If our Christmas was like heaven then our New Years was like hell. Seriously. Here is a festive New Years Hat: Now here is my New Years Hat... That, my friends is a stool sample kit hat. Woohoo!! This is where I may as well warn you that **contents may be graphic, proceed at your own risk, want, desire, curiosity etc** Lets rewind the time to the beginning of December when Nursing started to suck (ha). Aleahs teeth, milk blisters etc = not fun. The day of the ward adult Christmas dinner I had spent all day decorating and helping Pres cook, whilst I hurt. The next day I started feeling nasty (this was the day of the North Pole express). On the way home I felt aweful and had 2 plugged milk ducts. I awoke the next morning to mastitis. After 4 hours of waiting for the nurse to call back and then the DR, I was chewed out by the DR for missing her phone call after waiting for 4 hours...she perscribed me antibiotics. Next day I was worse, body shakes, fever and now both breasts infected and went on a different antibiotic. Now, this is the point where I could go back in time and jump through the air in slow motion yelling "Noooooooooo!" in a freakishly low slow voice knocking the new antibiotic out of my hand. Clindamycin is now my mortal enemy. Did it clear up my raging case of mastitis? Yes. Was it worth it? No. I am seriously angry that no one warned me of just how aweful this drug is. Luckily I read the 2 page warning and was aware of what I should look out for. I had minor stomach issues but managed the treatment well. I went off the meds on wed before Christmas and Thurs broke out in a rash on my chest, breasts and neck and slightly on my face. Luckily this cleared up so Christmas was bearable. Fast forward one week. Wednesday I felt crappy... we had dinner at a friends house so I took some IBuprofrin and headed over. By the end of dinner and movie I was shaking and achy. By the time we got home I was shaking uncontrollably again and as I tried to carry my water upstairs my shaky hands was spilling water everywhere. I laughed and then cried. This is when the dreaded diarrhea started. I spent the night curled in a ball shivering and sh.... ing. Fun. In my medical history, it seems the worst is suspected, but in the end I am sent home packing told to take some pills and call them if I have any questions. So when Pres kept pushing me to go in I was annoyed, but gave in. I was upfront about my taking Clindamycin and they immediately sent me home with the above kit. I was told not to take anything to stop my symptoms because if it was C. Difficile it could make it worse and to pretty much stick with chicken broth and bananas. Nothing like catching your crap and then scooping it in tubes with little spoons (don't say I didn't warn you...). This time is different from the typical montezuma's revenge cases, thats what had me worried. They say that nurses can often diagnose someone with C Diff by the look and smell because it is so different. To my great happiness I tested positive and am now on another antibiotic (ironic enough) for the next 2 weeks. I was told to eat as normal a diet as possible but that was about it. No warning of how this may be a reoccuring thing in my life, that some people never get cured, that this is the most serious case of bacterial infection in your large intestine, that in some cases is fatal to you or your intestines, that the spores can only be killed by cleaner with bleach, and how certain foods can hurt or help you. ugh. So this is where I am at. I am feeling better in terms of the flu symptoms have passed and I can eat a little bit. Its more like every hour or 2 instead of every 20 minutes, so thats "good". The meds take 3-4 days to kick in and ave healing time is 10-14 days. With that being said I would like to list the good things about this experience: I have lost 4 pounds in 2 days, I will not be able to consume sugar/ soda for a long time, I will eat more healthy foods. I went in w/ in 24 hours while the ave person gets hospitalized after a week of suffering. There are people who get this so bad that they loose their large intestine and galbladder or die!! I've found some support groups that freak me out, but other who have successfully battle this thing and have 'won'. My diet will change dramatically and will have to keep it for a while. No dairy, no sugar and no happiness!! Although almond chocolate silk is ok. Greek yogurt is my new friend and together we will battle these little buggars residing in the long dark places. I may or may not say "take that you little @$%^@*&^$%&*!!!" when I take my meds. It makes me feel a little better inside. Its not that contageous and to take precausions I have my own bathroom right now. So don't think my house is a sespool of evil bacteria, that's just my butt. ;) So our New Years wasn't the fun snack/ game fest I imagined so I thought it went horrible, but at the end of the night, Joseph (Thurston passed out at 11:30) was snuggled on the couch with us and said it was the best night ever. Pres said he almost teared up because we were so stressed about what we didn't do, we failed to focus on what we did do : watch Despicable Me, the boys got to stay up late and build Bionicles. To them, that was awesome. :) To here's to the new year! And if you are curious, and so you know I'm not over reacting, I dare you to google C. Difficile. And please read the info on all meds before you take them!