I’m Aspen Bingham, an average 17 year old from Colorado. On November 17th, 2023, my whole life changed. This was the first day I tested positive for C. diff, and little did I know it would happen 5 more times over the next year. I had not been feeling well for months and finally got the courage to go to urgent care after being on a wait list with GI for months. Prior to this, I had been relatively healthy, no recent hospital stays, or even recent antibiotics. When I read my test results, I had no idea what C. diff even was, I had never heard of it. They put me on vancomycin, which has seemed to not be helping.

Fast forward a few days and multiple hospital visits for IV fluids, I was admitted to Children’s hospital. I was there for 14 days of misery. As it turned out, I was allergic to the vancomycin they originally put me on. They then switched me to Dificid, which we quickly learned I was deathly allergic to as I had an anaphylactic reaction. I ran out of hope, I started saying goodbyes to my family as I genuinely thought I was dying. Once I got out of the hospital, I got a little better, though it took a long time. Fast forward a month, I tested positive again, and again, and again. I have had 3 FMTs, and an estimated 75 appointments throughout the year.

Not only has C. diff made me sick, it has left me with multiple issues such as IBS and many other illnesses. It also has taken away my social life, I practically missed my entire junior and senior year of high school due to being so sick, in and out of the hospital. I wish I could say I’m doing well now, but it’s a year later, and I’m still battling recurrent C. diff. I wish more people knew about c diff, and how evil it is. I would not wish this on my worst enemy.