MRSA Support Group

Staph infections are infections caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus. They include skin infections, pneumonia, blood poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, and food poisoning. Infection can happen through contact, especially if you have open wounds. Most infections are treatable with antibiotics. If you have been infected with staph, join the group for support and advice.

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gglaw3 04/21/2009

I read a great deal about MRSA on here ,and from other sources-the general info. I read deals primarily with MRSA's physical effects. How about the emotional toll on the patient/host and their family/friends? Ever since aquirign CA-MRSA about a year ago, I am constantly paranoid checkign my skin, having my wife check my skin. An honest to goodness pimple, that is what it appears as, sends my stomic into nauseas feelings of dread. The contant worryment that my 3 y/o autistic daughter may contract this dreaded illness fro m me, and my wife has me on ad aily emotional roller coaster. I admit, my MRSA has been no where near as butal as what I read on here, but it still is a concern for all involved, regardless of the level of physical suffering involved.

I tend to believe that there is not a precise cure for MRSA at the moment, but eventualy there will be. It seems to me that if this bacteria is not treated properly from the get go, we are screwed in the end, by having to reside in daily anguish, mental paranoia, and physical torture of awful side effects induced by useless antibotics and the typical doctor who are ignorant to the severity of this illness. That is another point I'd like to rase, is the psychological effects of dealing with incompetent doctors and nurses, I have dealt with several of them since aquring this bacteria. One primary docot clown ass jokingly informed me that I had MRSA, which he thought originaly might be Herpies!!! I never had an STD!!! He said oh, you;'ll be ok, this bacteria is just annoying, a nuisance more than anything else!!! This is adirect quote, why don't you try living with MRSA doc. I had my ID doctor not even want to see me when I had these massive pimple outbreaks on my chest, saying oh it's probably MRSA over the phone, and putting me on Bactrim, which made me puke for days on end. This type of uncaring-ignorance sounds like medical malpractice lawsuits to me. I just wonder how you all deal with the psychological trauma generated by MRSA. I pray often, but I am a typical CAtholic, of little faith. I've tried natural remedies, they have a limited efefct and not long lasting. My deal is emmersin myself in my graduate work, hoping that MRSA does not oneday snuff me out. Stay well, all of you.

deleted_user 04/21/2009

Hi gglaw,
Been a while! I agree with the emotional toll concern. I remember when my dog (yorkie) started acting unusual. I took him to the vet and he just said take him for more walks-he's bored. But I knew my dog-he never acted this way before. We took him for walks as much as we could-we knew how much he liked it. After that I realized-it was because of my crazy stressed out behavior! Anyway, reading how some people have it much worse may help. (it has helped me) Rossmarvin3 and poppycath are a few. I also found a simple little on-line game to KILL super bugs-gamesfree.ca super bug hunt
Burrying yourself in work allways helped me, but I'm not working rite now. I've been blessed/fortunate to have my MRSA at bay lately.
Hope this helps-mine appears where yours does.
KatyPaty

deleted_user 04/22/2009

I know mrsa is messing with my emotions. I am tired all the time, depressed, and I sleep poorly. Pain and worry cause all of that, and it cycles around to make me feel worse, because depression and fatigue diminish the effectiveness of the immune system!

I also feel dirty and ugly, no matter how clean and spiffed up I get, because I just *know* the bug is there, on me, in me. I worry that I will never date again, that my friends will reject me.

My concentration has diminished since I got mrsa, and it is effecting my job performance. I don't know if this is a toxin from the infection, or fatigue, or all of it rolled together.

To have some ignoramus doctor joke about it...how horrible. It's not an STD that one picks up socially. It came from medical practices, for God's sake -- what right does a doctor have to joke about it?

Wow, I guess I am kind of bitter. :-/ I need to work on that.

deleted_user 04/26/2009

Lately these rounds of outbreaks have been beating down a bit mentally. I have found myself crying out ot God; asking if I'm in my last days. I have good faith, and I am getting weary of the fight.

deleted_user 04/26/2009

My hubbys doctor is going to try something different. He wrote out a script for Zyvox to start taking when a rash or pimples start and not wait until the boils break out and need to be lanced. We will see if that works because starting on Zyvox when the boils are formed didn't seem to destoy the bacteria. If that doesn't work, then we are at a dead-end.

gglaw3 04/29/2009

I've taken lexapro to deal wit hthe stress from this and graduate school, among other things in my life-it seems to help. I wish you all well.

deleted_user 05/07/2009

I just posted another topic that deals with this in part.... I believe that people with MRSA can suffer many of the same feelings that people with HIV/AIDS felt/feel and that it is a terrible emotional strain. I believe that I have an element of PTSD over what happened to me - complete with nightmares and feelings of a "foreshortened future." A shrink tried to tell me initially that I shouldn't get PTSD from this because it was an infection, not a trauma.... I told her that it was a train-wreck and not only did I witness it, I had to fight to survive it. I've also noticed that I have "survivors guilt" in that I probably unknowingly spread it to other patients because they did not tell me that I was contagious. I have no way of knowing if even walking down the hallway and touching the rail led to someone else dying of this bacteria. I was on the med-surg unit and there were a lot of other vulnerable patients there. The hardest part for me is the anger over losing my career, my ability to do things that brought me so much enjoyment, not feeling comfortable being close to other people, etc. There is so much loss, even when you survive.

gglaw3 05/07/2009

I feel your pain focused. I never feel myself. I believe that there was the old me, prior to aquiring MRSA, and the post-MRSA self-identity. I am constantly paranoid about not only having it reoccur, but worse still, givign it tosomeone else, particuarly my three yea old autistic daughter-the whole experience turns my stomic chronicaly. Some days are more difficult than others coping with it all, but I still have faith that this is all temp., even if it costs me my life, it was all temporary. Be brave, when you want to.

deleted_user 05/07/2009

Thanks gglaw - I know what you are saying.... I have often described this experience as my "before MRSA" life and my "after MRSA" life. It isn't the same and I am having to accept that. I am feeling stronger today, and I find that if I try to take it one day at a time (very difficult for me since I like to be "focused" and organized) it does get a little easier.

deleted_user 05/10/2009

As I set here reading I think how could MRSA not affect every portion of your being..I know that many of you dont know me well but I have it about everywhere on the outside of my body as well as on the inside..I been slided and diced and made worse..I been given so many meds that make me sick and yet I still have MRSA..Been hopitalized several times..Most doctors have given up on me and dont want to treat..Not to mention I have been setting here with strep in my blood stream and it went into mentigitis...now Ecoli..so yea I am really quite sick..
I don't have the family and friends support my support comes from people I have met on the internet. And the NP and Rns and aides who help to care from me..
So do I feel shunned absouletly and terrified to even think of someone coming and hugging me..What if they end up like I do and did I infect someone else not even knowing what all I had with the MRSA? It is questions like that that messes with me mentally and causes me a great deal of pressure and of course depression..How could anyone live through all of this and not have depression..? I know I do..
Good Luck and God Bless You All..
Alvi

deleted_user 05/11/2009

I'm new here and hope you all don't mind if I jump in on this one. I definitely feel negative psych effects from this thing. Who in their right mind wouldn't, IMO? The first time I got it I was afraid to touch my young son. I was afraid to visit relatives. My sister already has Lupus. But I would surely like to see her more. My niece recently had a baby, and he is so cute, but I feel like I could contaminate him. He's 6 months old now and I've only seen him once.

Gone is the feeling of freely kissing a child I love or anyone for that matter on the cheek or forehead. I'm afraid to even shake their hand. Oh and forget ever wanting to date anyone.

deleted_user 05/11/2009

Hi! I just joined today because I wanted to share that the fear of spreading MRSA to others is a true concern., especially for parents of young children. My husband was officially diagnosed with MRSA in 2008., however had numberous outbreaks since 2006. Now 2009, myself and our 5 year old daughter most likely have MRSA. I'm awaiting my results from a culture taken earlier today. Emotionally it's very difficult to handle. We just take it one day at a time. Knowing we are not the first or only family to have MRSA helps. Others face the same challenges, and reaching out to share our experiences is the best suport. That's why we're all here.

deleted_user 05/24/2009

I definately can attest to the emotional rollercoaster. HOPE, is fleeting. Discouragement and despair seem to keep popping their nasty heads into my life. How do you make people understand that you would give anything you could to return to your productive life and career? How do you cope with losing your identify, your job, your income, your ability to take care of your kids, and other relationships? I am a resilient person, and always have been, but this is getting to me a LOT right now. I don't take enough pain meds because I don't want to sleep, then I spend all night worrying that I will lose my life to this. Because it's negated/downplayed by the health care community, we are invisible. I have found a few things that I can do that actually bring me a sense of peace and joy: and I am so upset that I cannot even do the other simple chores I used to do.

Lori

deleted_user 06/17/2009

It is so comforting to hear I am not the only one with this that has been going through an emotional roller coaster on a daily basis. My family continues to agree with my doctors that this is superficial and not a big deal, but I can't stop feeling unclean and infectious no matter what. I guess that is the point of a support group. We understand each other when no one else seems to. I really understand the poster who said that she can never freely feel like she can kiss a child or be close to another human without worrying about spreading MRSA to a loved one. That is perhaps the worse part for me. Much worse then the pain and discomfort that comes with the infections. I'm glad I joined this site. It does make me feel better to know I'm not alone.

deleted_user 06/17/2009

Hi Pregomrsa I know what you mean about being afraid of spreading the mrsa. Hubby and I are so afraid of the kids and grandkids getting it. I would feel guilty. One doctor will tell us it has to be skin to skin contact and the next doctor says they can get it by doorknobs, faucets, etc. Don't know who to belive. I don't think the doctors themselves know!!

deleted_user 07/22/2009

As my fav singer Sinatra so poignantly sings, "Only the Lonely Know" that is true and only the MRSA affected know..I was just recently diagnosed and the past week has been hell, mildly put..It has magnified my depression and anxiety and I am still recovering from Spinal surgery...i am so glad this site is here,,I will not be the same and I may have to see a shrink to cope...Amy

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