In November of 2017 I fell extremely ill with a deadly, antibiotic resistant strain of “Clostridium Difficile”. At the time I didn’t realize how serious the illness was but it turns out that roughly 1 in 5 people who contract the disease die. 

Because I am strong and healthy my body fought the disease at first but by January of 2018 I was left beaten and broken. 

My weight dropped from 245lbs to 198lbs (47 total pounds). I was unable to eat, I was unable to sleep.  I suffered from chronic fatigue, pain, blood in my stool, and extreme dehydration. There were many nights I just gave up and ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor.  During this time I also had numerous hospital visits and treatments. 

While all of this was going on I tried to keep up with my training. Even though my deadlift and squat each dropped by over 200lbs and I could no longer bench press 135lbs I would show up and try my best. Eventually I couldn’t do that either anymore. There was a period of time that I couldn’t even leave the house. 

Eventually after 5 months through a combination of medication and a Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) I was able to overcome the disease. Even though I was technically cured however, symptoms persisted for weeks. Eventually I was diagnosed with a severe case of Ulcerative Colitis. 

Frankly this diagnosis shook my entire perspective on life. In the past I had been hospitalized numerous times for sports related injuries but this was the first time in my life that I had battled an extreme disease and the first time in my life I was told that I would never fully recover. 

Some of the Doctors I had seen weren’t helpful either. Some told me I would never be normal again and would face a life of hospitalizations, pain, and a potential colon removal. Other Doctors told me I would be on medication for life. Others told me diet would not help heal my condition and I just had to accept it. 

After some personal reflection I decided that and rather than just accept my diagnosis I decided to fight. It’s what I have always done and I have never let anything in my life hold me back. I started researching my condition and it turns out there is hope. There are some cases where Clostridium Difficile can damage the insides bad enough to cause a “Post C-Diff Ulcerative Colitis” that can be cured through medication, diet, and a serious dedication to stress reduction. 

In the worst case scenario even if I do have a more permanent form of Ulcerative Colitis there are people who have experienced long term remission and live a completely normal life. Again, this can be accomplished in part through medication, dietary changes, and stress reduction. 

Regardless of what type of Ulcerative Colitis I had I thought to myself it was time to make some serious changes. 

Right now I am about 4 weeks removed from my diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis and things have started to improve dramatically. I have been on medication but I don’t credit that with my improvement. 

Much of my improvement I credit to stress reduction and dietary changes. I have been ultra dedicated in these two areas and the changes are remarkable. 

At this point in my life despite my battle with C-Diff I look better and am more fit than I have been in years. Even though I still have some digestive issues I have no doubt that they will disappear and I will be in full remission soon. I’ll keep you all updated as I progress. 

If you are interested in the changes I have made you can read the articles I have written on stress reduction and diet. 

They’ll be posted soon. 

To learn more about developing the Maximus Mindset visit www.maximusmindset.com