Honey Bee on Spiderwort flower Photo by S. Watson Spring 2015
“As long as you are breathing,
there is more right with you than wrong with you!”
Jon Kabat Zinn
“As long as you are breathing,
there is more right with you than wrong with you!”
Jon Kabat Zinn
This blog is Grandmas story. It is a factual account of what she did to help herself recover from a serious illness. She has a wonderful, caring doctor and kind, dedicated people who care for her. She has a positive outlook on life and that joyful spirit has been an important factor in her recovery.
It is important for the reader of this blog to understand that there are many variables to consider in each individual's case. What works for one person, may not work for another person. The reader should use this blog as one of many sources when acquiring information. References are listed below. Only take action after gathering all the information that you need and after consulting with healthcare professionals who you trust.
It is important for the reader of this blog to understand that there are many variables to consider in each individual's case. What works for one person, may not work for another person. The reader should use this blog as one of many sources when acquiring information. References are listed below. Only take action after gathering all the information that you need and after consulting with healthcare professionals who you trust.
If you have followed this blog from the beginning, you know that Grandma has had health complications, hospitalizations, and exposure to C-diff. in a rehab center. We left off with her coming back to her cottage.
At this time, I will not discuss all the preparation that is necessary to help someone who is ill to safely transition from a healthcare facility back to their home. I will devote future blogs to giving important information such as finding a caregiver, organizing a daily routine, keeping track of vital information and purchasing supplies and supplements.
Many readers of this blog have asked how Grandma, at 92 years old and severely ill, was able to recover from C-diff. (a dangerous bacteria which often proves fatal for the elderly.)
First, we must give credit to a gifted medical consultant who has worked with my son’s unique health challenges for over 20 years. She is very knowledgeable, caring and energetic! My husband calls her the “Michael Jordan of health!”
She has been our “rock” with past health crises. She knows our family and has spent time with Grandma. When she heard about Grandma’s situation she guided us towards specific herbs which would help Grandma recover her health. The names of the specific herbs that grandma took to help her recover from the weakness and diarrhea that come with a C-diff. infection will be listed in a future blog.
Because Grandma was so exhausted from fighting the C-diff. infection, we could see her spirit was starting to fade. Grandma was taking Vancomycin. (Vancomycin is an expensive antibiotic that is sometimes prescribed for a C-diff. infection.) Unfortunately, Grandma did not appear to be getting better. Grandma continued to be very weak and getting her to eat was difficult. She was having diarrhea up to 11 times a day! Because C-diff. is so infectious her soiled diapers and soiled diaper wipes were considered to he “hazardous waste”. We had special orange boxes and orange bags marked “hazardous material” into which these items were discarded. Hospice collected and disposed of this hazardous waste. It is an unsafe procedure to dispose of infectious material in the normal “street” garbage collection. Grandma’s round the clock caregivers were also becoming exhausted from the constant diaper changes required when someone who is bedridden has diarrhea. There did not appear to be much hope.
At about the same time, my sister sent me a newspaper article from Georgetown Virginia that told the story of another 92-year-old woman. She had “caught” C-diff. in the nursing home where she was living. The lady was near death and her daughter looked into any methods that were available to help her mother recover. Her daughter found a physician who was able to do a fecal microbial transplant procedure. The physician used fecal material (poop) that was donated by the ill woman’s daughter. There are “good” bacteria in a healthy person’s colon. A fecal transplant uses fecal material from the colon of the healthy donor to transfer these “good” bacteria to the colon of the ill person who is receiving the fecal transplant. The woman in Virginia safely completed the fecal transplant and the article in the paper had a photo of her with her daughter. Both ladies were smiling after she had regained her health.
I remember reading this article and thinking that this procedure might be beneficial for Grandma. I tried to find a physician in the area who did this treatment. There was one but he had offices in two states and there was a long waiting list. Then I remembered our gifted medical consultant and gave her a call. She came for a visit, spoke with Grandma, researched the procedure, and we prepared for the big day. On January 12, 2014, Grandma had a fecal transplant. The donor was a healthy family member. The actual procedure took about 15 minutes of preparation time and less than five minutes to complete. Grandma was awake and responsive throughout. Grandma’s caregivers were present. The medical consultant was experienced with colonics and enemas.
Actually, the whole experience was inspirational. Instead of painfully declining into a coma state from a superbug that destroys the body of all nutrients, a donation of what most people think of as waste, can give the person the “good bacteria“ to rebuild the colon and give back life. Grandma’s caregivers were amazed at the positive changes in Grandma! Right away, the diarrhea stopped and has not returned to this day- 14 months later. All I can say is hallelujah!
One can refer back to my first quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” In this case, having an open mind about what good poop can do turned out to be a lifesaver! In fact, after researching fecal matter, one finds that a healthy person’s fecal donation may have up to 90% good bacteria and only 10% actual waste. When it comes to giving “poop”, the younger and healthier the donor, the better. We are not talking about an organ transplant. We are talking about a free, valuable, painless resource. Because a fecal transplant can save the recipients’ life I truly believe that any family member would be willing to be tested to see if they could be a fecal donor.
For more information on this subject check out the links listed below:
At this time, I will not discuss all the preparation that is necessary to help someone who is ill to safely transition from a healthcare facility back to their home. I will devote future blogs to giving important information such as finding a caregiver, organizing a daily routine, keeping track of vital information and purchasing supplies and supplements.
Many readers of this blog have asked how Grandma, at 92 years old and severely ill, was able to recover from C-diff. (a dangerous bacteria which often proves fatal for the elderly.)
First, we must give credit to a gifted medical consultant who has worked with my son’s unique health challenges for over 20 years. She is very knowledgeable, caring and energetic! My husband calls her the “Michael Jordan of health!”
She has been our “rock” with past health crises. She knows our family and has spent time with Grandma. When she heard about Grandma’s situation she guided us towards specific herbs which would help Grandma recover her health. The names of the specific herbs that grandma took to help her recover from the weakness and diarrhea that come with a C-diff. infection will be listed in a future blog.
Because Grandma was so exhausted from fighting the C-diff. infection, we could see her spirit was starting to fade. Grandma was taking Vancomycin. (Vancomycin is an expensive antibiotic that is sometimes prescribed for a C-diff. infection.) Unfortunately, Grandma did not appear to be getting better. Grandma continued to be very weak and getting her to eat was difficult. She was having diarrhea up to 11 times a day! Because C-diff. is so infectious her soiled diapers and soiled diaper wipes were considered to he “hazardous waste”. We had special orange boxes and orange bags marked “hazardous material” into which these items were discarded. Hospice collected and disposed of this hazardous waste. It is an unsafe procedure to dispose of infectious material in the normal “street” garbage collection. Grandma’s round the clock caregivers were also becoming exhausted from the constant diaper changes required when someone who is bedridden has diarrhea. There did not appear to be much hope.
At about the same time, my sister sent me a newspaper article from Georgetown Virginia that told the story of another 92-year-old woman. She had “caught” C-diff. in the nursing home where she was living. The lady was near death and her daughter looked into any methods that were available to help her mother recover. Her daughter found a physician who was able to do a fecal microbial transplant procedure. The physician used fecal material (poop) that was donated by the ill woman’s daughter. There are “good” bacteria in a healthy person’s colon. A fecal transplant uses fecal material from the colon of the healthy donor to transfer these “good” bacteria to the colon of the ill person who is receiving the fecal transplant. The woman in Virginia safely completed the fecal transplant and the article in the paper had a photo of her with her daughter. Both ladies were smiling after she had regained her health.
I remember reading this article and thinking that this procedure might be beneficial for Grandma. I tried to find a physician in the area who did this treatment. There was one but he had offices in two states and there was a long waiting list. Then I remembered our gifted medical consultant and gave her a call. She came for a visit, spoke with Grandma, researched the procedure, and we prepared for the big day. On January 12, 2014, Grandma had a fecal transplant. The donor was a healthy family member. The actual procedure took about 15 minutes of preparation time and less than five minutes to complete. Grandma was awake and responsive throughout. Grandma’s caregivers were present. The medical consultant was experienced with colonics and enemas.
Actually, the whole experience was inspirational. Instead of painfully declining into a coma state from a superbug that destroys the body of all nutrients, a donation of what most people think of as waste, can give the person the “good bacteria“ to rebuild the colon and give back life. Grandma’s caregivers were amazed at the positive changes in Grandma! Right away, the diarrhea stopped and has not returned to this day- 14 months later. All I can say is hallelujah!
One can refer back to my first quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” In this case, having an open mind about what good poop can do turned out to be a lifesaver! In fact, after researching fecal matter, one finds that a healthy person’s fecal donation may have up to 90% good bacteria and only 10% actual waste. When it comes to giving “poop”, the younger and healthier the donor, the better. We are not talking about an organ transplant. We are talking about a free, valuable, painless resource. Because a fecal transplant can save the recipients’ life I truly believe that any family member would be willing to be tested to see if they could be a fecal donor.
For more information on this subject check out the links listed below:
Mayo Clinic – Quick, inexpensive and a 90 percent cure rate
What is FMT The Fecal Transplant Foundation
What is FMT The Fecal Transplant Foundation
The You Tube sites listed below will give you videos on this topic:
An Icky Miracle – Fecal Transplant Mary Greeley Medical Center
Do You Need a Fecal Transplant? John Douillard
DIU Fecal Transplants to cure yourself of Ulcerative Colitis
by Michael Hurst
Fecal Bacteriotherapy (Human Probiotic Infusion) for Clostridium difficile infection; Prof. Thomas Borody, center for Digestive Diseases, Sydney Australia; ABC TV Catalyst, 14 July 2011.
An Icky Miracle – Fecal Transplant Mary Greeley Medical Center
Do You Need a Fecal Transplant? John Douillard
DIU Fecal Transplants to cure yourself of Ulcerative Colitis
by Michael Hurst
Fecal Bacteriotherapy (Human Probiotic Infusion) for Clostridium difficile infection; Prof. Thomas Borody, center for Digestive Diseases, Sydney Australia; ABC TV Catalyst, 14 July 2011.