Kate's Story

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Mon Jan 06, 2003 7:53 pm

I was eighteen, April 2002, when I got C-Diff. My best guess is that I got it from the antibiotic Augmentin, used for a sinus infection. Prior to C-Diff I was a very healthy child, who could eat whatever, but still had a tiny bit of an irritable bowel. When I first got sick, my doctor knew what it was immediately, and put me on Flagyl. I'm pretty sure it was 500mgs, three times a day. Being the control freak I am, once I found the diagnosis, I did tons of research and found this place as well. I must admit, I was really scared when I read about having it for four years, and all the trouble everyone here seemed to be having. In the meantime, I believe that the Flagyl tried to kill me. I felt like I was in a coma for the ten days I was on it. I was so nauseated I had to use nasty suppositories. That was great fun, but it helped a little. The taste in the mouth was a nightmare, but drinking the blue sports drink helped tremendously. (These days I can't even look at the stuff at the store without gagging) After I finished the meds, I did okay for a week. Then things started going downhill. I was sent home from school when the nurse decided that I'd probably relapsed. I drove myself straight to the GI and demanded to see him. He gave me an attitude, but I demanded stool samples. He agreed, and they came back positive again. Then I was put on a ton of Vanco. I want to say 250x4 for two weeks. I also started tons of Culturelle and Florastor. I had a "gut" feeling at the end of that time that I still had it, and was so scared to go off the Vanco. When I did, the diarrhea returned and I went back on for two weeks. I waited a while to get retested, and the results were negative. I didn't know to rejoyce because they were negative, cry because there still seemed to be something wrong with me, or just decide I had a false negative. In the end, I decided to just chill out. Three months of feeling terrible, but not as bad, continued. I was getting ready to go into college, which I dreaded. By that time, my anxiety and depression were so bad, I couldn't leave the house. I was constantly going to the bathroom, and I was into the "why me" stage. I was also terrified that maybe I'd gotten cancer, chron's or UC. So, I sucked it up, and sceduled myself a colonoscopy. Well, that was an adventure. I don't remember a thing of the procedure, but the prep was an absolute ball. I'm lying. The next day, I began college. The doc called and said the biopsies were normal, and I had a healthy looking colon. My new diagnosis was IBS, and continues to be until this day. I hope to god I will never get it again, but I work in a daycare, and am going to college to be a pre-school teacher, so there's a good chance I'll one day need antibiotics again. Although I live in constant paranoia, I'm nineteen and I beat it the first time. I try to remember that. It is beatable. I did it, and I really thought it would never end. I feel for everyone who deals with this, and I care about you all. Take probiotics if your doc complies. The good ones will. [Guest Posted by: 'kate']

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 11:01 pm

Hi guys it's me again. I just thought I'd let you all know how I've been. The IBS is getting much better, as is the anxiety and depression that went along with it. I can finally eat some dairy products, leave the house, and do many of the things I couldn't do before. I'm still terrified of antibiotics, as I think we all are, but I don't let the fear of illness control my life anymore. The thoughts are still there, I won't lie, but they don't consume my every moment. I'm only taking Paxil CR, and my only side effect is extreme sleepiness and laziness. Other than that, no problems. It has helped me so much. I think by next year if all goes well, I will try to come off of it and see if I can handle everything on my own. I owe so much to you guys. I want you to know that I understand and am hereb for anyone if they need advice or just to vent or talk. I know I haven't been around in a long time, which I feel badly about, but I'm just healing. Once again, thank you, and I'll continue to check in.

Kate's Story

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