C-Diff

[Larry Steorts]

I recently spent one month in Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego. The reason for my hospital stay involved the removal of my esophagus and consructing a new one out of my stomach lining. The surgery lasted aspprox. 8 hours. I also developed SARS and pnemonia while trying to recover. I was diagnosed with C-Diff the early part of September of this year and took Flagel for a period of time and then my doctor changed me to Vancomycin. This experience has been most humbling and embarrassing and the basic symptoms persist even now. I finally started taking probiotics and it has seemed to help somewhat. The hospital has so far tried to 'stonewall' me, however, I am determined to keep after them until I am satisfied. After checking on-line it is very clear to me that of the of the 6 different causes of the disease (antibiotic exposure, gastrointestinal surgery, long hospital stay, etc) I
qualify in all 6 of them!

I am a 72 year old attorney and all my efforts to find counsel have been fruitless; you feel surprised that a lawyer will even return you telephone call! It is little wonder that lawyers are held in such low regard.

[Larry Steorts]

Roy:

Thank you for responding to my post. I will keep everyone advised about my progress with the legal aspects of my situation.
Larry Steorts

[Bobbie]

I was in the UK for two weeks at Christmas and returned last week. I just saw your post.

I first had C. diff. in l993-1997 and again in l999. I was in the legal field during my first bout (legal assistant). My original episode was caused by a then "new" antibiotic (Vantin) which docs. were prescribing "out the ying yang." It was on the end caps at all the pharmacies. Not only did it not "cure" my original sinus infection, but I wound up in the hospital with pneumonia, sinusitis, a UTI, and C. diff.

I had a patient insert that made no mention of C. diff. although eventually docs. stopped prescribing it mch later because of all the C. diff. it caused. (A later patient insert mentioned C. diff. as a side effect.) I prepared a case file and went to approx. seven different attorneys. (My dear brother is a med. mal. attorney who told me, "You aren't worth anything.")

Turns out he was correct. I was a middle-aged woman with a not-so-great paying job and no one was dependent on me. One attorney told me, "It's too bad you aren't in a wheelchair. Now then we'd have something to show the jury!" One sole practioner said I had a good case, but he couldn't afford to handle it and sent it to a firm of med. mal. attorneys. They returned to him with the notation, "Although the plaintiff has just cause, this case isn't worth our time to pursue." After two years, I eventually gave up.

I've had many health problems since -- some probably related to C. diff. Some C. diff. experts think C. diff. can affect your immune system. I believe it does.'

Since you are an attorney yourself, I'd think you'd have an "in" but evidently these cases are difficult to prove, and pharm. companies are powerful with some of the strongest lobbiests in Congress.

Sometimes David doesn't truimph over Goliath. Good luck to you. Let us know how you are doing.