MRSA Support Group

Hi there. I am a nurse who has been fighting MRSA for over 4 years now. I don't think there is a "ranking" of who treats MRSA best; what kind of experience with MRSA are you having?
Lori

I had surgery 5 years ago for breast cancer, and had a lot of complications...but was never cultured. One year later I had surgery for a hernia repair (I had a tram flap reconstruction, gone bad) and shortly after the hernia repair, acquired another small, open wound that never healed. My surgeon kept telling me that I was going to "spit a stitch." Months later, he was going to change out an implant, and "look around," in my abdomen to see why it wasn't healing...but the billing office intervened and said I couldn't do it without $2500 down payment because I have really bad insurance now (pre-existing condition.) So, I didn't have $2500, so I waited...never spit a stitch...never got better insurance. Last year, I got a swollen area just above the wound, my PCP cultured it and it was MRSA. The local hospital won't type it...something about getting permission from the CDC, but I have to prove that I need to know what kind it is. The PCP says he's sure it's HA, 'cause I've has the wound since surgery. The good news is, he thinks it's encapsulated and draining from the wound, and that's why I'm not sick. I was treated for 8 to 10 weeks with Doxycycline and it seemed improved, almost healed, but in a short time after stopping the meds, it came back. Now I'm finishing 8 weeks, the PCP recommends surgery. I had a consultation with a surgeon where I think I got the infection....he's suggesting some major surgery, left open to drain and heal from the inside out...huge expense...I can't afford to be off work that long. Really don't know what to do, but want a second opinion from someone really good. My PCP is internal medicine and knows something about infectious disease... but would like a 2nd anyway...preferrably in the Northeast.

Thanks....

Unfortunately, your experience is not unique. I am sorry that you have had such a hard time with this. You have had to fight one enemy (cancer) and now another one (MRSA). It's always better to have an idea of what the game plan is when fighting an illness, so MRSA makes us crazy by not playing by the rules. One thing my surgeon told me is that once an infection has made a "lining" (like a balloon that fills with pus), you can drain the fluid, but you have to remove the lining too so that the rest of the tissue can heal right. I understand your worry about surgery, but you may not need to be off work for too long. When wounds heal from the inside out, they are allowed to granulate (form healing tissue) that fills in the wound. You will probably be putting soft packing into the wound and keeping it covered until it heals. If you live in the United States, apply for Medicaid. Call the hospital your surgeon works at and ask for the social work department. Someone there can help you find resources or applications. There are some pharmacies that provide some antibiotics for free around the country, and there are also compassionate need programs that the drug companies support. If you are on the East coast, check out the National Institutes of Health: there are many clinical trials being done on MRSA: perhaps you can be part of a trial where your care is paid for?

Lori

Thank you...I found three clinical trials yesterday and sent e-mails...I don't know if I qualify...and I don't qualify for medicaid in PA...