I get email from different people nearly every day with questions, comments and stories of their individual MRSA experiences, and have since beginning MRSA Resources nearly 3 years ago. This is a story I received a couple of weeks ago:
Christina,
I’m a 37 year old male, I have a wife and two boys, 15 and 11.
I knew nothing about CA-MRSA before it introduced me
to itself a month and a half ago, now I know about as
much as i really possibly care to. I DO however want
to inform as many people as I possibly can. Of course
my family and friends know about it now too.I had a few boils within the past year, I had one
lanced on my bottom which got kind of nasty. About two
months ago I had gotten poison ivy, which was almost
gone. I had a small scabby part left on my left foot
and next to it a small pimple was forming. Well, that
little pimple on my foot had gotten worse after a few
days so I went to the local clinic on a Friday and had
gotten some antibiotics and went home. I came in the
next day (Sat.) and it was Much worse - like I had
elephantitis of the foot. They gave me a double dose
of antibiotic shots and sent me home. I came in on
Monday saw a doc and he wanted me to go to a surgeon
upstairs but none were available so he lanced my foot
open himself (this was an extremely painful
experience), He didn’t have a culture done either.I came back the next day and it still looked terrible.
I had never been running a fever so they weren’t
thinking it was a staff infection. He scheduled me to
see a local surgeon the next day, I came, a doctor
came in, looked at my foot and left within seconds
without saying a word and came back with another
surgeon. He said “That must hurt A LOTâ€. They made
arrangements for me to go to a Hospital in Duluth
immediately.I arrived at the hospital on Wednesday and had my
first surgery the next day to open and clean/irrigate
my foot. Wound vacs where on my foot at this point for
the next two weeks, one week with a portable vac at
home.Interestingly enough my wife had picked up a
Reader’s Digest when she came to see me at the
hospital the first day and there was an article about
Super Bug’s. I didn’t think much of it at the time
but after I read it I thought, that sounds EXACTLY
like what I have. Sure enough this was about the time
I found out I had CA-MRSA.Another surgery was performed two days later, more
irrigation, closed one incision. Then three days later
(the day after Labor Day) a skin graft was done where
the lance was made the previous week. A portion of
dead tissue had to be removed.I had missed work for a month and I’m now getting
back and moving around much better nearly two months
later but still have a ways to go.This was just an overview of the experience I went
through. The physical and emotional toll it took on me
and my family and more was incredible. I want to do as
much as I can to keep as many people become aware and
hopefully free of this fatal bug.
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21 responses so far ↓
Anna // Oct 19, 2007 at 11:23 am
WHY do doctors so mightily resist doing a culture?? I will never understand this. Even when a patient requests one, the doctors argue against it (or if they’re nice, they sweetly downplay the risk). With bugs like MRSA and VRSA out there, why refuse a culture? In fact, why can’t it be made standard procedure, or even law, to culture any infection that is accessible?
Debbie // Oct 22, 2007 at 12:14 am
To the 37 year old male who survived Community Acquired MRSA!
I’m thankful you are still with us. My brother-in-law died about 2 years ago from CA MRSA. He worked as a pharmacist in a small foothill community in California. The shock of his death was almost too much to handle. My sister was devestated. She helplessly sat by her husband of 32 years and watched him die about 24 hours after he was admitted into the hospital and approximately 2 days after he realized he was extremely ill. The week before he had noticed a few strange sores on his leg and that was about it. The rapid pace that CA MRSA spread once it got into his lungs was alarming. He was only 53.
He did have ashma and had been struggling with a virus which caused his immune system to be compromised. We have been told it is an opportunistic virus and will attack if given the chance. My sister, who is healthy, slept next to him and never got it. So everyone out there take care of yourself when you get sick. Don’t take chances, wash your hands, follow the guide lines put out by the center for disease control. I’m concerned about the spread of this infection and am thankful that so many people are surviving it.
karen // Oct 26, 2007 at 12:04 am
Hi I’m 18 years old I’m mrsa positive and also my son he ia almost 2 n I’m very worried about him n we need help he doesn’t have insurance and needs to b treated he’s a premature baby and asthmatic.we have been through a lot u got sick of mrsa a week after he was born it all started with a lil pimple and it got worst after a feq days I was hospitalized for a week while my son was on the 6 floor when I went to see him he got infected n they never told me that he could get infected. Right now I’m so worried about him
Laura // Oct 26, 2007 at 4:23 pm
My son almost died of necrotizing fasciitis from CA-MRSA in September. He is a football player. I have a medical background and diagnosised him early, yet after 48 hours of appropriate treatment he still needed emergency surgery and come close to losing his arm or worse dying. What shocked me the most was that many of my peers did not realize what CA-MRSA or confused it with HA-MRSA. I putting my son’s story out in the community because there is learning curve for both the community and those who medically treat the community.
Dennis // Oct 28, 2007 at 5:47 pm
everyone should know about a new product that has been autherized by the CDC that now can claim to kill CA- MRSA. Its called huskey 891 and is very inexpensive as it cost about $20.00 per gal. but makes 120 gal. so it use cost is only 17 cents it should be used on workout mats, workout laundry, equipement and in all locker rooms. It also disinfects aginst most other bugs so it can be used in place of most disinfectants. Hope this helps
Rachelle // Nov 4, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Hi I’m 24 yrs. old. I am married with 1 child who is 2. My husband is an insulin dependent dibetic. The year of 2005 was one of the hardest years of my life. Shortly after giving birth to my daughter I had emergency surgery for appendicidis. At the time my aunt had the MRSA infection. I spent a lot of time at her house because she lived next door. I always washed my hands, never used towels at her house that had been used and never shared clothes. I still ended up with getting an abcess that tested positive for MRSA. I have no idea how exactly I picked it up from her with all my precautions. I got it in alsmost the exact same spot that she did. Near the groin area. I figure I must have picked it up from her toilet seat. You don’t think to use that precaution at your own families home.Soon after my husband caught it too. The same medication that worked for me did not for him. The IV treatment did not even work for him. His only got better with the $1900 prescription of Zyvox. Thank god for health ins our co-pay is still $100 though, and we are struggling as it is.Later our daughter ended up getting it too. Thank god hers was never really serious because we always knew exactly what it was and how it needed to be treated.That started in 2005 it’s nearly 2008 and all three of us are continually having outbreaks. My husband gets it almost monthly. Our daughter has gotten it 4 times. She always gets it from diaper rashes. I’ve had it about 6 times. PLEASE HELP US. I’m so tired of dealing with it. We wash and sanitize everything. We use bleach after each shower and we never re use towels and the clorox wipes are in every bathroom. We don’t even share bath soap! We have always been good with hand washing. I don’t get it. Why do we still continue to get it??
Charles Moody // Nov 6, 2007 at 7:30 am
Charlie
I’m a father of two girls. One of them is very active in gymnastics. I also own a cleaning supply company called Solutex, Inc. which sells the product known as Husky 891 disinfectant which Dennis mentioned earlier. My comany has been doing everything we can to educate our customers on the importance of disinfection and using the product correctly. My company’s phone # is 800-Sol-utex. We would be willing to donate some product wherever the needs are great.
Dennis // Nov 6, 2007 at 9:46 am
Charlie has the right idea. We are responsible for helping in our communities and we have given away in hardship cases several containers of Husky 891 which kills CA-MRSA if properly used. We have many doctors offices, Schools and workout locations as well as parents of students in sports (to wash laundry) using this product which is the only product able to make a kill claim for the 300 and 400 strains of CA-MRSA we have all read about. If you or your orginazation have a need for this product please call us @ 989-835-6006.
Mark Grijalva // Nov 15, 2007 at 6:37 pm
There is a new technology known as ActivPure (RCI) the company is ActivTek. Based on NASA research and proven in laboratory testing at the Kansas State Univeristy to reduce MRSA by more than 99 percent in 24 hrs on surface areas. This has enormous implications for reducing exposure to infection-causing germs.
Testing also porved that the units reduce other bacterias, viruses, yeast, mold, and fungi on surfaces by up to 99 precent. Products using ActivPure (RCI) have ben installed in schools, day care centers nursing homes and restaurants.
This technology is also available to consumers.
The distribution company to purchase this technology from is Envirotek Intl.
800-745-2990
http://www.activpure.com/envirotek
http://www.envirotekintl.info
Cindy // Dec 10, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I had MRSA as well, I have been in Health Care for almost 40 yrs and have never contacted anything in all that time. I noticed a place on my stomach that was red and itchy, the next day it was very painful and hard and hot. I went to Dr. had it cultured and was CA- MRSA, I was upset and in a lot of discomfort the medicine they had me take almost ruined my stomach. Finally I had to have it lanced and the I had more areas several at a time had to go to a special Infection Diease Dr. , put on many drugs.
The best treatment for me was I put a small amount of bleach in my shower gel and applied it to my body with every shower until this was resolved.
I still keep this on hand and wash at least once a week with this.
Tiffany // Dec 19, 2007 at 8:49 am
i agree with everything they all said and im sorry to all the ones that have experienced the mrsa infection. i wish yall all luck.
Tiffany // Dec 19, 2007 at 8:52 am
our school is doing a project on mrsa and i was on this website to see the differnt experiences other poeple have had to this infection. i wish all the ones that have had this luck and i am sorry. the research i have did on this has been a wild experience and i recomend that all of yall stay safe.
Donna // Dec 29, 2007 at 11:44 pm
A family member recently had surgery left the hospital and was told while in the hospital that she was positive as a carrier of MRSA. They kept her quarrantined with another MRSA patient. They discharged her based on her post-surgical status and told the family not to worry about the MRSA, “use precautions”. Infectious MD did state that due to my decreased immune system that I should “stay away”. Question is…how long? They say she can’t be retested for MRSA for 6 months. She has been home from the hospital for 10 days now and is beginning to visit others. Should she be sanitizing the surfaces she touches? New Years kisses–ok or not? How long does a carrier and others need to worry? Can she be tested sooner? Advice please!!
Renee // Mar 10, 2008 at 4:39 pm
I am 23 years old and feel the pain and anxiety of everyones story . I had my first experience with MRSA last April. Which hospitalized me for 3 days before they found a correct antibiotic. Since then I have had 14 outbreaks. I didn’t have any from Oct. 07- Feb 08. How? I don’t know. Do everything the same since the first one. I went to the ER with the one I have now and was sent home this time on 2 different antibiotics Bactrim 800mg twice a day and clindamycin 150mg four times a day. That was two days ago and my infection is getting more aggressive and worse. The day after I went in, we noticed it on my 14month old daughter. Took her in and she is on bactrim but her fever is remaining and hers hasn’t gone down yet either. I am uninsured and was just about to purchase insurance since we have spent thousands of dollars on medical bills. I do believe MRSA lives in our bodies as would a cold sore and reoccurs with nerves and peaks of weaker immunity. I could be wrong but my experiences seems that way. I’ve been prescribed the nasal cream to prevent it and an antibiotic wash but still have continue with problems. I wash my clothes the preventive way and clean my whole house with disinfectants. The one I have now is unexplainable. I usually have a open wound. This one is on my chest. Taking over the whole thing and is red and very swollen. They couldn’t do a normal culture. Only blood cultures. If I survive this one ok I don’t even want to know where the next one will locate and be like. My prayers are with all struggling as well.
KOFI GYAN // Apr 14, 2008 at 11:21 am
I had this strange flu which took different antibiotics to cure.Now l have this excruciating pain in bones and joints.I may go to test for mrsa.
Jill M. // May 1, 2008 at 11:54 am
I am a 35 year old female who has been living CA-MRSA positive for the past 2 years.
I had never heard of it before until June 18th, 2006. I had been out for a few drinks with my boyfriend. When we got back to his house things went terribly wrong. I must have said the wrong thing to him because he ripped off my close and dragged me across his dirty kitchen floor. I sustained a huge open wound on my tail bone as a result. It was taking forever to heal, and was always seaping liquid.
About two weeks after the incident I woke up with a big bite type bump on my rear end. I thought it was a spider bite or something. When it kept getting worse and more painful, I went to a local walk in clinic. The doctor there told me it must be a bug bite of some sort and that I had fleas in my apartment (I’m a huge neat freak so that was impossible and I don’t have animals). But he didn’t prescribe any antibiotics based on his assessment of the bug bite.
This infection got so bad, my whole right leg was red, hot and infected from my rear end to the top of my ankle. The head of the bump was black and hurt so bad. Finally when black puss started seaping out I went to the emergency room. I can’t even explain properly how bad my leg looked with the swollen redness of the infection going through my body. I was sick to my stomach, had a high fever and was starting to feel very faint. And the pain was unbareable.
Finally I was diagnosed with this MRSA and was treated for it. Had to have my sore drained, which was an episode in itself - I think I cleared my dr’s waiting room with my screams alone. I started getting a few more bumps in the same area - it was the worst couple of months of my life.
I am the most clean, careful and germophob person you’d ever meet, so something like this coming into my life was hard to take.
I’ve been out-break free for 2 years now but am constantly reminded of that one night everytime I look in the mirror - I still have all the scars.
Beth // May 27, 2008 at 1:44 pm
It should first be emphasized that MRSA is not the danger. Physicians, teachers, parents, and people reading blogs like this who don’t take into consideration the potential of MRSA in the diagnostic process is the danger. There are lots of irritated care givers and health care providers who would rather become hostile over the spread of information than to become part of the solution.
So here is our story: Jacob would have been 4 in June. But in early May he started with a fever and flu-like symptoms. His mom, my niece, started treating his symptoms: Tylenol and Advil rotated accordingly for his fever, pedialyte for his vomiting. As his fever became harder to treat, she began to survey his body - SHE had nearly died of a staff infection at age 3 1/2. Scalded Skin Syndrome is what she had.
She noted a small rash on his feet that seemed to be spreading up his legs to his trunk over the course of a day. By Sunday noon, he was achy, feverish, rash, and had not urinated in 12 hours. His last urination was dark. She called a Nurse-Line where she was advised he should go to the ER.
In the ER, the exam was limited. The doctor was dis-interested in his rash, hastily looked in his ears, and pushed his tummy to elicit a cry. Then he ordered a Chest xray.
The chest xray “… show[ed] a tiny spot” that he was “hesitant to even call pneumonia” but he did anyway and gave him a prescription for ORAL antibiotics - despite the history of vomiting.
He dismissed the rash.
He dismissed the fever and said to JUST give tylenol.
He dismissed the vomiting and said try Gatorade.
By 7:00 AM the next morning, Jacob was vomiting blood. By 8:00, he was non-responsive to painful stimuli. He was in septic shock. He was too dehydrated to get an IV. His pediatrician attended to him in the ER personally where they put a big needle in his leg bone and awaited a helicopter.
Jacob died 72 hours later from overwhelming bacterial infection. MRSA. Resistant to methicillin, but susceptible to 4 other antibiotics - delivered too late.
Jacob did not contract MRSA from a cut or wound. He inhaled the bacteria. A tiny white spot on his chest xray…
So if you read this story and you are so compartmentalized that all you can say is “… hos sad for your family, BUT…” then let me say to you:
I don’t apologize for one bit of hysteria that Jacob’s story causes. If one mother demands a CBC… a blood culture… something to be done for her sick child … well good. If it means 1000 extra tests on your work load to save one more precious boy like Jacob. Good.
We are human beings - not statistics and we have infinite potential. You can’t quantify that.
Marla Ryan // Aug 17, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I had Joshua in 2005. When he was 6 months old I walked into my doctors office with a painful bump on my wrist. I had staph. I have gotten it four times since then. The doctor said it was from the hospital most likely. My husband got staph a week later, and was hospitalized for 1 week. Now joshua is three and has been getting staph on a monthly basis. He has had it since he was born. He has eczyma and the doctors say that is a big part of it. He mainly gets it in the diaper area. We do the Septra, Hibicleanse bathes and the bactriban in the nose every month. We don’t share towels and we wash everything. It will probably never go away. I wish the CDC would find a cure. I don’t want lose anyone in my family.
Sophmom // Aug 18, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I found this site searching because a person in my office has been diagnosed with a skin problem that was identified through culture to be CA-MRSA. It seems to be responding to the anti-biotics but now he is sick with a fever/aches & I’m trying to convince him to tell the dermatologist who’s treating his MRSA.
BUT… what I’m commenting to say is to commenter, Kofi Gyan (if you’re getting follow up comment notification). It doesn’t sound to me like you have MRSA, but rather more that you’ve been floxed. You should look into the antibiotics you were given. JMHO.
Kim Stricker // Nov 11, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Hello:
I’m working with Copper Development Association (CDA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and market development of copper. So, why am I contacting you? Recent laboratory research performed under the EPA demonstrated that, when cleaned regularly, copper alloy surfaces kill more than 99.9% of several bacteria known to be human pathogens within two hours. We are working on building awareness of copper and it’s natural antimicrobial properties, specifically with the spread of MRSA. Education is key in fighting these deadly infectious diseases! We are currently working on a testimonial video of MRSA survivors who might be willing to share their experiences with us. The video will appear on the CDA’s website http://www.copper.org.
We need your help! Your story will be handled professionally and respectfully. I would like to speak with you more in-depth. Please let me know how to best get in touch with you. I can be reached via email: kimberly.stricker@comcast.net
Best Regards,
Kim Stricker
Associate Producer
Copper Development Association
jeremy mcgraw sr // Mar 4, 2009 at 10:36 pm
the very first story is exactly what i went threw over 8 times in 5 months and because i have no health insurance i received horrible treatment then after losing part of my leg from mrsa they did a culture and a nose swab and tell me im a carrier this was 3 and a half years ago now i just got out of the hospital and had a pik line put in for iv antibiotics i have terrible infections every month or so and im running out of options
thanks
just wanted to tell my story
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