I knew as soon as I had it, I knew the smell. I’m an RN, I knew better to take antibiotics and not take Florastor with them. I knew not to take so many antibiotics in a short period of time. My son was 6 months old and I didn’t get any sleep. My house was under construction with a horrible contractor that was eventually fired. Perfect storm. I was on amoxicillin that March for a sinus infection. I took amoxicillin again in May for 7 days, then the ENT gave me Augmentin for 10 days. When I finished the doses, I was at work with a crazy assignment. I had abdominal pain-thought it was my period coming back since I was breastfeeding at the time.

That night I had severe diarrhea and I knew the smell. I started kefir and Florastor and started to feel better. I went for my follow up with my ENT this time. She is an NP and we talked. I was scared and knew what it was; I had sent a culture in 2 days after the diarrhea but the culture was still pending. That Saturday I found out it was positive. I seemed to be doing fine, my bowel movements were back to normal. After I had gone that Saturday to a family bbq and ate that food. I had intense cramping and diarrhea again. That was when I spoke to the doctor at City Md and they prescribed me Flagyl which is not the best treatment. I argued with the doctor on the phone, pulling my nurse card and ultimately I folded. I called my coworker and friend telling her and she was furious-no way Flagyl! I took the Flagyl for 2 days strapped on 2 sports bras and threw my breast pumps out. I had to feel better and get better.

I felt like I was dying. I couldn’t eat, I visited the bathroom making tallies that were around 20. That Monday, I called the GI doctor and sent him my results. I stopped the Flagyl and started vancomycin for 10 days. I felt better, not great but better. After finishing I was good until a week later it came back. I had the nausea the night before. The GI doctor prescribed vancomycin again, but this time I did a taper. It worked.

Eventually it became a distant nightmare. I lost a total of 45 pounds in 1 month. I educate my patients about the use of antibiotics and taking a probiotic with antibiotics. I emphasize kefir. I am very conservative of antibiotic use. If my boys have to take them, I cringe, but I give them 2 Florastor with each dose then a Culturelle and kefir 2 hours later. I have had stomach bugs since, and when I happens I take the kefir and up the probiotics and pray. I respect c diff so much more than before. I feel so bad for my patients and I make sure the isolation precautions are adhered to. I have take an antibiotic once after and was fine thankfully. I was a nurse in the Covid ICU and have been though a lot since then. Yes I will always worry about getting it but I will never see it the same way I did than before I got it. Now, it’s been 7 years and of course I have to take antibiotics. I’m so scared but I have pneumonia so I have no choice. I am taking my Florastor, kefir, Culturelle, and another broad spectrum probiotic. I hope and I pray that I’m ok and that the education continues and antibiotic abuses stop.