which includes chemo and radiation, you need to be followed closely.

Once again I do wish I had more for you and I am so sorry for what you have been through

Wishing you the best as you recover

NanciT

Ali-Mar
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Re: Please help me - I am miserable

Postby Ali-Mar » Sun May 24, 2020 10:34 pm

So sorry to hear you have gone through so much. C-Diff is awful as it is, I cannot imagine fighting at so many fronts. I pray and hope you will get through this soon.

I was diagnosed with C-Diff on March 2, took Flagyl then Vacno, I relapsed 5 week post Vanco and now I am on Dificid taper.

I’m not an expert but I have read that C-Diff can be harmful on the colon. Specially if goes on untreated.. I agree with Narnci, I think you should see a Gastroenterologist as soon as possible. Did they take a abdominal CT Scan when you were in hospital? If not the GI dr might order one!
Male 54, contracted C-Diff on Feb 5, 2020, diagnosed on March 2nd, Took Flagyl for 8 days, Vanco for 10 days, relapsed 5 weeks post-Vanco. finished Dificid Taper on June 20 relapsed two weeks later, had the FMT on July 14th, 2020

roy
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Re: Please help me - I am miserable

Postby roy » Mon May 25, 2020 2:42 am

Jaundice is not a symptom of c.diff so a liver and gallbladder check is essential.
Chemo can leave you open to c.diff and some of your symptoms can be down to that but jaundice is not typical.
Dont accept the c.diff diagnosis as the only problem.

Tinafish
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Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 7:16 pm

Re: Please help me - I am miserable

Postby Tinafish » Mon May 25, 2020 7:19 am

The jaundice is a different problem, I know. The GI dr addressed it at the hospital.

Thank you for all your replies, but no one has really told me the answer. Put my cancer aside for a sec and please tell me how long people customarily deal with the stomach distention. Could this be that "toxic megacolon" thing? Is there anyone out there who has had the distention long-term after they faught off c-diff? Thanks!

Ril
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Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:45 pm

Re: Please help me - I am miserable

Postby Ril » Mon May 25, 2020 8:13 am

To my knowledge, distention is not a part of c diff. There are many things that can cause it, toxic megacolon is one but that carries other symptoms as well.
If your GI does not know that you are experiencing that symptom and has not examined you since that has started I would notify him immediately to be safe. It may be something simple in your case because of your complicated history but I would not presume to give you any further medical advice.
Best of luck to you.
Rita

Ali-Mar
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Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2020 4:17 pm

Re: Please help me - I am miserable

Postby Ali-Mar » Mon May 25, 2020 11:06 am

My C-diff infection went on untreated for 5 weeks, during that time I had irregular bm, abdominal pain, cramping and a lot of mucus, but I don't recall experiencing any distention
Male 54, contracted C-Diff on Feb 5, 2020, diagnosed on March 2nd, Took Flagyl for 8 days, Vanco for 10 days, relapsed 5 weeks post-Vanco. finished Dificid Taper on June 20 relapsed two weeks later, had the FMT on July 14th, 2020


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