An update...

Warning lots of complaining/whining/bitching ahead... remember this is diary of my life and I want to document this month as it has been one I will try hard to forget ... but I shouldn't.  Feel free to skip this post. 

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Hello - I'm doing this update as I want to close out September and never have to talk about this again. So last week I told you of my 2 trips to the ER and one inpatient admission... well this week I added another  ER visit and another inpatient 2.5 day stay in the hospital where things got worse.

Let me summarize...

First trip to ER diagnosed with diverticulitis. Explained I was antibiotic resistant, was ignored and given low dose of antibiotic which kept it at bay for a couple of days and then let the infection come raging back.

Second trip to ER...  10 days later, yep infection has increased... white blood cell count now double what it should be and I have major bowel issues ... no more details are needed... you get the picture and it isn't pretty. So now I get 2.5 day of heavy duty antibiotics and I go home. 

Third trip to ER... again 10 days since I was there... infection/white blood cell count is now 3 times what it should be and they realize they have killed off all the good and some of the bad bacteria in my gut and now I have C-diff... I won't repeat the words I said (in my head)... C-diff is nasty... it is hard to get rid of... I was a prime candidate for it. Over 65, just did a recent round of antibiotics, and had been in a hospital.   Prior to this I've only had a passing knowledge of C-diff. It needs to be treated with a special antibiotic (very pricey)  and one should have NO other antibiotics.... but a hospitalist I saw in the ER when I was doped on on a very powerful painkiller (Dilaudid)  decided she wasn't sure it was C-diff ( I'd already had a swab for it at this point) and to "be on the safe side" continued to give me antibiotics for both diverticulitis and C-diff... totally wrong treatment... negated the effects of the C-diff meds while feeding the bad bacteria. It took another hospitalist to realize what was going on and stop the antibiotics for the diverticulitis and just give me the C-diff meds.

This second admission had me in a total dump of a hospital room. I took pics and I'm composing a complaint to the hospital. Baseboard heater next to my bed was duct taped together... and by the looks of it a 3 year old did it. There was a stain on the wall next to the bed... it was pinky red...maybe juice? maybe blood? ... I don't know... The visitor chair had a chunk missing out of the seat. The call button for my bed didn't work properly. The could hear me but I couldn't hear them. Didn't find this out till the morning I was getting ready to leave. There was painted chipped off the walls everywhere (the room use to be blue, not white). The floor had stains everywhere and the entry from the room to the bathroom was damaged... 2 chunks out of the riser that spans the gap and the difference of height of the floors... and every time I went to the bathroom ( which was more than I could count) the wheels of the IV cart would get caught and it would yank the IV in my arms... I am so bruised ... arms, hands, stomach...  This experience did make me realize that I'm not a good candidate for prison... I left on Wednesday as I had all my sanity could take.

Recovering at home. Thursday I did nothing but take pain killers and sit in my stitching chair but I could even pick up a needle. Friday some improvement. Put on real clothes, didn't take any painkillers and got out of the house for a little while. Saturday, better, actually have a bit of an appetite.  Realizing I am not going to bounce back from this quickly. I've spent more time in the hospital this month than the rest of my life combined. 

Working on trying to improve the good bacteria in my gut. Spoke with an infectious disease doc (oh did I mention C-diff is very infectious until you are on the antibiotic for 48 hours?)  I asked about eating things like Greek yogurt and  kefir and kombucha which he highly recommended. Taking extra vitamins and trying to rest because...  1 in 5 people relapse with C-diff in 2 to 6 weeks after the treatment... oh great... something else to add to my anxiety. 

I'm sure you've picked up that I am very angry about this situation. I feel that when I was admitted the first time someone should have been considering C-diff... instead I was visited by a pack of surgeons who seemed focused on whether or not they could re-section my bowel.  I think I should have been seen by an infectious disease specialist then, as I had all the classic markers of someone who could get it. 

Okay I need to improve my attitude... was suppose to have my hair colored and cut on Thursday... told my stylist who I've been going to for almost 10 years I couldn't make it... she's going on vacation for 2 weeks so I thought I'd have to wait till my next scheduled appointment which would make almost 9 weeks between... instead she's going to come in early on Monday to take care of me... and I do appreciate it. 

I hope that things in your life are going better... because if they aren't you have my deepest sympathy. 

I'm happy I'm showing improvement... now to make that a trend.

happy stitching-

carol fun