C-Difficile is something I had barely even heard of a couple of weeks ago, but having just been deathly ill with it starting about 11 days ago, and in the hospital for six days (after I finally realized that I wasn’t getting better and called an ambulance) until I was released two nights ago, I can tell you that it’s not an experience I recommend! I haven’t been sicker, or in more pain, too many times in my life. The fact that I spent the first 36 hours or so in the hospital in a rather nightmarish emergency room, and then in a bed in a corridor in a separate location, until I finally got a room upstairs – and wasn’t able to sleep for any of that time – didn’t help. At first I thought it was food poisoning, and then that it was a Crohn’s Disease flareup, but eventually they correctly diagnosed me, and I was kept in isolation thereafter. (The advantage of which is that I was given a single room and finally got some sleep! It was like a paradise compared to the hell below.)
Even now that I’m home, I have to keep taking vancomycin four times a day for the next 8 days.
Now I know more about C-Difficile than I ever could possibly have wanted to know. Including, unfortunately, the fact that having Crohn’s makes one especially susceptible to C-Diff infections, and that if someone with Crohn’s gets C-Diff once, there’s a 20% chance of recurrence within the first few months.
This is not something I wanted or expected to happen after only 2 1/2 months at my new job, especially given that I hadn’t actually been ill enough to go to the hospital since 2010. But these things do happen, and everyone at work is being understanding so far.
I really hope to go back to work on Wednesday, but I have rarely been more exhausted and debilitated. I’ve lost more than 10 pounds in the last 10 days, and I can hardly walk from my bedroom to my kitchen without feeling like I need to lie down. If I do go back to work that soon, I’ll probably have to start out taking taxis. An hour-long commute each way on three different subway lines, especially when there isn’t always a seat, might be a bit much right now.
That sounds horrible. I’m sorry you are going through all this. I know you want to get back to your new job, but try not to rush it. It’s going to take some time to get your stamina back. Any chance of working from home?
I had C Diff about 5 years ago. 3 days in the hospital but I wasn’t as sick as you since I don’t have Crohn’s. I took vancomycin orally in the hospital, horrible taste. They gave me vancomycin pills for home and I developed an awful itch all over my body! They had to switch me to metronidazole.
I’m sure you’re already taking this into account but make sure you get the all-clear from doctors before returning to work. C-diff is super contagious.
Oh my God, that sounds incredibly awful. I have never even heard of this illness. It sounds like you are lucky to be alive.
I would wait to go back to work, or maybe work from home for awhile. You don’t want to spread this disease to others, and you need to recover. Take care of yourself first, don’t take a chance…rest and recovery is your #1 priority!! The job is way less important than your health.
Please take it easy. I had CDiff over a few months because I kept relapsing (on Flagyl) until I was finally given vanco and started a heavy duty probiotic regimen. I never thought I would get better and my feelings of hopelessness were overwhelming.
I will be honest with you. I really took about a year until I felt normal again, but that was because I was not diagnosed quickly or given the best treatment and the whole episode triggered a dysautonomia flare. Since you got diagnosed and treated quickly with vanco you have a much better prognosis but CDiff just takes a lot out of you. So just take it easy for as long as you are able and I think you will heal more quickly. Please don’t work outside the home if you don’t have to.
A low fiber/low residue diet helped while my traumatized bowels were healing.
Talk to your doctor about probiotics and preventing relapses with probiotics if you ever need to take antibiotics in the future.
I’m sorry you are going through this. My friend with UC had a horrible time because her doctors confused the CDiff with a flare and she was given high doses of immunosuppressants for quite a while before the CDiff was identified. So I’m thankful you are getting good treatment.
Ugh. So sorry. My DS#1 had C-Diff right before he left for college. It was no fun. He was in the hospital for 3-4 days. They first thought it was E-Coli. It can be very dangerous.Vancomycin can cause dizziness. Be careful.
Wow, Donna, I am so sad to hear (read) about your latest health crisis. It’s stinking unfair that someone as wonderful as you should be challenged so viciously and repeatedly. You are in my prayers (can’t hurt, right?) Please, please listen to the voices urging you to prioritize your health. Stay home and do what’s necessary to fully heal before attempting to go back to work. I just read the Mayo Clinic link ucbalumnus posted that explains C-difficile, and to be honest, it scared the &#@% out of me!
It took a year for me too -and I was young -this was 25 years ago. Just hearing about it makes me want to go eat some yogurt!
So sorry this happened to you.
I would hope your workplace wants you cleared before you return to work for the safety of your coworkers. I always ask TSA agents to change gloves before touching me.
“In a new paper published in JAMA, researchers led by Dr. Dina Kao, a gastroenterologist at the University of Alberta in Canada, and her colleagues report that fecal matter manufactured into a capsule was no worse than fecal matter transplanted by colonoscopy. Both procedures successfully reduced risk of repeated C. difficile infections by more than 90%. C. difficile (C. diff) infections can be caused by bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics.”
A friend of ours was hospitalized with C. diff. When it looked like he might need a fecal transplant he was moved to a different floor of the hospital in preparation for that eventuality. My husband said, “He’s been moved to the poop deck.” ( The friend did not have the fecal transplant after all.)
Ever since his experience I have been much more wary of taking antibiotics.