...

[mickeyfan2]

Wow, this thread blew up quick. Ok, let me see if I can clear up a few points.

For those of you just joining the saga.....there has never been an open wound. I am not contagious to anyone. I had a negative nasal and blood culture for MRSA. There is no danger to me being in water or at work. I would never get into water at Discovery Cove if I had anything that would harm the lives of the creatures there or the other guests. I have been cleared to live life as normally as the leg will let me....overall, that's pretty normally, but I get tired easily these days.
See 1 below

I have had a few more hours to mull over what was said yesterday at the appointment. I have talked with my personal doctor's office again today and asked their opinion....granted, I didn't trust them that much at the beginning of all of this, but I had to have a more objective party to vent too. Also, I talked to my old Ortho doctor today, and honestly, it's his opinion that has made me question what's going on more than anyone else's.
See 2 below

I certainly have concerns about waiting. I asked Gabby about waiting and she thinks that if Dr. D thinks that it's ok to wait, then we should just carry on, have me take the suppression drugs and go have the very much needed vacation that we have planned for over a year. While I admit that I am going to be heartbroken if we need to cancel the trip, I would do anything to keep the leg. We both need a mental health break from all of this reality. If I am unable to consume mass quantities of adult beverages, due to my health needs, then so be it. I have lived the majority of my life with only a couple of drinks in a years time or less. Living through vacation without adult beverages won't be the end of the fun.
See 3 below

I made the decision today to get a second opinion from another ID guy. While I love Dr. D, he is young and I know that shouldn't make that much of a difference, but you know a $40 copay buys a lot of peace of mind sometimes. My Ortho guy wasn't too pleased with the track that my treatment was taking....he says that if the screws were the source that I would be EXTREMELY unlucky because for it to be a problem now, would be a case that would occur in less than half of 1% of the population. My personal doctor's office isn't impressed much either. So, I have an appointment on Monday to see someone new, to run all of this by to see what the best course of action is in their opinion. I have the CT planned to take place on the 18th, so that I can let all of this stuff digest and decide what path is going to be the best one for my health.

I am taking the suppression antibiotics as Dr. D suggested yesterday. I guess it may not make sense to everyone here how I am choosing to live my life, but I am doing the best that I can. Maggie

1) Has it ever occurred to you that Discovery Cove may not allow you in any of their water when they see your leg? Have you ever been before? I have and they are EXTREMELY protective of their dolphins. I have been twice. It is a great experience, but not one I would even consider if I have leg problems.

2) What was said and what do you need to mull over? Did the Dr. tell you to cancel? If so, then just do it.

3) What Gabby will not cancel? If that was me and DH he would have personally canceled our trip. My being around to enjoy our golden years is more important than any vacation. I have been planning our 25th anniversary trip for near a year now. I would cancel in a heart beat if DH was as sick as you profess to be.

 

[fiffy]

Not for nothing, but i'd sure hate to see some unsuspecting child get sick because you care more about vacation that anythign else.
If you have had C-diff, you will probably be a carrier for some time. It takes months of antibiotic therapy to eliminate it. What if the maid at your hotel doesnt clean the shower or toilet properly and some unsupecting tourist puts their kid in there, after you check out? What if that rooms next guest is immune compromised? What about using public facilities at the parks?
Your actions are irresponsible.Personally if you want to risk your LEG for a few days of relaxation thats your perogative.But to put hundreds of others at risk is unconscionable.
Your tag line says it all.You ARE a large toddler.Start acting like an adult.

 

[fiffy]

C. diff is present in the stool of infected people. It forms spores that can be transferred by direct contact to toilets, bed rails, towel racks, etc. People can also spread the spores from hand to mouth when coming in contact with contaminated surfaces. C. diff spores can live and infect up to 5 months on environmental surfaces. Unfortunately, C. diff spores are not killed by traditional disinfectants used by hospitals when cleaning. Chlorine bleach at a concentration of 1:10 is the only agent that effectively kills C. diff spores on environmental surfaces.

5 months, Maggie.How many people will stay in that room, in that BED in the next 5 months. Regular cleaner wont kill it.And i doubt that hotels are in the habit of soaking everything in bleach.

If i brought my kid to your pedi office, and found out later that you had C-diff, i'd sue you AND the office for compromising the life of my child.

 

[palmtreegirl]

You're choosing a vacation over your health?

 

[fan_of_small_world]

OK, I had no idea what C-diff was until I read some of the earlier posts and then googled it.

How about taking into consideration the health of those kids with Bert's Big Adventure that you mention in your signature and postpone your vacation until you are healthy?

 

[lesroi]

You're choosing a vacation over your health?

It would appear she is choosing a vacation over the health of the 100's of people she could potentially infect with C-Diff at Disney!

Scary and selfish.

Tracy

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I'm glad I am not staying at the Polynesian any time soon.

 

[Poohnatic]

From the Discovery Cove website regarding cancellations:

Changing a reservation (Top)
At Discovery Cove, we recognize that vacation plans sometimes change. To accommodate this, we will allow one complimentary date change prior to your visit. Further changes to your itinerary will be provided for a nominal charge of $50 per change. If you have to change or cancel your reservation, please contact the Discovery Cove reservations center at 877-557-7404. International guests, please call 407-370-1280. In the United Kingdom, call Toll-Free: 00800 33 44 1818

Reviewing a reservation (Top)
Should you have a need to review these arrangements online, please visit 'Review My Reservations' on the Discovery Cove reservations home page. Once you’ve made your reservation, any changes must be made by contacting the Discovery Cove reservations center toll-free at 877-557-7404. International guests, please call 407-370-1280. In the United Kingdom, call Toll-Free: 00800 33 44 1818. To ensure compliance with reservation procedures, all changes must be made through the reservations center.

Canceling a reservation (Top)
A full refund will be given if your visit is more than 30 days away.

A 50% refund of your reservation total will be made if between 15 - 29 days of your visit.

A 25% refund of your reservation total will be made if between 8 - 14 days of your visit.

Because of the unique nature of Discovery Cove's reservations-only format, no refunds or cancellations can be made within 7 days of your visit.

* Group booking policies may differ.

Do everyone a favor, and call them (the number is in the body of the quote) and ask them if you'll be turned away for being treated for C Diff. I would really hate for you to get there and they turn you away. Or are you so childish as to not inform them of the C Diff?

Really, there are no words to describe your petulance (I AM DOING THIS) and your ignorance (it's not a big deal)

Suzanne

 

[aplejax76]

Forget it..

 

[Poohnatic]

I want to give you another thing to think about. What if things go wrong, terribly wrong, while you're in Savannah, Jacksonville, Vero or Orlando. You won't have the time to find out if a doctor accepts your plan if you get rushed to the hospital. You'll cause Gabby to miss work to be by your side if you are admitted to a hospital.

As I have seen first hand with a relative, doctors who are unfamiliar with you tend to follow protocols and ignore the patient's protests that XYZ doesn't work-they will do XYZ anyway. This earned the family member a FIFTEEN DAY hospital stay. Would you like to remember your 40th as taking place in a hospital and the doctors following protocols to the letter and ignoring you? You don't have the medical training, they do. Think about this for a while. My relative had 15 days to ponder it.

I am on the road to mending with my health issue and yours sounds much more severe. I most certainly am not up to the type of vacation described in your signature. Are you?


Suzanne

 

[Mono~rail]

Maggie, do you really feel well enough to go on vacation? C-diff causes really bad stomach cramping and frequent trips to the restroom. Your infected leg has got to be causing you to feel alot of pain.

My DD14 was in the hospital for over a week when she was 8 because of c-diff. She was really sick, and I want to cry when I remember how she would scream with the stomach cramps. She was a tough kid who very rarely complained.

 

[yeartolate]

I just don't know how you get from an ID doctor being shocked and stunned to him allowing you to go on suppressive rather than curative therapy. I have worked with dozens of ID doctors over the pst 25 years and they don't get shocked easily - since they usually only get the worst cases .

I have to believe (if it is as bad as you say it is) that he really wants you to seek more aggressive treatment now. It is a bad thing to be on unnecessary antibiotics. I would have to believe that the suppressive therapy could end up leading to more drug resistance.

I know you don't want advice (but lets face it, when threads like this get posted on the DIS, advice is a foreon conclusion)but if you are talking your doctor out of immediate aggressive treatment, you could be doing yourself and others an extreme DISservice. I am also surprised with c-diff that you were allowed to work, particularly at a pediatricians office. (assuming you kept working). I can tell you for a fact that if a nurse (or any worker) at our hospital developed they would not be allowedback until several stool samples came back negative.


I really hope you do well.

 

[DawnCt1]

The fact that this doctor has not even evaluated you for osteomyelitis is negligent. That should have been done with the first round of antibiotics that didn't solve the problem. To delay IV antibiotics for a month is more negligence on his part. To swim in unknown waters with an active infection is a death wish.
You are risking limb loss....having two legs is more important than a Disney vacation. My husband has been treated for osteomyelitis twice in the last year and still walks on two legs. That would NOT have been the case if we had delayed treatment for a month.
It's time to start taking this seriously.

Antibiotics are not for "suppression". All that does is created drug resistant bacteria. As a nurse, I'm SHOCKED at what these doctors are telling you. This course of treatment goes against ALL basic infectious disease logic.

The problem is, with hardware, screws, etc inside of her leg, suppression therapy is about all that can probably be achieved as long as there is a foreign object. Many types of bacteria form slime that coats foreign materials and prevents antibiotics from penetrating down through to acheive a kill. That is why the hardware needs to come out. Unfortunately, it happens with artificial valves and endocarditis, hip and knee replacement surgery, etc. No one wants to take the "stuff" out but often its the only choice when faced with chronic infection. She should stay home, have the hardware removed and get appropriate treatment.

 

[mickeysaver]

Thank you Dawn for explaining that to the masses.

As to the concerns you guys have about the C-diff, not to worry. I had the test and I am clear. I got on the Flagyl at the first sign of the problem. I had almost a 100% turn around in symptoms after 3 days of treatment. I completed the 10 days and had a negative culture twice. If the symptoms re-occur, which I don't think that it will because of the meds that I am taking, I would of course refrain from swimming during our stay. Bleach kills the bacteria. There are lots of strains of Clostridium. I luckily found one that was easily killed. For everyone that is concerned about my patients and coworkers, not to worry. I used one bathroom and it's been cleaned more times that I care to count with bleach. The patients never use this one. My coworkers did use this one, but chose to with warning. I consider myself to be a rather considerate person when it comes to my potty habits. I also am a freak about handwashing. No one else in the office has gotten ill with any sort of GI illness since I started with the symptoms, which have since resolved.

I am not changing the vacation yet. I am going to discuss this with the new ID doc on Monday. I don't think there is much that he is going to say that will be new. I just want the peace of mind.

Oh, and Dr. D said that he would gladly write me a note for DC if I wanted him too, so no worries, I am not harmful to anyone or anything. Maggie

 

[mickeysaver]

One more little bit of info.....only one of the two screws is removable....without actually removing a large chunk of or the entire bone. I very well might be facing lifelong suppression antibiotics usage. Not a pleasant thought, but one of the many things that has been said that makes me want a second opinion. Maggie

 

[yeartolate]

You did go to work with C-Diff?

 

[mickeysaver]

Yes....with the doctor's blessing, even my employer said that I was welcome to be there. I had little to no direct patient contact until I was clear of the bug. Maggie

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Yes....with the doctor's blessing, even my employer said that I was welcome to be there. I had little to no direct patient contact until I was clear of the bug. Maggie

You work in pediatrics, correct? That is so scarey.

 

[CathrynRose]

Yes....with the doctor's blessing, even my employer said that I was welcome to be there. I had little to no direct patient contact until I was clear of the bug. Maggie

Im normally a huge 'mind your own business' type person, and would defend your right to do whatever you want...

BUT

Im also a hypochondriac.

Good lord. I dont even believe what Im reading!!!!

Is this a joke?

 

[dcgrumpy]

Yes....with the doctor's blessing, even my employer said that I was welcome to be there. I had little to no direct patient contact until I was clear of the bug. Maggie

Were you in a bubble?