After four rounds of antibiotics in an eight-week period, I was diagnosed with C. diff on June 9th, 2015. I am positive that I had it and went undiagnosed for at least three to four weeks. When I got the diagnosis, my doctor started me on ten days of Flagyl. After three days, the diarrhea started again, and then I was given Flagyl again (except for two weeks this time). Thirteen days after finishing the Flagyl, the diarrhea started again. During this time, I was doing my research and trying to find a doctor near me that did fecal microbiota transplants (FMT)s. The nearest one was two hours away, but I didn’t care. I was not going to mess around with this continuous cycle of taking antibiotics.

The gastrointestinal specialist that I found was in Rochester, New York. During the first visit with him he gave me three options: a six-week course of vancomycin, an FMT, or to join a clinical study of stool enemas. I chose to join the clinical study–a series of two enemas, one enema at a time and one week apart. I was very afraid that it wouldn’t work because it was a blind study (which meant that I could get a fake enema or even two fake enemas). But I could also get one or two real enemas. I was just so tired at this point. Being a mother of five children, trying to take care of them and my husband was very difficult, and I was tired of all of the precautions I had to take for three-and-a-half months. I just wanted to be normal again!

I almost opted out of the study with fear that it wouldn’t work or that I would get the two fake enemas. But my husband told me that he thought I should give it a shot. So I did (reluctantly). I am so glad that I did. On September 9th, 2015 I had my first enema. I am pretty certain my first enema was real poop. And positive the second one was not. After about four weeks, my stools started to become more normal. Month by month I felt better and my stools became normal.

It’s been a long healing process. I feel back to normal now. The anxiety is still there about the possibility of having to take another antibiotic someday. I have learned many things about natural healers. I will do everything I can to make sure that my family or I will never take an antibiotic unless totally necessary. I am no longer working as a nurse, as the fear of being exposed to bacteria and other superbugs terrifies me. I don’t like to think that I am allowing fear to take over; I feel that I have to take these precautions in order to prevent taking an antibiotic ever again.