Denise's Case History

[Guest]

As I read many of the case histories I wonder if mine has been correctly diagnosed. January 2, 2004 I started with severe diarrhea and figured it must have been something I ate that didn't agree with my system. I was having up to 30 stools a day and finally went to the E.R. on January 4. They told me I was mildly dehydrated and that I had a virus. After many tests and IV hydration I was sent home and told to follow with my primary care the next day. When I went to see her not only did I feel worse but the diarrhea hadn't slowed down. They sent me for stool cultures and more blood work the next day. When the doctor called that evening she said everything looked good and it was just a virus. I called January 7 and said I wasn't improving so they gave me another appointment for the next day. Late that evening I had spent 2 hours doubled over in pain and called the doctor and told her to put me in the hospital there was something seriously wrong with me. After visiting the E.R. I was admitted January 8 for what they thought was a virus. The GI specialist came in that night and said I had an infection and they were going to give me medication. Also, who would I want for a surgeon in case I needed surgery. The next day, one week after the diarrhea started, I was having emergency surgery and had 18 inches of my large intestine removed. They still weren't sure what caused my intestines to swell but it resembled pseudomembraneous colitis. I was discharged the following week, only to be readmitted a day later for an abscess at my anastomosis sight. I went home for a few days again only to be readmitted for an ileus. This time I spent another eight days in the hospital. Over the next few months I was having abdominal pain off and on. In May of 2004 I was readmitted for severe abdominal pain. The surgeon decided to remove my gall bladder and was hoping they could do it laparscopically. When I awoke I found out they did do a lap chole, but also I developed an abdominal hernia and had to have a small bowel resection as my small intestine had gotten caught in the hernia and strangulated. 15 days later nothing moving through my system they had to open me up and do a lysis of the adhesion. What a nightmare. After spending 39 days in the hospital I was told my problems were over and this was a rare isolated incident. Wrong. In July I developed another ileus and was admitted for another 7 days. I have continued to have problems off and on all year and they said it was definitely c diff that caused this all. I had not been on antibiotic therapy for 4 months so they were unable to correctly diagnose my in the beginning. I am not sure what to think now and my last episode of severe abdominal pain was 6 weeks ago. So far 2005 has been good to me.