When did you contract C. difficile October 2015
Where did you contract a C. difficile infection?
Hospital/acute-care setting
How long did you have C. difficile? 5 months prior to diagnosis, 1 month after...2nd time approx 3 weeks
Please describe your story Infected abdominal cyst rupture led to heavy antibiotic treatment and surgery...no one mentioned probiotics. 2 months after surgery I was still having abdominal pain and occasional diarrhea. Having had IBS my whole life, nothing new. "Could be scar tissue," said the surgeon. 2 months after that, no change, surgeon has no ideas except to suggest a gastro doc. Gastro doc diagnosis Cdiff immediately and sends me for more testing to confirm. Had e. coli too. FUN! Heavy antibiotics, florastor, diet changes brought me into first remission, followed quickly by Cdiff reinfection. Heavy antibiotics, florastor, diet changes again have prevented additional reinfections. Long term effects from delayed diagnosis are lingering colitis, new food sensitivities and significant IBS. Seeing a naturopath with a whole system approach treating colitis and other gut issues as symptoms vs the disease has been transformative. Is there anything you wish people knew about C. difficile infections? They can be mild! Not every infection is the shit your brains out constantly kind. Mine mimicked medium IBS symptoms and I didn't know to be concerned. In your experience, what could have made the biggest difference in your experience of C. difficile? My surgeon being aware of Cdiff, knowing the risks of antibiotics prior to abdominal surgery, and getting me on a probiotic. Knowledge is the best cure. Thank you Zachary for sharing your story about your experience with C. difficile! We hope that by sharing your experience, someone else can find the information they need and know that they are not alone!