The first time I had C-diff I had spent two months in the hospital waiting to give birth to my daughter during which I had triplets to which I lost two. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl via cesarean section.  A week later, I was still in the hospital as I had her at 34 weeks and she was in the NICU. I  was doing fine until the day I went home.  I barely made it to the bathroom after the drive.  Feeling sick with stomach cramps and sick to my stomach I thought I had a stomach flu.  Long story short, it was C. diff, along with serum sickness from the Keflex they gave me intravenously after she was born. It took me a long time to get better.  Living on vancomycin was my new norm.  Finally, I did get better. But it set me up for being a person to whom was susceptible to this horrible infection.

Fast track to my fifties and caring for my mother for about five years.  I was getting sick often after I’d spend time with her. Turns out she was a carrier. I would get C. diff and thought it was the flu.  I would get worse. I’d take the home tests that would show negatives but I knew the symptoms. The docs would put me on Flagyl or Vanco and I’d  get better. I believe I had C. diff about ten times during the caring of my dear mother.  It was towards the fourth year living in Florida, caring for her, that I got sick again only this time it was the worst I had ever felt.  I went to the ER where they diagnosed and admitted me.  I was extremely ill.  This time the docs said I had to have a fecal transplant.  They waited until I was better but it cured me.

I was so happy they had a cure, at least for awhile.  Three years of no C. diff.  I was so happy, until recently. I had a root canal done and they put me on Clindamycin which I have been on a few times before.  This time, it only took a few days and I started having symptoms.  It’s been about a month now and I still am sick with what I believe is C. diff, it’s way too familiar.

The GI doc gave me the home test to send out FedEx.  I knew my experience with these tests most often showed negative for C. diff.  Sure enough it came back perfect, while I am living every day with cramping and running to the bathroom every time I eat.  I know this is not typical IBS, not when it goes on all night. I’ve lost 12 pounds in three weeks.  The GI doc was very nonchalant about it. Well to my dismay, the testing did not work for me.  I worry that I could get sicker.

My story is much longer with the episodes of C. diff that I have had.  I know this can be a very dangerous situation and that is why I am being my own advocate.  I just had an appt with my doctor and he put me on vanco.  I hope it works.  I have read some of the stories and I truly am sympathetic with each person who has to deal with this horrible infection.  It is quite dangerous and I do feel that if the test is negative and the patient feels strongly about having C. diff, they need to speak up and get help.  I am doing just that.