Fighting C Diff

Yesterday Mark found an interesting article on fighting C Diff with foods. I know about pro-biotics and Activia yogurt, but this article added a lot of new information. I have now made a shopping list of foods to buy to try to help with this horrible condition. Here's my list:
oatmeal
sauerkraut (I HATE this, so I might have to buy hot dogs and buns, too.)
sourdough bread
lots more Activia yogurts (3 a day are needed)
Kefir yogurt drink
blueberries or other berries
leafy green veggies
whole grains
decaf soda and coffee (no caffeine for C Diff)

Mark made decaf coffee yesterday, and then he dozed on and off all day. He's not used to that! I haven't been drinking too much caffeine, but I did have teas and Coke Zero, so I'm going to cut all of that out and go totally decaf. We both started it yesterday. I think I can easily eat all of these foods except the sauerkraut. If I can get down any sauerkraut at all, it will be a miracle. The article is really just one woman's story of fighting C Diff and how she conquered it with mostly fermented foods like the sourdough bread and yogurts and "pre-biotic" foods like the whole grains and berries that help the pro-biotics work better. There really is not much explanation as to why these worked, but it worked for her, so I'm ready to give it a try.

There is also an over-the-counter pill called Florastor, which has been recommended by my pharmacist friend Barbara and mentioned in articles on fighting C Diff. I plan to look for those today as well.

I started the Flagyl again as soon as we picked it up on Friday, and it seemed to kick in much faster than ever. Thursday I had 7 trips to the bathroom, then Friday there were 10 trips, including really horrible cramps and pain and a generally "sick" feeling all day. I started the pills Friday at 11:30 a.m., and there were only 4 trips into the bathroom all day Saturday. I was actually surprised by the speed of it. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe this third round of Flagyl, supplemented by these foods, might just do the trick.

For anyone interested in reading this article, the URL is www.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080916202216AAJoEte

I had planned nothing for Friday and Saturday, expecting a lot of bone, muscle, and joint pain like last time. Well, that didn't really happen. I had really no pain on Friday (except from the C Diff), and yesterday there was very minimal achiness. I got "twinges" periodically, but nothing intolerable. It was much better than after the first Taxol cycle. This morning I don't even feel the slightest twinge. That's amazing.

Starting today I begin a stretch of NINE days in a row where I am going out and having fun! Today Mark and I are meeting two friends, Robin and Steve, for dinner at David Chu's, the kosher Chinese restaurant. We haven't seen them since June, so that should be a lot of fun. Ironically, they are flying back from a vacation in Florida today! When I spoke to her on the phone last night, she said it was cold down there. LOL

I hope nine days of fun go off as planned. I will be sure to blog about each and every one of them. Of that you can be sure. I wish all of you nine days of fun, too!