On the last Thursday of June, Cristy Cooper sat down on the toilet and immediately realized something was terribly wrong.<\/p>\n
What followed was unlike anything the 51-year-old had ever experienced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of pressure when it comes out,\u201d she told The Post on a phone call from the hospital. \u201cThe force is crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Texas native is one of more than 140 people across the US who have recently contracted cyclosporiasis, an intestinal parasitic infection that causes, among other symptoms, explosive diarrhea<\/a> and vomiting.<\/p>\n Chatting to The Post from her hospital bed, she candidly revealed exactly how bad her bout of illness has been.<\/p>\n Cristy Cooper, 51, is among more than 140 people infected in a multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak. Courtesy of Cristy Cooper<\/p>\n Between May and June, 145 people ages 5 to 86 years across 20 states contracted the illness, according to the CDC<\/a> \u2014 with New York reporting the highest number of cases, followed by Texas and Illinois. <\/p>\n The disease, caused by the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite, is likely linked to various fresh, imported produce \u2014 but experts are not sure exactly what food exactly has led to some of the biggest clusters of cases.<\/p>\n While no deaths have been reported, 40 people have reportedly been hospitalized, Cooper included.<\/p>\n \u201cI really didn\u2019t do anything about it for the first few days, and then it just was unbearable,\u201d she said, recounting her days and nights spent blasting the loudest farts of her life while enduring a relentless rush of poopy water. \u201cNormally diarrhea would never send me to an ER.\u201d<\/p>\n Unbearable diarrhea and bizarre farts<\/p>\n Her first symptom was what she called \u201cunbearable\u201d diarrhea, which began on June 25. It started with \u201ca lot of, like, just basically water coming out the back end.\u201d <\/p>\n Cooper said she was stunned by the sheer force, speed and volume. <\/p>\n \u201cYou know, like when you flush a public toilet, how it goes, \u2018WHOOSH!\u2019 That\u2019s what I would liken it to, coming out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe funniest part of it [is] literally the sounds. I was farting like a grown man.\u201d<\/p>\n Cristy Cooper<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Even sleep offered little relief. \u201cHere\u2019s the bad part,\u201d she recalled. \u201cI shat myself twice in my sleep. That was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n She felt it coming, but the force was simply too much. Cooper called it \u201cabsolutely\u201d the worst diarrhea she\u2019s ever had. <\/p>\n ryanking999 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t wish this one on my enemies,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n On second thought: \u201cMaybe an ex-husband.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the next two days, she developed excessive gas, fatigue, acute vomiting, nausea and painful cramping and had a fever of 100.2 degrees \u2014 all symptoms of cyclosporiasis. <\/p>\n At its worst, she was using the toilet no less than 30 times a day.<\/p>\n \u201cThe funniest part of it [is] literally the sounds. I was farting like a grown man,\u201d she remembered. \u201cI mean, like you could hear it probably three doors down, like \u2018What on earth?\u2019 That was the most bizarre part.\u201d<\/p>\n Checking into the hospital<\/p>\n By Sunday, Cooper knew something was seriously wrong and checked herself into the hospital, where she finally received her diagnosis.<\/p>\n Most people with healthy immune systems eventually recover from cyclosporiasis without treatment by resting, staying hydrated and eating what they can tolerate.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is worse than like any flu I\u2019ve ever gotten or anything, it\u2019s just so\u2026it\u2019s miserable. I\u2019m worn out from it. I really am.\u201d<\/p>\n Cristy Cooper<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Cooper, however, is immunocompromised. As a dialysis patient, her fluid intake \u2014 including water, soups and even Jell-O \u2014 must be carefully restricted because excess fluids can lead to severe complications such as high blood pressure, shortness of breath and heart strain. <\/p>\n Fortunately, her diarrhea began slowing after she arrived at the hospital. Her appetite, on the other hand, has largely disappeared \u2014 another common symptom of the illness.<\/p>\n The hallmark sign of cyclosporiasis is sudden, watery, and sometimes explosive diarrhea. Cooper can vouch. Courtesy of Cristy Cooper<\/p>\n \u201cNothing tastes right, nothing sounds good,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I finally said, \u201cOh, well, maybe I would eat that \u2014 no. One bite, I\u2019m like, \u2018No, it just, nothing tastes right.’\u201d<\/p>\n She believes she\u2019s lost at least 10 pounds during the ordeal. But if anyone is considering cyclosporiasis as a weight loss hack, Cooper wouldn\u2019t advise it: \u201cI don\u2019t recommend this diet plan at all. It\u2019s not the new Ozempic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is worse than like any flu I\u2019ve ever gotten or anything, it\u2019s just so\u2026it\u2019s miserable,\u201d she added. \u201cI\u2019m worn out from it. I really am.\u201d<\/p>\n The road back<\/p>\n Recovery from cyclosporiasis isn\u2019t always straightforward. While some people recover within weeks, those who are immunocompromised, like Cooper, can face longer or more severe illness. And without treatments, symptoms can last a month or more.<\/p>\n Fortunately, Cooper is receiving treatment. Due to her sulfa allergy \u2014 sulfa is a key ingredient in trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazol, the standard treatment for cyclosporiasis \u2014 doctors prescribed ciprofloxacin.<\/p>\n She also learned that the illness can relapse for some people, with symptoms disappearing before returning again. <\/p>\n CDC<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m like, please don\u2019t be \u2018some people,’\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Now her trips to the toilet have dropped to four or five times a day, though her business still isn\u2019t as usual.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t had anything solid coming out of me since before Thursday is when it all started,\u201d she revealed. <\/p>\n At the same time, Cooper said the illness has provided a welcome distraction. This July 4 marks the second anniversary of the central Texas floods that killed 139 people, at least 117 of whom lived in Kerr County, which she calls home. It also caused the shocking deaths of 25 campers, two teen counselors and the owner of Camp Mystic<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s keeping my mind off that a little bit,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n\n
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