{"id":7247,"date":"2021-10-27T12:00:23","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T16:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/safehealthcare\/?p=7247"},"modified":"2021-12-02T11:55:11","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T15:55:11","slug":"finding-my-voice-as-a-cdiff-patient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/safehealthcare\/finding-my-voice-as-a-cdiff-patient\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding My Voice as a C. diff<\/em> Patient"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Christina
Christina Fuhrman with her daughter. Photo credit: Mat Matlack<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the age of 31, I knew nothing of patient advocacy; having a voice for my own healthcare simply hadn\u2019t crossed my mind. I\u2019ve since learned that it is essential to include patient voices in the healthcare system.<\/p>\n

When I was prescribed a preventive antibiotic for a root canal I, like most Americans, thought nothing of it. I was no stranger to antibiotics and considered them perfectly harmless. I didn\u2019t realize that while antibiotics save lives, they do carry risks, and taking them inappropriately has consequences.<\/p>\n

Within a few weeks of my root canal, I was hospitalized with an infection called C. diff<\/em>. Most cases of C. diff<\/em> infection are associated with antibiotic use. In fact, according to CDC, you\u2019re 7 to 10 times more likely to get C. diff<\/em> infection while taking an antibiotic and in the month after. I also learned that antibiotic use can also lead to antibiotic resistance, so it\u2019s important to use antibiotics only when needed.<\/p>\n

The next seven months were mostly spent in the hospital, in isolation. As I grew sicker, my doctor believed the best move was to remove my colon. I wanted to get better, but I worried about the impact that this would have on my quality of life. I learned about another treatment option, but it wasn\u2019t possible for me to get it through my doctor. It is a treatment that was not widely available, and it carried with it its own very serious risks. Still, I preferred to take on that risk in order to try this treatment.\u00a0The fact that I did not have this option to choose left me feeling betrayed by the very system put in place to keep me healthy.<\/p>\n

It was in this difficult process that I discovered my own patient voice. I sought a second opinion from another doctor to whom I voiced my concerns. They felt another treatment option was appropriate, and I made a full recovery. Had I not taken an active role in my own health care, my life would be very different.<\/p>\n

To advocate as a patient or a caretaker:<\/p>\n