What is Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), asometimes referred to as a super staph infection, is a specific strain of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium that has develope...
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MRSA in the blood
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I'm curious if anyone else has had a MRSA blood infection. I fought mine 3 years ago. It started as a sore on my forehead that was terrible - way more than just a pimple. Then i got a bad folliculitis when i used a new deodorant. On labor day that year, I woke up early feeling absolutely horrible - I felt like I'd been run over by a semi-truck. I had aches, severe nausea, some vomiting, and a low-grade fever. I was taken to the ER where they tried to drain an area of the folliculitis without luck. I had some blood work done which looked good in the beginning. I was given some antibiotics and sent home with the flu.
When I followed up with my doctor 3 days later - I was feeling some better but my folliculitis was getting worse. He told my blood cultures were positive for MRSA - indicating a MRSA infection in the blood stream. The antibiotics I was on was keeping it under a little control so i felt a bit better but it wouldn't be enough to cure. By the next day I was headed to the hospital I worked for since it's in a downtown area and they were confident they could cure it (the small town hospital my doctor was affiliated with had no clue what to do). When I was admitted my folliculitis was now a huge, orange sized purple swelling in my armpit. We ultrasounded it but there was no obvious fluid to drain. I spent 6 days in the hospital receiving IV Vancomycin and eventually had a PICC line placed for home therapy for another couple weeks. On day 4 in the hospital, my arm started draining on it's own. It was horrible - I'm a nurse and I was disgusted. It wasn't pus, wasn't blood - it was a brown fluid - something I've never seen before and have yet to see again! My question is: has anyone dealt with this before? I do find I'm more prone to little boils on my inner thighs and folliculitis in my armpits more than ever. I've never needed anything drained by a doctor but I'm good at warm compresses and getting them to drain myself. Although I've seen a lot of MRSA in my career - never have I seen another with MRSA blood infection or MRSA Bacteremia as it's called. Posted on 11/04/09, 08:11 am |
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wow...
i am so emotional tonight. and im glad i read that in case you check this thread again. teared me up seriously. i cannot imagine having mrsa in the blood, no.. i can. it's my biggest fear and once we get older.. i'm of a diff brand so far. mine are minor. well, the first wasn't. but.. i've realized it's here to stay and it's scary and i fully expect either IT to kill ME or ME to kill IT... and im not going down without a fight but mrsa scares me. mrsa in the blood is horrifying. im not trying to freak you out. i just think you are so brave and im glad to see your pic with a smile. surviving is always good ... it makes me so happy, even though i dont know you but it makes me so scared b/c i dont trust this at all... 
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I'm sorry you're so emotional right now - MRSA sucks but it's not going to kill you - it is very difficult to manage to get it into your blood stream - very difficult. We're still not even sure how I managed to do it. It was very very obvious when that infection settled into my blood - I felt sicker than I've ever felt. Know your body will definitely tell you if it's fighting it. Just because you have skin MRSA infections does not mean you'll get the blood version.
I also am allergic to several antibiotics making things a bit more difficult. But I fought my battle and won. It was long, it definitely wasn't pleasant, but it didn't take me - you take it! There is a very small chance it could re-flare and for that reason I take excellent care of my health and my skin. Lots of vitamins, probiotics, healthy eating, and getting some good activity. Taking care of your body as a whole is key. And yes, having MRSA bacteremia was horrifying. As a nurse, I was being cared for by doctors I knew and to see the looks of not being 100% sure what to do was even scarier. But, I got through the worst of this disease and that means they learned something from me and that means others can be treated safely also! Anxiety and stress make our bodies more prone to illness - try to take a step back, relax, and smile. It'll take a lot more than MRSA to kill me!!
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