Finally

I’ve been battling diarrhea for over TWO MONTHS. And it just kept getting worse instead of better. I went to a walk-in clinic and asked them to test me for c-diff. One of my BFF is a nurse practitioner. She said it’s the first thing she tests for when a person comes in with stomach problems. The clinic tested me for bacteria and parasites, then told me I had irritable bowel syndrome and gave me a diet to control it. I love to cook. We followed the diet. No fat, grease, fake sweeteners, fresh fruits or vegetables, and no fiber. No Change.

So, I went to our family doctor. I asked her to test me for c-diff. She told me if I had it, I’d be more miserable, in more pain, and sent me for a CT scan instead. The lining of my colon was swollen and unhappy. She sent me home with the same diet I got at the clinic and gave me antibiotics. Everything immediately got worse. I took them for five days, then stopped. By then, I was getting a little desperate. I couldn’t go anywhere, couldn’t leave the house. I didn’t even change out of my pajamas, because I was either in the bathroom or so tired, I was taking a nap.

Another BFF works in admittance at the hospital and told me enough was enough. If I went to the ER, they’d take me seriously and find out what was wrong. They were kind, sympathetic, but never called for a gastroenterologist or specialist of any kind. They gave me more potassium and magnesium and sent me home with the same diet the clinic and my doctor had given me. No Change.

I had to change doctors anyway because my old doctor wasn’t in our network, so I went to the new doctor. He didn’t think I had c-diff either but said he didn’t mind if I wanted a test for it. He listed a lot of labs. Five vials of blood. Four stool samples. And guess what? I have c-diff. IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE JUST LET ME TEST FOR IT IN THE BEGINNING, I’D BE ALL RIGHT BY NOW. And that really bums me out. I missed going to Indy for our big family get-together to see my grandson and his wife’s new baby boy. C-diff is contagious, and no one wanted to take a chance.

I’m done griping, BUT I’d like to spare anyone the misery of what I’ve dealt with for weeks. I asked my health providers for help, asked for a c-diff test, and got turned down over and over again. I trusted their answers. I was wrong. The next time, I’m going to be more aggressive, more demanding. At least, I’m going to try.