Marcia's Case

[Marcia]

Hello everyone....
I wanted to tell you that i had not post my case in here not because of laziness but because of fearing that this will come back. If it does (please don't) i will just keep updating anyway.
I was told that one of my molars would need a root canal. I had no money but most of all i had not time to take off work and I've always heard scary things about ROOT CANALS.
So late June i started having pain in my left side of cheek, ignored it thinking it would go away again, until i woke up one day with an abcess.
I was new to this city (about 2 months) so i had no particular doctor so my appt. wasn't until a following week. So between those days i could hardly eat or swallow. Finally i got to dentist they told me they could either put me on antibiotics and then have a root canal or just take it off. I said take it off. So they pulled my teeth out and i asked the dentist if i could have antibiotics for the infection. He said that as long as the infected tooth was out, the infection/inflamation would solve on it's own. I said please just give me something, i have not eaten in a week. So he gave me PenVK for 5 days i think. He said you should start seeing improvement right away. I waited 2 days and i felt like the PenVK was not cutting it for me so i told husband to drive me to the hospital so i can get better treatment. He did so after some evaluation they put me on 10 days of clyndamicin.
Everything cleared up within 2 days, which i do not know if they would if i had not taken the clyndamicin anyways what. So i kept taking it for the 10 days because it says "do not stop, finish prescription" I thought my troubled days were done and over with. Never the doctor mention at least one side effects from this medicine.
2 weeks later i thought i had food poisoning, but would do a few tests anyways. Waited out for 2 weeks while i read on internet i should be vomiting too (food poisoning). All i had was diarrhea and killer cramps. I finally went to those walk in clinics and they told me it was a virus; to eat crackers and rice. That night i felt like i was going to have a child, so back my cramps were. I told husband next day ER again, off we went. 6 hours hooked to IV's, waiting for tests. Negative for E coli, parasites and all kinds of things. There was one left but the results were taking long. So he sent me home. I got home and i got his call it was positive for C DIFF. I was so happy to know what was wrong with me all along. He told me to take flagyl for 7 days. After 2 days the walk in clinic doctor called and said you have c diff, i said i know i went to ER and they told me and gave me 7 days of flagyl he said ok you are going to have to take it for 7 more days. I almost burst into tears on the phone i said "you know what those pills are doing to me?" He said he understood but if they were stopping the diarrhea then, they worked.
So after i was done with the 14 day treatment, a week later i went out with friends and drank a little. Next day it was back in full force. Another 14 days of flagyl at a stronger dose. I would say another 5lbs lost too. A total of 15lbs i would say in a 5'1 frame. I was 116lbs before this, not exactly chunky.
My last pill was on Aug. 30th 2005. It's been 5 months with a few scary episodes which had me going nuts but things would settle down the same day or next. I can't eat too much dairy anymore or anything spicy. What i have now is tingling and twitching and numbness in my limbs but i still got to have that worked out with a doctor. Not sure if is related to c diff, the flagyl or nothing to do with it.
I promised myself i would keep this about 5 lines to not bore anyone but you know i can go on rumbling.
I think back to where i was before c diff, i was living the single life even though i have the most nicest, beautiful person as my husband, and a 5 yr old who has changed my life since she was born.
I would go out with friends every 2 weeks, not caring if it was ok with him or not. I needed something to settle me down and put things into porspective (?) and that is where c diff came along. At the perfect time i should say. It defenetly settle me down and changed my life which i think will be forever. It made me realize how much my husband loves me, something i knew but took it very lightly.
I hate that i ever had to get this *hit in the first place, no pun intended. I can't go out and have fun the way i did before. My friends think husband got a tight rope on me now. They don't know what finally did it for me, if it wasn't for c diff i would of not stayed with my husband for all this time because i was too much into myself to look or care at anybody else's feelings. Now i have more conpassion for others who suffers from this or any other kind of illnesses. I always have a kind heart but i was destroying all the good things i had going for me.
Anyways i am so happy to of "met" all of you in here. You helped me tremendously, and have become attached in some way so even if i've been ok all this long, i will stay around and give my 2 cents whenever i can. Thank you all, and don't give up the faith.

[Marcia]

Have not been well lately. I go to b-room once or twice but last 3 weeks if i eat "the wrong thing" can be anything, hard to guess what exactly, i get crampy and gassy and burping a lot. Not sure if it's a lowgrade c diff or IBS or what! I've been having this gunk in the back of my throat, something thick. Perhaps it's bacterial and need to take antibiotics. I've had it for 2 weeks now. Then i start feeling ok and again i eat something that triggers something else and feel kinda nauseas like the food i eat doesn't go down all the way and gets stuck in my throat. Husband is going to ask mother in law to ask her boyfriend to refer me to a gastro here in this town. He is a doctor, not very familiar with c diff but perhaps he can tell him i've been having problems and they will see me. I do not have a personal doctor.
When i had c diff i went into a walk in clinic. I've been getting headaches lately, which i rarely get a headache and when i do it's because something it's up.
Feeling like i'm falling apart. Have not eaten all day but the kefir and sliced banana and strawberries this morning. Cooking rice and chicken, plain.
Feels like my stomach is in motion like a dryer. Everything tumbling enside. Will update later.

[Marcia]

Just letting you know that i been doing ok. Still being careful of what i eat. I talked to a nutritionist today (remember the lady with voice lessons) she told me "you didn't know i'm a nutritionist too." So she was talking to me about taking enzymes to help break food down. About barley, about brown rice, lentils, psillium (for regular digestive). I told her i would research more about these items before i decide to have any. She asked me if i wanted to try her seaweed. I said no thanks but i was being careful of what i ate. Before c diff i was not scared to try anything but i think she had good intentions. Well i should be making an appt with a GI here sometime this week or the next.
Taking it easy, just being cautious. 7 months post c diff, i have dentist appt in a week, i hate those. Keep you updated.

[Marcia]

Just letting you all know that I keep doing ok. 9-10 months post C Diff. I have a full time job now, it has taken away a lot of my 24/7 c diff thoughts. Right now i've been a little bloated but it's because over the weekend i was a little daring with what i ate and i'm going to get my period here anytime soon. I've been communicating with my sister in Mexico (about once a week) She goes to an internet caffe when she can but not having a car and having a little one (3yr old) is a little difficult to get around and for the communication to be more often. But when she writes i am so happy to hear from her.
I just post here again so you know that once you get rid of C Diff (even for a while) you will work again, eat out again (carefully) go to the movies, park, mall. It will happen again, just have patience and have faith. Take care!