very confused..please help!

[cindy w.]

Hello again to all and thank you for your supportive responses. Bobbie, we still have our crazy cat. He tested negative for the toxins 2 weeks following the completion of 1 course of Flagyl. I probably should follow up with another test but have been avoiding the issue. Probably not so smart. Whitepine, I considered the possibility of some post colonoscopy bleeding and was hopeful that's what it was until it happened again 1 week post scope and twice since. Puremess, I am constantly thinking about this puzzling situation. It does sure seem like it may still be cdiff, however, we haven't had a positive stool in a long time and the colonoscopy was perfect. We know she definitely had cdiff at one point so that fact cannot be overlooked and, of course, she had the toxin tests and the scope while still on Vanco...albeit very low dose...125 mg every other day. We are now off Vanco for 8 days..the longest time off meds since this all began back in December. For 7 days, she was basically symptom free except for intermittent complaints of mild, vague mid- abdominal discomfort. Nothing that stopped her from running around like a wild woman at home, but a bad enough belly ache to spend lots and lots of time with the school nurse who she adores and is also a friend of mine!!! Yesterday, she had 4 bowel movements upon returning home from school until bedtime. There was some small formed stool but unfortunately some bloody mucus sludge hanging out on the bottom..(sorry if that's TMI) To compound the confusion, her a.m. movement today was just perfect..normal size, color, consistency, etc. and without obvious signs of blood or mucus. She's been fine all day today and quite happy, as well, especially since yesterday's events "earned" her the day off from school and a well deserved mani and pedi with Mom!! I plan to begin sending more cdiff specimens now that we're further away from discontinuing the Vanco. If it is cdiff, we'll be more likely to obtain a pos. result. I'm going to continue the probiotics and hope she doesn't need an antibiotic. Today she had bloodwork...a CBC, ESR, Chem panel and a celiac panel which I insisted on, although, she really doesn't fit the profile of a celiac case. This "earned" her a toy, by the way!! The GI problems may pass, however, I'll soon be posting on a site for spoiled rotten children!!! What I'm wondering (again..still!!) is if anyone has experienced this intermittent occurence of symptoms, especially bloody mucus discharge, and has been absolutely fine on other days while off meds. I thought for sure last night that we were going to finally embark on a full fledged relapse now that we're off the Vanco. I was (again) surprised to have a totally and completely "normal" day today. In the beginning of all this...Jan and Feb...if she had 4 stools as experienced yesterday, we would have upped the Vanco immediately, thinking we were cutting a relapse/recurrence off at the pass. She's always responded so well to the Vanco...or at least we thought it was a good response...in fact, the symptoms may have self resolved even then....?? If this isn't cdiff, then what the heck could it be??? Puremess, good idea that I should perhaps put off the Cat Scan for a few days until the Vanco is maybe closer to 14 days out of her system. I'm just so sick of this...she's missed so much school and I just feel so bad for her and worried sick for so long. Just an aside, as well as a conclusion to this lenghty post...the nurse in my pediatrician's office shared with me today that her husband is inpatient now and has cdiff. If you're reading this, "Hi Carol!" My next door neighbor's mom was hospitalized with it for months as well and had IVIG and Vanco rectally to finally beat it. I truly hope a "cure" is found soon. Thanks again for listening everyone and hope you all have a quiet, medically uneventful, peaceful night. Cindy