I buy a box of 84 2mg loperamide for $9.99 from Costco. Take 3 a day, so very very cheap to take daily.
Yes I too get a prescription for loperamide (immodium). I then get 240 pills a month for only $10. And it seems to me that the ones I get this way work better than the over the counter walmart, sam's club ones.
And great news about moving in with your dad. Hopefully he will help you get on track to improved health.
And great news about moving in with your dad. Hopefully he will help you get on track to improved health.
kimberlymarie,
I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. I was reading your posts and I saw that you were afraid to give a stool sample as you were wary about collecting it yourself. Given your symptoms, I do think it's important to have a stool culture to rule everything out and make sure you're not dealing with a c.diff infection.
Some tips for collecting yourself: it can be intimidating, but you can do this relatively easily and with minimal mess, even if you don't get the stand issue "plastic hat" from the hospital. When I had to do this myself at home, I lifted the toilet seat and then lined the entire toilet bowl with plastic wrap and pushed it down into a dish shape, just before it touched the water (push it down as far as you can, and it's better for it to be a little slack rather than taut or you risk the dreaded "backsplash."
). I then closed the toilet seat to hold in all in place. It was easy to go, and then just lift the toilet seat, collect the corners of the plastic wrap, gather it up and and put it into the sample bag. It was quick with no mess. My biggest worry was driving it over to the lab.
I hope you can get this all sorted out!
I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. I was reading your posts and I saw that you were afraid to give a stool sample as you were wary about collecting it yourself. Given your symptoms, I do think it's important to have a stool culture to rule everything out and make sure you're not dealing with a c.diff infection.
Some tips for collecting yourself: it can be intimidating, but you can do this relatively easily and with minimal mess, even if you don't get the stand issue "plastic hat" from the hospital. When I had to do this myself at home, I lifted the toilet seat and then lined the entire toilet bowl with plastic wrap and pushed it down into a dish shape, just before it touched the water (push it down as far as you can, and it's better for it to be a little slack rather than taut or you risk the dreaded "backsplash."
). I then closed the toilet seat to hold in all in place. It was easy to go, and then just lift the toilet seat, collect the corners of the plastic wrap, gather it up and and put it into the sample bag. It was quick with no mess. My biggest worry was driving it over to the lab. I hope you can get this all sorted out!
Thank you so much for that tip! last time I had to do it I literally had to hold a ziplock bag under me while I went, then use a tiny little soon (like the ones that sometimes come in the caps f yogurts or icecream) & then spoon it out myself & put it in viles. It was the worst experience of my life, but thank you so much fr that idea, that seems way easier & far less traumatic!
When I had to do it, I was just given a platic "biohazard" bag. I luckily didn't need to use vials. But this way would work just as well; you could still use the plastic wrap for the collection, and then use the spoon to collect for the vials. It's still much better than trying to hover over a ziplock bag.
Good luck!
Good luck!
I was lucky mine was done while I was at the hospital, they just put one of those toilet dome things under the seat, I went, then a nurse came and took it away, couldn't complain :P
I remember having to do them at home by myself though, I was very careful. Spooky I did the very same thing you suggested with the plastic wrap when I did it years ago, someone else suggested it to me and it worked very well. Not only that, and most importantly it made it less gross and a lot easier clean up.
I remember having to do them at home by myself though, I was very careful. Spooky I did the very same thing you suggested with the plastic wrap when I did it years ago, someone else suggested it to me and it worked very well. Not only that, and most importantly it made it less gross and a lot easier clean up.
That's such a better idea! I wish I'd known that before I had to do it the hard way. I've had the tests done at e hospital before & that was fine, I just went with the little 'hat' in the toilet & left it & the nurses did all the 'dirty work' I'll keep your advise in mind if I ever have to do this test again!