Introduction:
My name is Tiffany. I am a 25-year-old middle-school math teacher. I am Mormon (LDS), and recently married (December 2011). I like reading, hiking/camping, and spending time with my family.
Colitis Symptoms:
Bloody bowel movements (during flare, at least 20 times a day), body cramps, headaches, stomach noises, stomach cramping.
The UC Combo Meal: Colitis, C. Diff and Salmonella
Hi guys, I was so glad to find this website, and especially this post! I have a similar story, and it’s so nice to feel like I’m not alone. I would appreciate any advice, feedback, thoughts, anything!
Three years ago (December 2009) I was in my senior year of college and home for Christmas. The day I was supposed to fly back to school I passed out. The doctor ran some blood tests. My white blood count was at 24, and they had no idea why. No fever, all blood tests were negative (mono, leukemia, you name it!). They pumped me full of a ton of antibiotics, and sent me back to college. Within a month I got put on more antibiotics for walking pneumonia. All of these antibiotics helped gave me c. diff., which was rough for a month.
I graduated, moved to a new city, and got my first job as a teacher (7th grade math). The c. diff. had been clear for a few months, but then I started having bloody stools.
Being the “mind over matter, suck it up” person that I am,
I spent a month just ignoring it.
l got up to over 20 bloody bowel movements a day that I broke down and saw a doctor. They assumed it was c. diff. again, so gave me more antibiotics – it took two months of negative c. diff tests, lots of bleeding, some ER trips, and finally a colonoscopy to diagnose me with moderate/severe UC (November 2010). I was given prednisone, along with imuran and mesalamine.
I spent several months on prednisone. In the middle of it, I was hospitalized with salmonella (May 2011, so 6 months of UC and prednisone). I finally weaned off the prednisone in June 2011, but have stayed on the mesalamine and imuran. About once a month my stools get loose, so my doctor has prescribed me a mesalamine enema to use and that usually clears it up within a few days.
I got married a in December 2011. A month later I started bleeding again, but it took me back up to 20 bloody BMs a day I went to the ER and was hospitalized for a few days. The c. diff was positive, so my husband had to wear a gown, gloves, and mask to visit me (great way to start a marriage, huh?). They let me go home, but that lasted two days, and I had to go back to the ER and was hospitalized for a few more days, this time for the colitis. They said it was rare the c. diff. would affect colitis, but apparently for me it did.
I’ve been home for only two weeks. I tried going back to work one day and was completely wiped out.
Plus I’ve had the worst headaches and vertigo ever!
Does this happen to anyone?
I’m getting the normal leg/arm cramping, insomnia, mood swings, and food cravings. I saw my PCP and he said the headaches/vertigo are actually migraines and has scheduled an MRI just in case, but has given me migraine medication. Does anyone else have these effects? I feel like I’m going crazy. I want to get up, teach, do things, but I can’t and I’m now worried that I’ll pass out in front of my kids or something. How long is a normal recovery time? Before all of this, I’d never been sick a day in my life! (Seriously, I even got an award in high school for perfect attendance all four years.) I don’t want to push myself too hard like I usually do, but I’m terrified I’ll swing in the other direction and become lazy.
Any thoughts, advice?
Colitis Medications:
Imuran and mesalamine to control most of the time, mesalamine enema to control beginning of a flare, prednisone if flare gets out of control.
written by Tiffany
submitted in the Colitis Venting Area
My name is Tiffany. I am a 25-year-old middle-school math teacher. I am Mormon (LDS), and recently married (December 2011). I like reading, hiking/camping, and spending time with my family.
