Anyone else sick with campylobacter from the recent raw milk contamination in PA?

[mom2tatum]

Looking to connect with other families who are sick with this strain of campylobacter? Anyone else out there? There are over 30 confirmed cases so far so I figure some of us have to be on MDC...? Although any other helpful healing info would be appreciated if other families have previously suffered with illness.

(This is about helping my kids get better, not about the issues surrounding raw milk sales, politics of it, debating risk vs. benefit, the 'rarity' of contamination, or the farm itself. Please don't comment on such things, I am looking for healing help and info.)

I and my husband are almost completely recovered, and compared to how I felt a week ago, I would say 90% better. Couldn't pay me a million dollars to go through that again. However, my little ones are not better yet, and I'm getting more concerned because of the length of time and the sometimes long term implications this infection can have. The 5 and 2 yo are still having diarrhea and I want to help them along as much as possible. I don't have the time to go into great details of the last week's journey, but at this point I am not limiting foods anymore as of two nights ago (day 6/7 for them) and just wanting them to eat, whatever it is they want. SO far, so good. They are HUNGRY. But, still diarrhea. Probably only 6-12x/day (with very little to no blood) vs. the 50x?/day (very bloody) it was last weekend. And way less pain. So, yes, I guess they are improving but this is considered a little on the extreme end of things and I am debating the pros and cons of treating with the antibiotic recommended, Zithromax, although the ped was not 100% whether this would be better option or to wait it out more too. Waiting to talk to a ped at the office again.

Anyway, insight is appreciated and I'm especially curious as to what the other sick families have been doing/are doing currently and what the course has looked like in other families battling the same thing.

Thank you much,

Lori

[SpottedFoxx]

Ugh, no advice but sending you healing vibes.  Your poor family!  I've only had raw milk once and actually swooned it was so good (my son's eyes actually rolled back in his head he loved it so much).  I hope you get some answers soon.  

[DoubleDouble]

Maybe you could still limit *some* foods, if they continue having diarrhea?

Here is a link of "foods that can potentially aggravate GI system or increase the speed of intestinal contractions."

[serenbat]

since this has been going on awhile, I was thinking I wouldn't see it on here--

just wondering- I am not near this (other section of PA- this is not in my area) and it's been on our local news a lot and out of Philly (I'm hearing it several times a day) and not to be political, since I am near NJ this is really a heated issue and it's BIG around here!

just wondering - with the "testing" were you and your family tested or do you just assume? - I would like to know how this works? did you contact the dairy or where you contacted or do you just go to the county health dept?

last I heard the state tests for PA are not back in but somehow Maryland are?

hope everyone feels better soon

I hate to ask--------but I can't be alone in wondering ----- are you going drink again?

[mom2tatum]

serenbat,

I don't mind answering today b/c my kids are so so much better and we are cheering at the solid poops they are doing in our toilet! I know they are healing now and feel much more at ease.

Long story...but in a nutshell...I have been a fan of raw milk for about 5 yrs now - that's what my family drinks normally. I've never pushed on anyone, but definitely sung the praises after learning about it and seeing the benefits in our family and I probably admittedly downplayed the risks because they were downplayed to me, too. I am also big on everyone making their own choices given the information and experiences they personally have with all kinds of controversial things. And for me, I felt it best choice. Such nutritional value, yes, yes, yes!

After going through what we did this past two ish weeks, I would never...repeat...NEVER drink raw milk again nor give to my kids. No matter how rare something is, it aint so rare anymore when it happens to you. 

I said to my husband during the 4th day of the severe symptoms, "You couldn't pay me any amount of money in the world to go through this again." I wouldn't do it again for a million dollars. Maybe a few hours of it, but a week!?!?!? It was horrible. It was long, it was constant. I just can't even explain. I'm glad that I got to experience it as well as the kids, because I don't think you understand the pain of something like this unless you actually feel it happening to your own body - and if they had only experienced it while I witnessed (as sensitive as I am as a doula-mom), I may not come to the same conclusion, I just don't know.

So, the answer is HELL NO. :)

Yes, we had stool samples sent out after my gut (haha) told me it was from our beloved milk. The bacteria grew by the second day and was confirmed campylobacter. The docs said, 'how did you know???' I just knew. The doc office had the results sent to the pa dept of health and then they called to speak to me. In the meantime, I had been in contact with the farmer all along and he's a sweetheart with a great small farm offering customers wonderful local food. Like I said, it just isn't rare anymore for US, and knowing there is also chance of far scarier illnesses happening with way worse sequelae from something like E.Coli. Again, a big HELL NO. No thank you.

I don't need time for perspective or anything like that. As some of my well meaning friends may suggest. ;)

Really? No one else out there affected and willing to speak up? Ah well, it's over for us now and I'm just so ever thankful for that. 

Spread love, spread peace. Smile. :)

~Lori

[serenbat]

I REALLY respect that you said that!

So you are ones that they are officially counting? ETA- I'm not thinking this in ONLY about 30+ effected!???

The things I have read really trouble me (accounts on newspaper message boards) saying this is just "a bug" not related, etc.

I can't imagine when you see your kids how deeply that effects one.

retrospect - my grand-mother (mid 90's) grew up on a farm (had a cow for milk) but it was mostly veggie/fruit farming and my DH's grand-mother (80's) so very little in age difference, grew up on a dairy farm - vast difference in the two families approach to sanitation - my grandmother grew up "boiling" raw milk and never had gotten sick--other one, not so luck! both in PA

Being so close to NJ and them right on the cusp so to speak, I'm really interested how this plays out- we still hear this daily (in the local paper and on NPR-local and Philly).

Hope everyone gets better, know you are lucky because it could be worse!

I greatly respect you!

Edited by serenbat - 2/5/12 at 6:01am

[SpottedFoxx]

Glad you are all feeling better.  Wow, that was a truly honest and heart felt post.  Please forgive my ignorance but why is there such controversy over raw milk?  

[serenbat]

from a NON-political point----has anyone found any information on the real numbers effected by this?

I would like to know (if anyone does know) how only such a small number were effected?

given the production and bottling I find this really hard to believe---any insight here??? knowing it effected MD and PA I still don't see the numbers adding up-bottles went in two different directions, also several counties in PA

assuming the OP you and your family are now done? hope all is better

I posted in the MD section wondering if anyone knows anymore about the numbers

Edited by serenbat - 2/8/12 at 6:35am

[KarenEMT]

I'm not sure of the numbers, but judging by the way our local farmer spoke of this just today, I would think it was pretty significant.  I am very glad you shared your experience with us and hope your family has complete healing from this.  

[SpottedFoxx]

OP - how are you and your family feeling?

[AlexisT]

THis post says 77:

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/02/raw-milk-campylobacter-outbreak-expands/

It's really hard to get hard numbers... not everyone may have been to the doc or reported it. As for the geographic spread, because of how it was shipped to retail stores and then people come up from MD to buy it, it's going to have an odd spread. A lot of it probably went further east, since there are more people and stores east of Chambersburg than west. (This milk was sold in my local HFS.)

Here's an older breakdown:

http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/recent-outbreak-from-raw-milk-is-pas-third-most-severe/4d19bb8d7d014f48af248b275c003bc1

This spread makes sense, IMO. Although I'm surprised at the Allegheny County case--maybe someone was visiting down here!

[CookiePie]

Mom2tatum I'm working on a research paper about weighing the health benefits against the risks of drinking raw milk.  Would you be open to me interviewing you in the near future?

[lookatreestar]

is there any update on how your kiddos are feeling? 

[mom2tatum]

Oh, we're way good now. 3 wks of hell, and a punctured immune system since then with cold after cold turning sinus infection, but now that spring has sprung, I'm thinking we'll be completely healthy again soon. Nothing in my life compared to that, especially the middle two weeks. THE worst. Can't even explain. So glad when it was over and so glad about our decision to not drink raw milk anymore - we'll never knowingly put ourselves at risk of it happening again.

Thanks folks.