I have answers at last. Went to the ED today on the advice of the Nurse Practitioner I visited with on the phone this morning. My doctor’s clinic has a weekend call a nurse program and I used that to contact someone this morning and she recommended I go in for a C Diff screening.
The hospital took me right back to a room and bypassed triage as I told them I was there for a C Diff screening. After blood, urine and stool samples were collected we waited for about three hours for results. They gave me a bag of fluids while we were waiting which helped me feel much better.
The Doctor finally came in to tell me I had a double whammy going on. I have Salmonella and C Diff. He gave me an antibiotic for the C Diff and some meds to help slow the diarrhea and sent us on our way. He offered to keep me for a night or two if I wanted him to. I declined his kind offer of a stay in the big house. I have been able to keep enough fluids down to not get seriously dehydrated and promised to return if I don’t get better or if I get worse.
I wasn’t impressed with the doctor. He really didn’t want to listen to the beginning of my story with the Cipro back in July. When he came in to tell me what I had he acted surprised I had questions for him. He was in a rush and really didn’t want to deal with me. He figured out what was wrong though so I guess that is all I should expect from him.
The C Diff was probably caused by the Cipro I took way back the end of July for the UTI. When I had the yeast reaction to the Cipro I was given a different antibiotic that must have stirred up my gut and allowed the C Diff to run amok. Now they want me to take another antibiotic to fix the problem the other two antibiotics caused. Yikes! May this cycle end now! Third one is a charm – right?
Have no idea where I got Salmonella from. Perhaps the baby chickens although I have been very diligent about hand washing. I could have picked it up on my shoes and got it on my hands when I took my shoes off. I’ll have to double down on being careful so I don’t reinfect myself.
Just knowing what is wrong is a relief. I was beginning to think I was going to spend the rest of my life on the toilet doubled over with stomach cramps. Yes, I know I am playing the drama queen card but I was getting pretty discouraged.
I am to call my doctor tomorrow and get advice about when to start eating again. The ED Doctor recommended clear fluids for two to three days at least and maybe up to a week if the diarrhea doesn’t slow down. I am also to stay away from people for fourteen days as I guess C Diff is very contagious. I can’t cook for Jim or share a towel, a drink or dishes with him. We each have our own hand towels in both bathrooms now. We aren’t to have physical contact with each other during that time. Since I have had symptoms since last Wednesday I am thinking If he is going to get it I have already given it to him but we will follow the rules and work hard to prevent him from getting it. It is miserable and I don’t want to see him go through it.
Jim gets to unload the dishwasher and put the dishes away. I can load it. I think he will escape to Stillwater sometime later this week and stay there for a week so we can avoid contact with each other. He wants to wait to leave until he is sure I am fully on the mend.
We stopped at Walmart after I got out of the hospital and picked up my drugs and a few groceries. It was good to get home. Now I get to stay here for the next two weeks.
Kudos to my sister Kathy who called what I had last week. She knows her stuff! Sometimes I think we should let the nurses be the doctors. They just know stuff! The nurse today knew what I had too. Not sure if it had crossed my doctor’s mind last Friday or not – he didn’t mention it if so.
Thankfully my calendar is pretty empty for the next two weeks. I have a mammogram scheduled for Friday so will ask the Doctor tomorrow if I can do that or if I should reschedule it again. I cancelled the first appointment to get one when I was running a temperature.
Jim is just now getting his coffee for the day and looking at the news. He got up a bit early for him this morning to take me in to the hospital. He really does take good care of me. I’m grateful he has been at my side through all of this. Crossing my fingers I didn’t share the bug with him.
I really am feeling much better this afternoon. The extra fluids perked me up and I have more energy than I have had for over a week. I will not eat anything so hoping that will help quiet down the diarrhea. It has been much slower today without me eating. I just hope I can keep up with the fluids enough so I don’t have to go back to the big house.
Grateful for answers, grateful for solutions, and grateful for Jim!