Dennis
While attending Fr. John McNeill’s Memorial Service today, I saw many people I have not seen in years. It was wonderful for so many to gather and celebrate John’s life.
A few who were at the event are aware that I have been suffering greatly with chronic C. diff, and encouraged me to reach out to the Peggy Lillis Foundation and share my story. I was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis (UC) when I was 18. I have had numerous surgeries and have a J-Pouch. The inflammation spread to the pouch, and since 2011 I have been suffering with frequent bouts of C. diff. I am usually hospitalized for a few weeks to get it under control.
This past September, I came down with a serous case of C. diff and was very, very ill. To make matters worse, I was in the Doughnut Hole/Coverage Gap and could not afford the cost of the Vancomycin (which was going to be over $1,000.00 dollars for the fourteen-day supply). My doctors at NY Presbyterian tried an alternative medication that was cheaper and covered by my insurance, but my condition worsened while on this alternative medication. My only other option was to be hospitalized for almost two weeks in order to receive the Vancomycin as an inpatient so that my insurance would cover the cost. Despite the hospitalization, the insurance still refused to cover the cost of the Vancomycin treatment upon discharge, and I was forced to pay $893.00 out of pocket for the continued dose that the doctors wanted me on after being discharged.
This has been an ongoing battle. Besides suffering from Pouchitis, I am frequently getting recurring C. diff. This usually happens whenever my doctors change my medications. I have not responded to many of the traditional therapies and medications on the market for UC/Crohn’s. As a result, I have a very active disease and find myself fighting C. diff frequently.
I was happy to hear that there is a foundation to help raise awareness of this devastating and serious issue. I was moved to tears reading the story of Christian and Liam’s mother, Peggy. I don’t think people are truly aware (my own family and friends included) how very serious C. diff really is. I have had some very close calls. It is only because I was trained by my doctors to be aware of the symptoms that I’ve not become another statistic.
Other Stories
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Mira
In December of 2019, my husband got sick with C. diff. It was after he was prescribed antibiotics for what they thought was a case of diverticulitis. In hindsight, it’s clear he may have simply had C. diff all along. He was treated with vancomycin… -
Beth W.
My story began in 2018 when I went to see a colorectal surgeon for the incision of a thrombosed hemorrhoid. In order to ‘prevent’ an infection, the surgeon prescribed me both Amoxicillin 800mg 2x daily and Vancomycin 500mg 3x daily. Upon completio… -
Mollie Lauck
My Husband and I were expecting our first child. We were so very excited. My Pregnancy was complicated to begin with- I was considered “Advanced Maternal Age” and had Hypertension and Gestational Diabetes. Though it was a labor of love, Pregnancy … -
Ken Fredrickson
I’m 62 and generally healthy, I’ve never had an intestinal issue. I went to the ER on Jan 2, 2023 and a CT scan revealed Diverticulitis. They sent me home with a 2 week course of antibiotics. Four days after completing the antibiotics, I developed… -
Jan
I am a healthy active older woman. On March 1, 2019 I had an explosive episode of diarrhea, out of the blue, no idea what caused it. The smell was indescribable, like nothing I had ever experienced in my long life. That was the beginning of a long… -
Dr. Melissa Geraghty, Psy.D.
At the start of 2018 I was diagnosed with C. diff. I never really heard much about C. diff outside of people acquiring it in a hospital setting or people of advanced age contracting it. Oh, was I wrong. After being sick for about 8 weeks with w… -
Cassie Padilla
As a nurse for 35 years I thought I knew a lot about C. diff but as a patient I’ve discovered I knew NOTHING about C. diff. I have had 2 episodes of C. diff in my life. The first was in 2017 following (prophylactic) antibiotics after surgery. That… -
Julia
I’ve been suffering from this infection for the past few years. When I was first diagnosed, I was shocked and thought this was something that only the elderly suffered from. It’s been 3 years since my first infection, and I still suffer daily. I’v… -
Sue
I had emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix and was given SO MANY antibiotics in the hospital. I was also given Protonix for the acid reflux that resulted from all the antibiotics. Looking at the list of risk factors for C. diff, I fit every o… -
Howard
While many of us who battle C diff have quick success with the usual antibiotics, the purpose of my entry here is to emphasize the high rate of success of the Fecal Microbiota Transplant. My C diff experience was such that A) a lengthy course of V…
