Survivors Stories

Survivors and Their Families Share Stories & Experiences.

Please email your story over and specify if you would like it published on the website. Telling our story helps others to understand this disease.

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Delores

My name is Delores. I was first diagnosed with MRSA in April of 2010. I knew I wasn’t feeling well and from an early age got cysts in certain areas of my body. I would normally get 1 every couple months. I awoke one morning to find HUGE cysts under both my arms, had an alarming fever and pain I could not even put into words. I had no idea what MRSA was so when the Dr told me I had the “H” strain of MRSA I had no idea what I would be dealing with. I never imagined it would control my life for almost 2 years now. I have had 7 operations, PIC lines placed 3 separate times for IV medications for over 14 weeks & numerous hospital stays. My immune system has been compromised on numerous occasions to the point I didn’t leave my home for fear of getting even sicker. People who do not understand MRSA can not begin to grasp the effect it has on you, not just physically, but also mentally & emotionally. I am lucky because I have great doctors and an amazing support system to rely on. I am still dealing with MRSA now so I don’t know if I can call myself a MRSA survivor, but I AM A MRSA FIGHTER! Thank you for having a place where we can go. It helps to know your not alone in this fight!!

Steve

I am a survivor of MRSA, back in 2007 my fiancee and I came back from a cruise, we were making wedding plans, she was a nurse and when she went back to work she got a patient positive for strep infection but no one told her about it, by Wednesday she felt sick and by Friday she was very sick. I took her to the emergency room on Saturday night but they did not pick on the fact she had MRSA at first, but by Sunday she had swollen up like a balloon and her daughters had taken her back to the hospital on Sunday, by the time they found out that she had MRSA it was too late, I had proposed to her Saturday night and 36 hours later on Monday morning she was dead, but I had no Idea what she had, so in my grief I kissed her on the lips good bye.

I myself had just completed my 3 round of antibiotics for sinusitus so it slowed down the spread of the infection, but 12 weeks to the day later I came down with it not knowing what I had, it started as a big bulls-eye on the back of my left upper thigh and continue to get worse, a local doctor who was treating me said this is out of my field, go to the ER. I did and they sliced it open and squeezed a huge mound of puss out of it, gave me stronger antibiotics and sent me home not knowing what I had, and by four days later I could not keep down even water, as I threw up even the water I drank, my mother begged me to go back to the ER, so I called a church friend to drive me to the ER that Sunday night. They keep me in a separate bay in the ER all night putting bag after bag of antibiotics into me to no avail and admitted me on Monday morning, I was by then totally out of it, in and out of my right thinking and going downhill fast, I overheard the doctors discussing surgery to cut off my left leg to save my life if it was not brought under control by the next afternoon, by then I had had eight to ten bag of IV antibiotics, and they brought in a disease specialist as a consultant and she knew immediately what I had and changed my antibiotics right away and by the next afternoon I was on the mend and she filled me in on what had happened and that I had probably picked it up from my fiancee.

For the next 13 weeks I had to do daily self infusion of the same antibiotics at home to kill it all off. I am grateful that they consulted a disease specialist or I would be dead or at least minus a leg. Now any surgery I have to have I get checked for MRSA before the surgery, I dodged death once I am not interested in doing it again, that is my story, I am fortunate to be a survivor.

Becky

My son’s illness was disclosed in a high school year book at the end of the 10th grade and his athletic stats were given to others – he is now entering 12grade-we moved and I feel he has robbed him of a future of scholarships perhaps even entering a university. He had overcome blindness in the right eye and was blindsided by this illness that a school, hospital and majority of township new about and chose a new comer to publicly display by himself! I don’t know what to do to help him. I wanted to know there was risk as the coach gave him a knee pad that others used. Policies need to be intact and people informed. Instead I feel like my family was forced to stay quiet (or other things could happen). We moved but I still fear not far enough. I pray everyday that everything my son has worked for, achieved and overcome will find a way to be happy him happy.

Brian

My twin brother died on April 26, 2011 from a “mysterious” infection. The hospital could not locate the source until one week before he died and the infection had spread through his body. I believe it was from emergency surgery he had for pneumonia on Oct. 04, 2010. The story really begins on Aug. 4, 2010 when he fell from a seizure he had at the supermarket right before he was going to get on his bike to come home. He had a seizure condition for quite a few years and was prone to have seizures but that’s another story. His fall banged him up pretty good but he survived and by Dec., 2010 he was returning to the normal person he used to be before the head injury (there was no long term damage). On October 1, 2010 he had to be taken back to the hospital though because he was weak. It turned out his lungs were filling up with fluid and emergency surgery had to be performed 3 days later. After that things were ok up until about March 2011 when he became weak again. For approximately 8 weeks he was in and out of the hospital and the doctors treated him for atrial flutter (it didn’t work or only worked for a brief period). The whole time the doctors were mystified about what was wrong with him until finally one week before he died they did a probe into his heart and found some material on one of his heart valves. They said it would require long term antibiotics to get rid of the infected piece which takes approx. 6-8 weeks. By then it was too late because the infection had spread to his blood, his kidneys were failing and his heart rate was way too high. He died the following week. The cause of death listed on the Death Certificate was endocarditis and atrial fibrillation. There was no listing of the infection which was the source of the endocarditis and the a-fib. I want to do all I can to help this organization. Please contact me. Thanks.

Jan – 55 years old

I am a 55 year old female, at the time I was very healthy, until I went in for a tattoo at a new salon in town, I contacted MRSA there, as my new tattoo got red hot and swollen my arm became very sore and pus filled areas developed. As MRSA traveled through my body I became very sick almost with flu like aches and then a large red hot area came out on my right flank, long story is I had to have surgery to remove the MRSA from inside my body, the wound measured about 4 inches deep and about 4 inches wide, many long days ahead of me with dressing changes and no paycheck to help me. My life has never been the same, a few months later I developed several blood clots in my lungs, back to the hospital for me. I found out that in my state of Pennsylvania, tattoo salons do not have to be inspected by the board of health, with such and invasive procedure being done I was shocked by the news, my hair stylist has to be board certified and her salon is inspected as well, same as the nail salons here.. I have survived this ordeal and suffer everyday with panic attacks when I have chest pain for fear of more blood clots and fear of MRSA coming back. This being said please be careful of getting a tattoo and or body piercing.

Unnamed

My twin brother died on Apr.26, 2011 from a “mysterious” infection. The hospital could not locate the source until one week before he died and the infection had spread through his body. I believe it was from emergency surgery he had for pneumonia on Oct. 04, 2010. The story really begins on Aug.4, 2010 when he fell from a seizure he had at the supermarket right before he was going to get on his bike to come home. He had a seizure condition for quite a few years and was prone to seizures but that’s another story. His fall banged him up pretty good but he survived and by Dec., 2010 he was returning to the normal person he used to be before the head injury (there was no long term damage). On Oct.1 , 2010 he had to be taken back to the hospital because he was weak. It turned out his lungs were filling up with fluid and emergency surgery had to be performed 3 days later. After that things were ok up until about March, 2011 when he became weak again. For approximately 8 weeks he was in and out of the hospital and the doctors treated him for atrial flutter (it didn’t work or only worked for a brief period). The whole time the doctors were mystified about what was wrong with him until finally one week before he died they did a probe into his heart and found some material on one of his heart valves. They said it would require long term antibiotics to get rid of the infected piece which takes approx. 6-8 weeks. By then it was too late because the infection had spread to his blood, his kidneys were failing and his heart rate was way too high. He died the following week. The cause of death listed on the Death Certificate was endocarditis and atrial fibrillation. There was no listing of the infection which was the source of the endocarditis and the a-fib. I want to do all I can to help this organization.

Zachary

I am Zachary from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.. I’m fairly happy and outgoing though there is a lot of things I do that is confusing to others I love laugh and try my best to live it up along with trying to give my advice as well as possible to others .. I love too much sometimes and was really close to a girl who ended up infecting me with MRSA. I had it first on my upper thigh and figured it would just go away. And it did. Kept going on and on and I got worse 2 years down the road I have had infections on my ankle to my calf. To my thigh side and chest-on my back and shoulders.. And of late the favorite place for them to linger is on my face. I have now had over 5 outbreaks on my face. Leaving vicious scars and though I have only tried going to the doctor several times they all go away. But now my head hurts all the time. And whenever I have a scab on my infection underneath there is a hole that you can see into about the size of a pen clicker. And it closes up when it heals. My worry is – what if every MRSA infection I have now is locked on to my brain- I can’t see it but I don’t know if my headaches are from them or lack of a good diet. So I’m done causing pain to my body, please tell me of any natural remedies I can take to flush my system out. I think I can fight this I have held on this long. Please, anyone that can help please do along with asking me for any advice or if you just need a friend to talk to- Love you all. FIGHT

Jane – 24 years old

My name is Jane from South Bend, Indiana, and I am 24 years old. I was a very sick child; and at the age of 24 months I was diagnosed with having a life threatening cystic cerebellar astrocytoma on my brain stem. After extensive brain surgery, a shunt placement surgery,and learning how to walk again, I was safe. Or so it seemed. Requiring constant check ups my family was forced to drive the three hours to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis several times a year. On one such visit at the age of seven I was sick with the flu. Running a fever of 107, I was unable to walk and needed the use a wheelchair. Having never used a wheelchair before I accidentally came into contact with the wheels several times; and after the office reflex tests I rubbed my eyes. The next morning I awoke unable to open my eyes. They had swelled significantly and sealed shut. I was hospitalized locally for a week and it was found that I had Periorbital cellulitis, caused by Staphylococcus. After long treatments of intravenous antibiotics I seemed to be all better. Around the time that I hit puberty I noticed one day what I thought to be acne on my face. I washed my face, used astringents, and special spot treatment. Nothing worked, and in fact, seemed to make it worse. It became extremely painful and over the course of a weekend it had spread across my face and chest. My family doctor finally took a culture and it came back as staphylococcus aureus, but I knew it was MRSA. The infection disappeared but then began gracing my face periodically. Going through middle and high school are hard enough, but doing it with an infection that covers your face and chest with crusty, yellow, scabs, and dissolves your skin… It was difficult, but I rarely let it effect my social life, and that was mostly based on personal shame. But I never allowed it to alter my relationships, and I was very careful never to give it to my boyfriends. Two months ago, at the age of 24, I marched into my Dr.’s office during an outbreak. Enough was enough and I have become weary of being a carrier. Having it for so long, one might think I was not longer bothered by my outbreaks. And while they are a part of my life now, I still cry and feel like a freak. My joints ache and I feel weak and lethargic all the time. I can feel the toll on my body more and more every day as I get older. I told my doctor that I would no longer host this virus and wanted a way to eradicate it. The use of nasal Mupirocin and oral Keflex three times a day for a month did nothing to kill the colonization in my sinuses and my newest culture came back positive for MRSA, I am engaged, and praying they can find a cure. If not tomorrow, then before I get married and start a family.

Teresa

It has been over 2 yrs since I had MRSA boils under my armpit. I was lethargic, had shortness of breath, heart palpatations, dizzy, unbearable leg aches, and a boil or 2 every month. After taking antibiotics the boils would come back. I put myself on a mostly alkaline diet, ate 16-20 fresh chopped garlic cloves every day (aggressive bagels and cream cheese helped to eat) I drank colloidal silver, drank turmeric in tomato juice. Used chelated maganese and magnesium, used ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder) ate lemon for alkaline value. I put 100% tea tree oil up my nose several times a day as well as directly on my boils. I bleached my bathroom after every use and did not wipe, let it soak… I initially used Hibiclens to kill all bacteria, then after a week or so used plain active yogurt as a after bath lotion….everywhere, covered my body. There were other things but these were the biggies. Clean obsessively with bleach colorfast or not. Throw away all hygiene products. Take a week or 2 off work and clean your home, your insides and your outside body. Rest when your body says rest, go to bed early. Within 1 week I was feeling better. Within 2 weeks, I felt brand new. I took lots of probiotics, yogurt and kraut. I did a 3 month detox/colon cleanse…after my home program, that I ordered online. I am MRSA free….really…no strange diet, no weird products. Normal life. MRSA is everywhere….I could get it again. But I know it will be a new infection if it happens. But I know how to kill it….I never want to go through it again, but I don’t have the hopelessness like I did. Please research these things and do something! Save you…save your friends and family and everyone you come into contact with. Please try, get out of the circle of antibiotics, MRSA, more antibiotics, more MRSA….you won’t be afraid to touch people and get them sick….You can beat it, maybe different MRSA different products, I don’t know, I’m not a doctor or scientist. But I killed my MRSA. Please look for a way to kill your MRSA. I pray for all of us.

Susan

My ex husband and i share a child together. He is a wonderful father, and I never once considered the possibility of having to raise our daughter without him in the picture.

He is a very strong healthy man, 39 at the time of the MRSA septicemia event. He lifted weights a lot and had injured a shoulder years back, and had problems off and on with inflammation there. He has a background of working in surgery and as a hospital nurse; both are places he may have been exposed to MRSA strains.
He developed increased pain in a shoulder area over a few weeks. He didn’t think much of it, as he struggled with inflammation there, and had for years. Then one Friday at work, he began feeling sluggish, exhausted, poor appetite, increasing pain in the old shoulder site, and didn’t really know WHAT was wrong. He finished working that day, went home, and wound up in the emergency room. The pain was becoming intolerable in the shoulder area, and extreme weakness and fatigue. He was also having nausea, the pain was so severe. The hospital drew lab, checked vitals at that time, but essentially just treated him for pain and sent him home, told him to go “sleep off” the pain medicine… well, if he had, he would be dead today. His mother talked him into going to HER house for observation. She said, she didn’t like that they had NO idea why he was so sick, or why his pain was so severe in the first place. Well, with each passing hour, he became more and more weak, and sick. He began having a lot of loose stool and nausea and vomiting. His mother tried to get him into her car to return him to the ER but he already had become too weak to ambulate. She called an ambulance and they rushed him to the hospital. He was in a coma before he ever made it there. The next several weeks were touch and go, the ICU doctors basically told family to share their goodbyes, as they did not expect him to survive. He was so unstable, on a ventilator, IV drips to keep his blood pressure high enough to keep him from dying. They ended up using an experimental drug, for septic shock, that was risky they said, but they felt they had nothing to lose. Prayers and the drug must have worked, he turned around and eventually has nearly made a full recovery. He did have to go back, weeks later, and have some BONE removed in that shoulder area, the site where he kept telling healthcare staff, was giving him so much pain. Turns out, the MRSA was in the shoulder BONE. It couldn’t be healed by medications, IV or otherwise, and a portion of bone eventually was just removed. To look at him today, you’d never know he was once so close to death, from MRSA. He says he still doesn’t feel he’s as strong as he once was. And he says he has some problems from time to time with focus, and memory, that he doesn’t think he had before. But overall, we are so very thankful that he lived, and most importantly, i hope that hospital emergency rooms, and doctor offices everywhere, will learn to recognize the early signs and symptoms of septicemia. Early treatment can be the difference between life and death. And we’re talking hours, and minutes here… because with septicemia, it occurs so rapidly, one only has a small window of time to recognize what one is dealing with.

Derwyn

I am a MRSA survivor from East Greenville, PA. I have been looking for an organization that raises awareness for this deadly disease. I spent about 35 days in the hospital along with 7 surgeries and left me with a scar that starts at my ankles and goes almost up to my knee. It all started in school one day, in which I felt like my leg was broken, but I hadn’t done anything that day that would have injured me. I skipped football and had no idea what to tell me coach what was wrong with me! I went home and spiked a fever of 104 and was rushed to Grandview Hospital and was placed in a small room and was truly neglected. IT WAS AWFUL. From there I was diagnosed with a broken leg, but I still insisted on the fact that I hadn’t done anything to my leg. They said it was a “hair line fracture” so they casted my leg up. Day after day my leg hurt and hurt and hurt so I told my mom we have to go to the hospital because something isn’t right. They said that adjusting to a new cast is a difficult thing to do but I knew something was wrong. The thing was my leg had continued to swell up against the cast and became unbearable. They ended up cutting off my cast and could not figure out what was wrong with me. I took test after test and finally one day the doctors took my parents outside of the room to explain the fact that I had MRSA and my parents walked into my room in tears. I was immediately rushed in for surgery. I also had pneumonia that could have killed me along with MRSA that was traveling up my leg and would have killed me within 24 hours if the doctors hadn’t discovered my illness. From there on it is quite a blur for I was hooked up to every IV possible. Oh yeah they placed me in a coma to place an IV straight into my heart. Back to the surgery it is my understanding that they had to drill a hole into my ankle bone to rid the MRSA. I don’t exactly know the process and would rather not know. I must have taken every drug prescription possible because I can’t remember much detail! What I do know, 7 surgeries really took a toll on me and I am SOOOO grateful to be alive. Check out my facebook page to see my scar it is pretty graphic. I contacted this website because I want to make a difference in peoples’ lives and hope to put an end to this deadly disease. I am looking to start a MRSA Awareness Day in Pennsylvania and raise money for this program! I thank those doctors for saving my life and God for his grace. I hope to make a difference, please send me any information that I could start a fundraiser in my school or community. THANK YOU.

Carolyn

Hi I am 33 yrs old. I have two young children ages 3 and 4, Isaiah and Madissen. I have been sick since the age of 17. I had so many tests for all the wrong reasons from being cut open 3 times to being put on drugs by psychologists. They actually tried to tell me it was in my head. It started with stomach pain and uterus pain to always feeling exhausted and in chronic pain. Dr’s have been rude and some ok. My mental state was actually declining so I struggled with depression from chronic pain and no answers. We’ll after my daughter was born she too was ill. I also had a cyst on my breast. Also one on my face which I thought was due to hormonal changes. They kept telling me Maddie was ok. II breastfed my baby and kept telling the father something was wrong. Her breathing seemed short with ongoing fever. The father left me and I met Isaiah’s dad. We’ll, he was born and the father wasn’t in his life. So all alone I battled being sick and with two sick children. Isaiah had the same thing ongoing, stomach pain gastric reflux and rashes but also chronic ear and eye sinus pain with no luck from antibiotics. So now I’m telling them I know there something wrong. Same replies- nothing is wrong. I ended up having an emergency colonoscopy and the Dr. had no answers for why my intestines presented a sore. He said he was not going to listen to my story about a bad bacteria. I thought it could be real. I saw white discharge with blood and when it came it was a horrific pain. Still no answers. My sick kids and I are on welfare- not really great. I lost most of my friends. I lost my teenage years now in my 30′s and still suffering. Last summer a big cyst appears. So it finally really shows its face. I see Dr’s again. At this point I’m sick of doctor’s but again they tell my I’m not contagious, it’s just a cyst. We’ll my new boyfriend caught it and they told him the same thing. We’ll they were so huge and painful. After it came back 3 times they test it and it comes back MRSA. My daughter get’s a cyst on her head but no one at the CHEO children’s hospital of Eastern Ontario will take a swab. I wrote letters, I begged, they told me my kids were not as sick as the kids in there are. They finally gave the test. They swabbed both kids noses telling me they don’t think it’s that. The test came back negative. I decided to go somewhere where they test the wound and voila MRSA positive. My poor child has been suffering. Ongoing rashes in vagina they say it doesn’t cause that. Lies lies lies. They tell me it’s not MRSA in my body. I saw the discharge that came out my rectum (sorry) I know the pain it causes and my left hip and my back hurt so bad also every month or so it travels through me into different areas in my body like uterus and my colon. Someone has to listen because I feel like my son and I are going to end up with sepsis, we are going to die. He stopped breathing at night when his infection is at its worst. Stomach pain is rough too. He presses up against a table to push his poo out. He shakes and his fever’s get really bad. They won’t decolonize us -why? I need some help people, before I lose my children or they lose me or both. I’m on welfare, I can’t afford even all the gauze and the diet to build immunity. Maybe my case is different maybe it mutated from being inside me for 17 yrs. Why won’t they treat and listen to us. Maddie underwent surgery last week for a giant cyst near her bum hole. It’s so painful to watch a little girl in pain. I wish I could take it away. I told them once it’s gone it will come back somewhere else they told me no. They gave me no antibiotics. Truthfully I’ve read so much now and I lived with this long enough now that I could be useful to them in recognizing the patterns and how it affects your body as a whole and not just on the skin as they say. I even thought about suicide so they can autopsy my body to save my children. I can’t leave them. I am a survivor and I will survive for my kids but I need help. I will not stop this fight, I will not back down. Don’t let those Dr’s bully you like they are doing to me. Stand your ground and don’t back down. Thank you for listening, there is so much more I have to share. Let’s win this battle. I cry everyday for everyone who suffers in this world. I pray for everyone who suffers any kind of illness. It hurts to live with pain, it hurts the heart and soul but it made me strong and aware of humanity and the pain other’s feel.

Jenna-26 years old

Today is day 31 and I still have MRSA. I am in a long distance relationship, six hours from my home (Northern Wisconsin), I ended up in an Illinois hospital for 9 days.. I then became an outpatient with a picc line in my arm for further care. I have MRSA on my head/face. One morning I felt as though someone had punched me in the eye. All day i had this feeling. I started to notice my eye becoming swollen. I did go to an ER they told me I had a food allergy (I have none that I am aware of). The next morning I had awoken to a 3/4 shut left eye very swollen and a lump on my forehead. You could see fluid all over as well. I later went back to the ER where I was then transferred and admitted to a new hospital. The first week in the hospital (my first ever hospital stay) was the worst week of my life. I did not know pain existed on levels such as this. I now have a total of five Drs. I felt as though I was on an episode of House- people scrambled to find what was wrong with me. One Dr. decided to go ahead with surgery and remove the lump on my head, only I came out of surgery with a drain in my head to flush the fluid out. Something I hope to never experience ever again. After a few days of the drain in it was taken out. Over a week after my stay I was finally told I have MRSA. I never even heard of it. I was then kept in isolation for several days and released with a picc line as an outpatient. My Dr. told me I’m young and healthy. We don’t know how I got MRSA. Unfortunately I have this living in fear feeling now. It’s not gone yet, but I’m hoping it is. I don’t ever want to experience this nightmare again. Knowing other people have it is sad to me, but I know I’m not alone.

Alysa

Two years ago I was preparing for my wedding.  I had gone to a routine dermatological appointment in which I had a significant amount of open skin.  A few days had past and I developed extremely painful “sores” on my lower abdomen.  I thought it was just ingrown hair or something.  I was feeling ill and getting smaller sores all over my body.  The more concentrated they got the more scared I had become.  I went into urgent care where I was harassed and told that I had to have gone to a hotel hot tub, and had folliculitis.  I was given  a prescription and as I was getting my prescription, my pharmacist said something that made me rethink what the first doctor had told me.  I called my to-be mother in law who had previously been a nurse to discuss the diagnosis and my fears.  After her talking about my symptoms in a much more serious diagnosis, things the doctor had overlooked and or ignored. I called another office to get a second opinion.  As the nurse practitioner reviewed all the info and seen the spots on my body she explained what MRSA was and that she was testing me for it.

A couple days later she called me with the bad news and had me come in to see the doctor.  He didn’t hesitate and got me on the table and after a seriously painful and scary list of events, lanced 3 spots.  He then had me get a blood test and told me if that came back positive I needed to IMMEDIATELY come back to the hospital or a hospital (as I was supposed to have gone to my best friend’s wedding shower) to be put on IV treatment.  It was thankfully not in my blood but I was told to frequently check my temperature and if I ever got a fever to go in and get checked out.  It went away for a month until I got a cut on my hand.  I had another abscess under my arm, and after going to the doctor while it was small, hel told me I was overreacting and to go home.  A week later it was the size of a baseball and he lanced it and proved himself wrong.  He then told me I had to live with this the rest of my life.   Overreacting huh? I have my life ahead of me and I am working at making the best of it, but not a day goes by I don’t have to deal with it one way or another.  It’s always on my mind, and as a now single person, how do I explain this to a potential mate? If I get the opportunity to have children I put them at risk not to mention if I would have to have a c- section? Every day things like being with friends, using the same toilets, shaving, working… it’s not easy especially when you have to LIVE WITH IT. – I have a lot more to say and want to be proactive in preventing this for our future.

Jan – 55 years old

I am a 55 year old female, at the time I was very healthy, untill I went in for a tattoo at a new salon in town, I contacted MRSA there, as my new tattoo got red hot and swollen my arm became very sore and pus filled areas developed. As MRSA traveled through my body I became very sick almost with  flu like aches and then a large red hot area came out on my right flank, long story is I had to have surgery to remove the MRSA from inside my body, the wound measured about 4 inches deep and about 4 inches wide, many long days ahead of me with dressing changes and no paycheck to help me..My life has never been the same, a few months later I developed several blood clots in my lungs, back to the hospital for me..I found out that in my state of pennsylvania, tattoo salons do not have to be inspected by the board of health, with such and invasive procedure being done i was shocked by the news, my hair stylist has to be board certified and her salon is inspected as well, same as the nail salons here.. I have survived this ordeal and suffer everyday with panic attacks when I have chest pain for fear of more blood clots and fear of MRSA coming back. This being said please be careful of getting a tattoo and or body piercing

Frank

In September of last year I was diagnosed with MRSA it was really bad. I had it in my lungs, then it spread rapidly it went from my lungs to my blood to my heart to my organs. I died and came back and I was in a drug induced coma for 6 weeks. i was then released from the hospital in November, with what we thought as a clean bill of health, but it was not true. Three months after I was released I was back in the hospital. I now have MRSA in my hip and pelvis bones and am being treated for it as we speak. I just wanted to thank you guys for everything you do on this website it is really helpful … I wrote my story to share with people. I want to share this traumatic story with people.

Caleb 7 – Texas

My son Caleb is 7 and we began dealing with MRSA two years ago. He probably acquired it while in the hospital due to an illness. Caleb has several health conditions but severe eczema utlimately left him vulnerable to MRSA. He has had numerous hospitalizations because of it and now we are running out of answers and options. His immune system is attacking him on top of it. That leads to breakage in his skin and more MRSA infections. Now he is having to take a drug to supress his immune system in a last ditch effort to stop his immune system from attacking him. He is homebound and has to stay away from any unnessasary contact with other people. Which means no school, friends, even a trip to Wal-mart. As a mom I am heartbroken. The first time I held him I, like most moms made him a vow to protect him. I imagined the future and all he could be. What I did not imagine was a doctor telling me he could die. No mother should have to hear that. Hearing a doctor tell you MRSA can and will kill your child because they can’t fight it much longer is something no one should experience. Hearing them tell you they don’t know what to do anymore. Listening to your child cry because he has no quality of life anymore. These are all things that could be prevented! This has gotten way out of hand. How many people have to suffer before it is realized how big of a problem this is? I wish this on no one but until our healthcare system changes the likelihood is that more families will suffer. We need answers. They come in the way of government funding so we can find a solution, cure, something. Sadly we are running out of time.

Andrea, 23

I am 23 years old and in late October of last year (2010) I was told I had an infection called M.R.S.A. which led me to be in isolation for seven days and six nights. This put a toll on my relationship as well as me losing about one and a half paychecks.

It started in early October when I noticed a abscess just below my belly button which at a local hospital they lanced and drained there again causing me to be out of work and I lost another paycheck. Then in the midst of all the stress and the healing process began. With a quick check I found another abscess this time located on my groin area as I went to the same local hospital they insisted it was nothing without even really checking it out they gave me some IV medication and a prescription for some pills which my boyfriend and could not afford to pay for. So his mother had to by the medication for me and also paid for the walk-in clinic that I went to just a few days after the hospital visit. As soon as I went in the doctor took one look at my groin and said “honey I’m sorry but I think you have M.R.S.A. and I’m sending you to the hospital that I work at”. He then proceeded to give me a hug and again my boyfriend’s mother had to take me to the hospital. As I arrived I was alone with no one but nurses and doctors looking and putting needles into my body. Once they were done with the lancing on the second abscess along with a culture of my nose and wound, I was put into a room. I was alone and scared and unaware of what was really going on. My veins are extremely hard to find and once found they are even harder to use for medication and blood cultures and in this I received my very first picc line. The doctors and nurses were there by my side and all so my boyfriend. Around 2am the next day they woke me from my sleep and transported me to an isolation room and that is where I had stayed for seven days and six nights with heavy medication that gave horrible nausea.

But just recently I had another outbreak of M.R.S.A. on my inner thigh along with Urinary Tract Infection. Once again I rushed myself over to the walk-in clinic where the same doctors helped me last time where there (all the doctors who work at this clinic work at the hospital that I went to and received amazing care). They prescribed antibiotics, cream and wash where the M.R.S.A. has gone for now.

Thank you for bringing awareness to this.

Regetta

first contracted a MRSA infection in January of last year. I have fibromyalgia which weakened my immune system. I went to a emergency care center for a cut on my finger. A few days later I had a small MRSA on the finger next to it. When that healed I got a large boil on my rear end. The doctor prescribed bactrim. 3 days later the boil was bigger and more painful than ever. I went to the E.R. The emergency room doctor told me I had impressed him which wasn’t good. My large boil now had a circle of smaller boils around it, and that’s when my journey on the MRSA roller coaster started. I am resistant to bactrim, clydamicine, doxydocyline, and one other antibiotic they wanted to try. The nightmare of boils healing and new ones appearing one after another went on for months. When the doctors wanted to give me vancomycin, I drew the line. It did not make any sense to put my body through this when it only continued to get worse. I looked to alternative treatments and completely stopped listening to my doctors. I had done what they told me for ten months, and was only getting worse. I started eating raw honey and garlic because they have natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. I took several other vitamins c, e, fish oil, grapeseed extract, green tea extract, and tried to reduce stress. I also stopped using the anti-bacterial soaps and taking the antibiotics. I haven’t had a MRSA since November. I did still wash my sheets daily, and use anti-bacterial cleansers in my household. I was very frustrated that the doctors never suggested anything other than more antibiotics. If nothing has worked for you, and you need something different, I hope my story helps.

Christina

On the morning of October 28th, 2010 I noticed a small lump in my left axillary. I chalked it up to perhaps an ingrown hair or infected follicle and went on about my day. Mid-day I noticed my arm beginning to swell and turm bright red nearly down to my elbow. I went to the local “urgent care” and was told it was an abcess hair follicle, the stuck a syringe into the nodule and with no drainage they sent me home. By night fall i was so deathly sick, arm swollen 4 times its normal size an a fever of 106.7 i went to the E.R. My body had begun to turn septic and shut down. For the next three days I recieved IV antibiotics until my arm finally exploded like a gunshot wound. The next month I spent going to the wound clinic, having 21.5 ft. of gauze packed into my arm and left breast. Although that wound has begun to heal, i have had 4 other areas break out in the same region. Every time I finish taking my antibiotics within three days I begin to turn septic with severe cellulitis in my left arm. My body is so tired, I await the day this ends!

Freda

I am a nurse and contracted MRSA from another hospital after an abdominal hysterectomy. I was on all the big antibiotics to cure it but it was to little to late and now it is colonized in my blood and I can no longer be a nurse after 25 years. I almost died numerous times from the infection and it has ruined my life. I am unable to find an lawyer to help me as the burden of proof is on me, even though I know when and where I got it. I have had over 25 surgeries to try and get it out of my system but it is killing me a little at a time. I will fight until I can’t anymore. If my dying from this and getting someone to take notice then I will have done what I should do. My prayers go out to everyone that must battle this.

Christina

On the morning of October 28th, 2010 I noticed a small lump in my left axillary. I chalked it up to perhaps an ingrown hair or infected follicle and went on about my day. Mid-day I noticed  my arm beginning to swell and turn bright red nearly down to my elbow. I went to the local “urgent care” and was told it was an abcess hair follicle, the stuck a syringe into the nodule and with no drainage they sent me home. By night fall i was so deathly sick, arm swollen 4 times its normal size an a fever of 106.7 i went to the E.R. My body had begun to turn septic and shut down. For the next three days I received IV antibiotics until my arm finally exploded like a gunshot wound. The next month I spent going to the wound clinic, having 21.5 ft. of gauze packed into my arm and left breast. Although that wound has begun to heal, i have had 4 other areas break out in the same region. Every time I finish taking my antibiotics within three days I begin to turn septic with severe cellulitis in my left arm. My body is so tired,I await the day this ends!

Kathy

My husband died on April 27,2010 after a three year battle with mrsa septicemia. He also had it in his lungs and urine, I was his caretaker. I have not felt good since July of 2009, I have lost 25% of my lung capacity and functional capacity. My heart rate is 210 at rest and I am unable to work or push exercise due to shortness of breath. My doctors are saying I am deconditioned. Is it possible that I have picked up mrsa and they are brushing it off. I was sick all of last winter with sinus infections and ear infection. I found with my husband that no one would talk about the mrsa, it was a big secret, more than aids ever was. Thanks, Kathy

Allyson

I can hardly believe I found your website…today. A week ago I spent 5 days in the hospital with a quick spreading mrsa infection. I never saw my life pass by me so fast! I didn’t even have time to say goodbye to my three little boys who I sent off to school that morning. My new ENT physician told me it was imperative that I get myself to the ER and not wait another moment longer.

I was terrified and overwhelmed with the news. How could my simple head cold that lasted the previous 5 days turn into mrsa? Are you kidding me? I wasn’t isolated right away, which is unbelievable. My meds. turned one late Friday evening into multiple nightmares while sleeping, sudden awakening alone in my room, very high blood pressure and a panic attack.

I am home, recovering, one day at a time. My career as a school teacher is on hold. I am desperate to snuggle my children after an abrupt separation, but my better sense tells me to wait until they are tested and I have completely healed. For now, they seem to understand.

I am terribly fearful of getting another outbreak, or worse, that someone close to me could suffer one. There are no guarantees. I will spend October 1st, 2010 celebrating my life and all that I bring to my family and friendships around me. A worldwide recognition day couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you for all your efforts, research, care and continued support.

Jodie

What a wonderful site! I’m hoping you can help me with some information. I acquired CA-MRSA February 1st 2010 after a brazilian bikini wax. The technician “double dipped”, by that I mean she used one wax stick and went from the wax pot to my skin and back to the wax pot again and again. I understand that that move is a huge no-no and cosmetology 101. My problem is the insurance company. The adjuster says she has a hard time with “my story” because I am the only client who complained of acquiring MRSA. My reply was well, maybe I’m the only one who’s skin was ripped during the procedure. I have suffered 6 boils in the bikini area and nose, with the last one the size of a tennis ball and several trips to the hospital. My goal is not to be litigious, but to be reimbursed for my out of pocket costs, missed work and perhaps most importantly, to insure that the esthetician change her lazy ways that could have (and still may) cost my life! God Bless You for your efforts to help us all!

Nava

On March 2009, I felt ill due to an unknown condition, and I had a huge bump on my inner right thigh. I went to my family doctor, and he indicated I had an abscess. He referred me to a surgeon, and he numbs my inner right thigh and drains the abscess. My thigh still would not go down, and I was hospitalized two more times with deep wounds. I maxed out all my home care visits, and I had to care for my wound myself. My thigh was better and I was released to go back to work in May 2009. I felt as though the surgeon was playing with my leg to make extra money. I contacted my insurance carrier to request a second opinion because I did not know the facts about MRSA.  Today, I am grateful that God and the surgeon healed me from MRSA. I wish I knew about MRSA, and this website when I was going through my sickness.

Dayle – 58 yr old woman from Illinois

I fell and broke my leg and knee cap, with no skin broken and had surgery to put hardware in on Feb., 2005. After surgery I went to a rehab facility, and was told I had to stay for 4-6 months as the breaks were extensive. When I finally looked at my leg, there were large blisters which were oozing pus, blood and my leg was very red. I was told that this was normal by my doctor and I was in terrible pain. I was given an anti-depressant because I was so upset. I was sent home with painkillers and a visitng nurse said it looked really terrible. I went to the doctor, he took a culture and then said I had an infection and was admitted to the hopsital and had surgery that day, extensive debridements. I had three more surgeries and was assigned an ID doctor and he told me I had MRSA. I was put on vancomycin for 8 weeks with a picc line and had some of the hardware removed. All of this set me back and I lost my job. My disability ran out and my unemplyment insurance. Also my health insurance for physical therapy. I am trying to make payments for my therapy to continue. I feel depressed and angry.

Krystin – 7 yrs old

Krystin had mouth surgery in May, 2005 and 4 weeks later developed an infection, which spread to her hip, muscles and bloodstream. Krystin’s mother worked as a nurses aide in an ER and knew something was not right with her daughter and she kept complaining she was tired and hurt. She was admitted to two different hopsitals, but was not diagnosed with MRSA until she went to the third hospital. She spent 13 days in the hospital, 10 weeks on oral antibiotics and 5 weeks of physical therapy with many doctor visits. her whole summer was lost to her and her parents were left with $68,000 in medical bills and they had insurance. Her mother had to quit her job because she had to stay home and take care of her daughter. She says that she will survive this but worries about her daughter’s health and the future.

Gina

I had several surgeries on my knees and a few days later I had horrible pressure and pain. I pulled off one of the suture scabs and it srained. I went to see my ortho docotr and they prescribed antibiotics. The wound opened and drained again. I had my husband take me to the ER ans they admitted me and stayed a week and they told me I had MRSA. I cried and got really depressed. I have had to have more surgeries and hope I will heal.

Jon – 37 yrs old

I knew nothing about CA-MRSA before it introduced me to itself, now I know about it as much as I possibly care to. I had spent 8 days in the hospital and had 3 surgeries in that time. The physical and emotional toll it took me and my family was incredible.

Madeline – 7 weeks old

I lost my baby daughter, Maddy in July, 2005. I gave birth to twins and they were premature, but healthy. Maddy was the strongest of the two, but remained in the NICU for 3 weeks due to apnea. She came home and I had limited visitors. After 13 days home, she developed a cold with a runny nose and a cough. We took her to the doctor and he said it was just a cold and 27 hrs later she was barely breathing and we called 911. I performed CPR on her and when the ambulance came she was breathing on her own. At the hospital she quickly deteriorated and she was airlifted to another hospital. They thought she had pneumonia, then a cold and the results came back that she had MRSA. We had never heard of MRSA. We watched over her for 11 days and she was on a ventilator and was fighting hard to live. Each morning she had an x-ray taken of her lungs and MRSA was literally eating her lungs. We felt hopeless and watched our daughter struggle and slowly die each day. On July 22, the doctors said she only had a few hours before her entire system would shut down. We gathered around Maddy and held her as she took her final breath. This is the single most painful tragedy for the family, losing our daughter. Our son, Luke, the other twin was tested for MRSA and was positive, but he was decolonized and remains infection free.

Vince – 58 yrs old

I am a diabetic and had bi-pass surgery, came home and had pain and went to the ER and they found out that I had MRSA in my chest wound. Then the top of my left foot was black and they amputated it up to the mid-calf. It healed even thought I had a MRSA infection. A wound vac was used and then the ID doctor told me to get my affairs in order as they did not think I would make it. I spent 5.5 months in the hospital and finally came gome and ws on vanco. I recovered slowly. I got an ingown toenail and it came back positive for MRSA and it would not heal. The had to amputate 2 of my toes and then decided later to remoce half of my foot. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks this time. I am infection free now, but my life has changed dramatically.

Michael

I caught MRSA last year after a motorcycle accident when I hit a deer and had to have surgery on my head. I was told before the operation that I would have antibiotics. The next day I ws released with 5 brken ribs, a broken shoulder. A few week after the operation I developes sand dollar-size sores. Went to another hospital and told I had MRSA and ws on IV antibiotics for a week. Thank you for letting me share my story.

Sandi

I got MRSA in 2004 after hip surgery, was in the hospital for 3 days and 5 days later I was rushed back with sepsis. It has been a constant battle since: emotionally, physically, spirtually and financially. As a nurse, I feel betrayed by my own profession. I still cry every time I talk about it or have to face the fact that it will never go away. I am angry, as I’m sure everyone else is. I write a least a letter a week to SOMEONE – ANYONE who I think might listen. Anyway, I’m glad this site is established.

Larry

I contracted MRSA in a local hospital in 2005 and I was given a chance to live thru the night. I had a bleed out in a colon cancer operation. I got a transfusion and all of my vitals improved. I was in and out of a coma for 3 months. All of my organs were shutting down and dialysis was done. The MRSA infection was so bad they just washed me out and sewed me up. Apparently, there was over 500 MRSA cases at this Tucson hospital in Jan.2005.

Anthony

I have been HIV positive for 15 yrs, very healthy and never sick, but this changed in 2005. I came from the gym nd I notice a tiny red area on my leg the size of a neddle head. I woke up the next day and my leg was 10 times bigger, red, swollen and I had a buring fever. I went to the ER and spent 2 weeks there. Nothin they gave me worked and my leg was getting worse and they told me I had MRSA. I got om the right antibiotics and in a few days I was feeling better. I just wanted to write to tell you what a wonderful job you are doing in passing information for other people who do not know about this deadly infection. I was lucky, but I know others were not.

Delaina

My husband and I have been living with various levels of MRSA since 2002. The biggest obstacles have been doctors themselves. We know when we have a staph infection and doctors insist on giving us penicillin. They decline to give us the medications we know we need and most often do not culture the infection. each time it is a struggle to get the proper treatment. The doctors hate to be told what to do and we end up suffering.

Henry

I am a recent MRSA survivor. I contracted MRSA in the hospital when I had to have a kidney stone blasted. The procedure was a success but 3 days later I ran a temp and I was admitted and after many tests and 3 different antibiotics I was put on vanco. I contiune with it for 2 weeks at home. My wife is a RN and she asked the doctor if I had MRSA and he said yes. I am recovering slowly and I’m in pain.

Leanne

My daughter was born in 2005 by c-section. A week later I noticed a huge white pimple on her neck. We started to see redness and pimples on other parts of her body and she did not have a temp. She went for her 2 week check-up and she was admitted to the hospital right away and put into the neo-matal intensive care unit. She was hooked up to IV antibiotics and diagnosed with MRSA and in the hospital for 9 days. A few days later I was admitted to the hosptials with a golf-sized abscess in my right breast and they beleive I got MRSA from breast feeding. I had IV antibiotics. I release after 9 days and continued to take oral antibiotics. I worry every time my daughter scrapes her knee or gets a bug bite that she might get another MRSA infection – I don’t think that the feeling will ever go away.

Eileen – RN

I just read about your efforts to have hospitals test for MRSA and I believe that you are fighting for something that should have been instituted long ago. My daughter was 28 when she contracted MRSA and was misdiagnosed several times before she received the correct treatment. She is lucky to have survived after 3 different hospitals and 4 operations. She has permanent damage to her foot and ankle. They were going to amputate her foot, but we were able to find the right doctor who treated her effectively. I am a registered nurse and work in a hospital, where we are constantly being exposed to MRSA, VRE, C-diff, etc. I’m sure, new strains of bugs will continue to come. You are right – hand washing alone won’t stop the spread of this infection.

Sky

I think it’s wonderful that you are bringing this awful “superbug”to nat’l attention and I applaud you for your efforts. I am a veteran LPN of 25 yrs and I can tell you. I have watched this becoming increasingly worse. I have seen horrors in the realm of sanitary conditions! It has gotten so bad that I have elected to forego my career in order to stay healthy. I have chidren at home and must put their safety first.. It seems that nearly every patient that I have taken care of has MRSA. Please continue your crusade and make the public aware of this terrible problem. I thoroughly support you.

Linda – RN, BSN, CCRN, MSN

I am an ICU nurse and I wanted to comment on what a wonder thing it is to have a support grp for those with MRSA. The public needs to be aware of this “epidemic”. Getting the word out to consumers is a powerful thing, just as supporting those who have gone thru having a life threatening infection or worse, losing a loved one from a hospital-acquired infection. Thank you for caring for others who have been afflicted.

Ron

My son got MRSA 2 yrs ago when he went in for back surgery. We spent Christmas in the ER with him and he had to undergo 3 operations. He went back to the doctor who did the original surgery 2 months later as he noticed a bump and felt sick. The doctor looked at it and told him to come back in a month. If he was dying, we were to take him to the ER. We saw another doctor 2 days later ans he scheduled emergency surfery as he felt my son’s condition was critical. The problem is not only with hospitals, but with doctors and their attitudes.

Richard

I felt sick and my temp went to 104 degrees and I thought I had the flu. My scrotum was enlarged and I had a rash. I went to the ER and then was transferred to the ICU, my kidneys were failing and I had emergency surgery to releave the pressure and went into a coma. I had many debridements and was released to a nursing home and then my temp went up again and I was back in the hospital. More surgery and they had to remove the top third of my penis and then had to remove more. The doctors were able to rebuild my penis and I am infection free.

Janet – 35 yrs old

I have MRSA and have been suffering since 2000. I get 3 – 4 boils a year in size from a golf ball to a grapefruit. I am also diabetic and the doctors claim that is why I have boils. My doctor oftern chooses not to see me and calls in the script. The only reason I have pain medication is because I have a degenerative disk disease. I am unable to work and many of my relationships are strained due to being contagious. I live in fear my mother or son will get an infection. It is very depressing and often a sense of no hope. I thank you for having a place to share my story. God bless to all the survivors and their families.

Meritt – 60 yrs old

My father Meritt died of sepsis in 9/27/07. He was the greatest father anyone could ever have. He had surgery to drain fluid from his lungs and he was in the ICU and a day later he seems to be doing well, sitting up and eating. The next day he talks to us and we go back in the evening and he is in a coma and never wakes up again to talk to us. Three days later he is going to have surgery again and his gall bladder is removed and they do not find anything else. We do not leave the waiting room and he passes quickly. We receive the death certificate, which states cause of death – sepsis a term we never heard from anyone. This is so sad and it happens daily and alot of people have not heard of it. I hope my story helps someone down the road.

Roni – 53 years old

I want to thank you for everything you are doing to let America know about this deadly disease. I was diagnosed with MRSA in 2005. I had a bad case of pneumonia that ended up leaving me a paraplegic. Since then I have been on IV vancomycin at home twice and in the hospital once and had pneumonia again in March of 2008. I had surgery Aug.22 for a pressure sore on my back side and am on IV vanco. It is very scary as you never know when it will hit you again or if my family is going to get it. I’ve learned more about MRSA because of you then from my doctors and hospital. I have develped also another condition that I will have for the rest of my life, it is called bullous pemphigold. I develop blisters all over my body and they are very painful. It is a very rare disease and I am on prednisone which prevents the healing of wounds and can limit my ability to fight off infections. I feel that no matter which way I turn, I am damned for the rest of my life.

Cheryl

I got MRSA after a torn rotator cuff surgery on my left shoulder. Doctors ignored all my symptoms and I finally went to the hospital and was admitted and nearly died. I was 11 days in the hospital. Came home for 3 days then back in for 8 more days. Went home and two months later huge bumps appeared on my left shoulder and had 5 more surgeries and a 2 week stay in the hospital, 2 picc lines and very expensive antibiotics for 8 months. The past 7 months I have been infection free. I sleep more now than I ever have.

Anonymous

I had suffered TEN ( toxic epidermal necrolysis) and was in an induced coma for 3 months at Harborview Hospital in Seattle. They told me I had pneumonia 3 times but never mentioned MRSA to me or my family. I went to a naturopath who read my chart and informed me I had MRSA twice, one while in the burn unit, and once in rehab, where I had a non-infected roommate because of my picc line. The hospital apologized for not telling me about the MRSA, but says it is no big deal.

Anonymous

In October, 2001 I went to the Mayo Clinic (St. Luke’s Hospital) in Jacksonville, FL for open-heart surgery. I was told that I would be there 6 days. The surgeon punctured my stomach in two places and my stay became 5 weeks as my lungs collapsed, contracted MRSA, peritonitis, pneumonia and my gall bladder stopped working. I went home as a decrepit invalid with drainage bottles hanging from me, infected with invasive candidiasis and suffering from excruciating painful bedsores with a painful wound in my abdomen, which would not heal

Janice, 60 yrs old

In Feb., 2007 I was admitted to the hospital with MRSA and I came close to dying and still feel traumatized by it. I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis ( an auto-immune disease) 5 years ago and I was being treated with a biologic IV medication once a month and that is how I believe I contracted MRSA. My arm began to ache and went to the ER and they game me pain medication and the next day it was worse and I had flu-like symptoms and went back to the ER as the pain was increasing and moved to my shoulder and back. They did a blood culture and I went home, the next day they called me back, admitted me and put in the ICU, where I remained for 6 days. I had MRSA, pneumonia and heart failure, went on vanco and survived.

It was the most terrifying and awful experience of my life and as I processed what happened to me I thought, “Please God, don’t let me die like that”. Not being able to breathe, drowning and knowing you’re dying is horrifying and no one should have to experience this, especially when it is preventable. For two years since surviving MRSA, I’ve been in individual and group counseling, treated for depression and PTSD. I’m not over it yet and maybe never will be. I’m certainly not the same person I was.

BJ, La Quinta, CA

I was taken to the ER at JFK Hospital in indio, CA and an infection was suspected and my blood level had dropped to 70%. An IV was put in my arm in the ER and I was kept overnight. The next day i went home. Four days later I returned with a swollen right arm and was admitted, put in isolation and put on a couple of antibiotics. I was there 18 days. I was in very good health until then. This was in october of 2007. I continued the antibiotic after going home for a week. The medical bills totaled almost $100,000. I was not asked to pay a cent and asked my insurance company about it, at times weeping. They said not to worry, that I would not have to pay anything.

I would like to say that in researching MRSA after I was home that the CDC and even hospitals were not forthright about the stats, the situation and the seriousness of MRSA. They were tight lipped and authorized statements contained mis-information in and out of the government. it must not be tolerated. I wonder also, how close I came to dying? How sick was I? I got my medical records and they are brief, illegible and not at all comprehensive. The hospital kept sending administrators in to talk with me. I told them I would continue to refuse to talk to them without my attorney and insurance company representative present. They finally left me alone.

Jennifer 28 yrs old

For the past year I have been to the doctor at least a dozen times for different infections. Every time I would leave his office with a new antibiotic and be back at his office two weeks later. I was so fed up with this run-around and I had a boil on my arm. My doctor told me it was a spider bite and to keep it covered and take the antibiotics. Four days later I woke up with hives and I had my boyfriend rush me to the doctor. Finally, the doctor took a culture and it was MRSA. I was horrified, scared and angry. I was angry because I put my life in the hands of a doctor and having a disease that I know could have been fatal, it was upsetting. I understand now why I had so many infections. I hope that one day docotrs will be more cautious and aware of what they are dealing with. I have no idea how I contracted this disease, my doctor actually suggested that I might have gotten it from the doctor’s office. Scary!

Cami

In July of 2006 my 3 yr old son woke up feeling achy and with not much energy. We thought he had a cold and the next day he woke up screaming in severe pain and could not walk. We went to the hospital and by the time we got there he was going in and out of consciousness. His temp was 105.3 and he was laboring to breathe. Whatever he was battling was in his lungs, kidneys and the MRI showed spots all over his body. We spent a hirrific night listening to his screams of agony. Our 3 yr old son was telling us he was going to die. Within 2 days he was in an ICU unit in a coma and stayed that way for 3 weeks. He underwent several operations to cut out the infection from his muscles and bones. He spnt his 4th birthday in a coma. We had wonderful doctors that gave him a cocktail of antibiotics which slowly turned the tide of the infection. We spent the summer at the Children’s Hospital and the fall administering antibiotics in a picc line three time a day. He learned to walk again and build his strength. He fought hard and we are so luck we have him, so many times MRSA goes the other way. Now he is happy and a healthy 5 yr old who plays soccer, does Tae Kwon Do and loves music.

11 yr old Female

My daughter was 11 at the time ans came to me with pain on her leg the looked like a spider bite. She said it had been there for 4 days and I sent her to school. At 11:30am I received a call from the school saying my daughter was running a fever and had been sleeping. I picked her up and the spot on her ankle was twice the size. Her entire leg from the knee down was swollen three times its normal size. She had a fever of 104 and was admitted to the hospital and put on IV antibiotics. She recovered and six months later she had an area on her arm that looked like a spider bite and I took her to her doctor and again it was MRSA , but do to an early intervention she just had to take an antibiotic and have the area drained. She was screened for MRSA and was a carrier and was decolonized. My son had an area on his knee and it looked liked exzema and it tested positive for MRSA. He was put on an antibiotic and it healed. I am really thankful for this site.

Kim

My daughter was not feeling well and the next day she had a fever and complained of an ear ache. We took her to the doctor and he said no ear infection. We returned to the doctor as her pain had increased and again – no ear infection and the next day she could not hear and we went back to the doctor and then they see the ear infection. She has pale scaly hands and we go to the ER and they start an IV and then later we went home. She had yellow-greenish discharge in her pants the next day and we go back to the ER and they said for her to go to her GI appt. and the doctor did a culture of the discharge. She later had red bumps on her legs and getting more red and the red bumps now have white heads on them. The white heads disappeared, but her vaginal area is looking very red and alot of discharge. The doctor called and said that she had MRSA and started her on Bactrim. She got a rash, but the discharge stopped and her vaginal area improved and the red marks on her legs and arms improved. One year later her older sister had vagibal dischare and also had MRSA. We had everyone cultured. My biggest fear is that my little girls will be colonized through to adulthood and am petrified that infections will happen again. I know that my daughter ended up with this from the hospital.

Patti

I was in a motorcycle accident in 07 and separated my shoulder and fractured my tibia and fibula and had serious muscle and tissue damage. I was in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks and had 11 surgeries to clean and reconstruct the muscle, implant a rod in my leg and insert pins in my shoulder. A few months later I was diagnosed with MRSA and osteo and continued treatment and the doctor said it is very hard to treat and the infection was preventing healing. Amputation might ocurr and I had 3 courses of IV antibiotics in 26 weeks and also Bactrim and told I might have to take it for the rest of my life. My wound was still open and draining and not healing. In 08 I took Allimax ( stabilized allicin) and within 3 weeks the infection began to heal. I was able then to have surgeries to remove the rod and have grafting done. I also did hyperbaric oxygen therapy in my recover plan and did 20 sessions. At the end of 2008 I stopped taking Bactrim and was just taking Allimed and my lab work came back normal. I am 11 months now MRSA free and thrilled to be walking again without any signs of infection.

Kayla – 18 yrs old

I have had MRSA four times and have been treated with multiple antibiotics for it and afte a couple of weeks they do not work. It has been a very painful and upsetting experience for me. The first time I got it it was under my arm and my doctor put gauze in to let it drain and for 20 days I had to keep pulling the gauze out and then I got it again. Then I got it on my buttocks and then by my hip. I do not wish MRSA on anyone, not even my worse enemy. I do not know where I got it from and my brother got it on his neck, my aunt got it, one of her sons got it on his hip and one of her daughters had it in her bloodstream and it was eating away at her femur and she was in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks. She had five surgeries and was sent home on a picc-line – she is 8 yrs old. She is still healing from it. MRSA can be a very painful experience for all ages, healthy or unhealthy – anyone can get it.

June – 60 yrs old

I live in Kentucky and in 07 and broke my ankle and I had it cultured and I had MRSA. I went to my doctor and he cleaned it out and sutured it and said nothing about MRSA. I went to another doctor and he said I could lose my leg if not my life and I was placed on a picc line with antibiotics and admitted to the hospital. My temp spiked to 104 and was told my port site was infected and had to have another picc line put in. I developed sepsis and pneumonia and finally was discharged and placed on home treatment. My wound site healed, but my ankle foot and leg continued to swell and I was told I had to have the hardware removed because was MRSA was on the hardware. I continued to have swelling and it got progressively harder to walk. I had a MRI and x-ray done and the cartilage had been destroyed and I was walking on bone-on-bone. I had surgery, an open left ankle arthrosesis and then therapy. I developed a blood clot was readmitted. I am very upset that my first surgeon neglected to tell me that I had MRSA. If I had been told as soon as the culture came back, maybe all of this could have been avoided. I am slowing getting on my feet and hopefully one day I will be able to do all the things I use to be able to do. God bless all of those who have suffered like situations and a special thanks to you, Jeanine who fights for change. Hopefully, the day will come that no person will have to tolerate the ignorance of some medical professionals.

Chuck – Columbus, OH

My mother (80) went to the hospital for surgery to remove fat tissue around a hernia and she became ill after surgery. She was so white and pale all over. The next morning doctors had to redo the surgery to remove something inside her. My mother became weaker in the recovery room. Mom was to suffer for 1/1/2 yrs and then she found out she had pancreatic cancer and 8 weeks later she died. Who will be charged because my mom got MRSA? My dad has to pay all the medical expenses and bills. Her skin my her stomache never healed – it was 2-3 inches open and 10 inches long. Nurses aides came to her house 3 times a week for the entire time to change her dressings and she suffered from so much pain. Bless my mother for her pain and suffering. My dad and brothers and sisters were in pain for her. May God bless Mom to be in heaven. Love you Mom.

34 yr old female

I live in Wisconsin and suffer from Ankylosing Spondylitis that destroyed my hip bones and I needed hip replacement surgery.The first one went well and after the second surgery I had seepage in my stitches and the doctor kept telling me it was ok. Something didn’t feel right in my leg and when I took off my pants blood and pus was everywhere. I called my doctor, but he did not return my call and the next day we went to his office. My doctor sent me right to the hospital and they told me there that I had a serious infection and a 50/50 chance of surviving the surgery and I may lose my leg also. After the surgery I was screaming in pain and I had another surgery a a non-walking spacer was put in. In April 09 I had the spacer removed (different hospital) and was on a picc line for 9 weeks and told that best I could expect is to walk with a cane or limp. I am still using a wheelchair most of the time and need knee replacement surgery. I am very angry at having to deal with this disease that was given to me.

Stephanie – 28 yrs old

I am a mother of 4 boys, and I have always been healthy. In 2008 I got sick in January and every month after that I was on antibiotics, In July of 2009 I got a lump in my right thigh and had it removed. 2 days later it became infected and pus came out if it and it had to be lanced. I found out it was MRSA. Two of my boys got it and my boyfriend. I love when my doctors tell me I am exception and was told that IV drugs are the only way I have for a chance to live. I look into my boys faces and I get sad, will I ever see them graduate from high school? I am thankful that I found your web site and this gives me hope. I am getting remarried on Oct. 24th and glad I’m doing it in a month the spotlights MRSA. Thank you for letting me share with you my story.