After being diagnosed with C. Here, she shares her story with mindbodygreen.
To learn more, check out her guide towhat to eatand what to avoidafter C. diff.
I went into this year, my 30th year, with the most hopeful, positive outlook possible.
I spent over half a month inIndia.
I was active, healthy, and happy.
But one round of antibiotics later, and my life would be changed forever.
Growing up, I truly abused antibiotics.
As a kid, I took at least one round a year.
And I spent most of college in the health center requesting monthly antibiotics for my recurring sinus infections.
I never really knew the damage that was taking place each time I took them.
Two weeks later, I found myself more sorry than I could have imagined.
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Many of us haveC.
diff.in our gut, and it usually doesn’t cause any problems.
But antibiotics especiallyclindamycin can do serious damage to our good flora, leading the bad to flourish.
Well, it turns out I hadC.
diff.living in my gut and the antibiotic ramped it up.
Few people have heard ofC.
diff., but half a million Americans will be diagnosed this year.
After my diagnosis, I was placed onVancomycin, and slowly my diarrhea started to resolve.
But that wasnt the end of my health issues.
Diff.Is Really Like
I was given zero explanation by my doctors about what I should expect going forward.
Because my diarrhea had mostly stopped, the doctors were simply no longer concerned.
On top of it all, I lived with constant flu-like symptoms.
When I asked for help with my ongoing issues, I was offered antidepressants and more antibiotics.
I wasn’t depressed and I certainly didn’t need to riskC.
I visited every key in of health specialist I could, seeking advice.
Through this process, I realized how little we truly know about our gut.
How I’m Using Food to Help Heal My Gut
I started with my diet.
I introduced a low-gas, all soft food diet.
In short, I put myself on a mostlycandida-friendly diet but with even more restrictions.
So I started eating eggs for the first time in 10 years.
They were one of the few protein sources my stomach could handle.
I later moved from soft pureed foods to seeing what cooked vegetables my stomach could handle.
into my diet with little problem.
I also added a whole slew of probiotic and prebiotic foods.
Here’s what ausual dayof meals looks like: I start each morning withsteel-cut oatmeal.
For lunch I have a big bowl ofmiso soup with buckwheat noodles and veggies.
And for dinner, I eat some spiced variation of vegetables, protein, and fat.
B-12 was a regular for me.
With the probiotic, it was like the air had cleared, and my brain fog heavily improved.
Where I Am Today
It’s now been six months since I was first diagnosed.
It’s been a slow process healing my gut, and I still struggle to feel well most days.
But I am getting better.
My grocery bill has tripled due to how much I consume these days.
But on the upside, I know I’m feeding my body all the best things.
My goal now is not just recovery but to feel better than I ever did before.
I believe I can get there one day.
Going forward, I plan to be extremely cautious about any antibiotic use.
Sure, I wish I had never taken that broad-spectrum antibiotic for something so trivial.
But regret will get me nowhere.
