Schools and gyms on high alert over deadly flesh-eating bugs: MRSA

[Nore]

I really doubt the general public is even aware of just how much MRSA is in the community. The long term care home I work in has at least 20 active cases all any given time.

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Hi Whalen,The long care facilities here in the States have it too.There is no doubt a difference in types.You all know my son was a quad from a stroke,basilar artery blood clot.He had it more than once. The Dr.s and Nurses said many get it because they cant move around at all so must be repositioned often.Joe had no sores etc. they watched him and others by blood work ups.They told me to wash my hands all the time,in over three years I never had it.He was always isolated when he had it,took a couple weeks to get rid of it. Take care,Nore

 

[Nore]

We've been dealing with MRSA in the schools in western PA for two years now. It is nothing new. When anyone is admitted to the hospital it is common to include a MRSA test with the labs being done. Common sense hand washing with regular hand soap and water is all anyone needs.

I agree with KatK 100%. I think over use of antibiotics and antibacterial stuff makes everyone more susceptible for disease.

I have breathing problems and I have relatives that I refuse to visit inside their homes because they have scented candles, room deoderants, etc. set out and it makes me short of breath and some give me violent headaches. I can't ride in my daughter's car because of her "forest" of little scented freshner trees. :doh: Sorry, but people should also think about those of us who do have breathing problems when covering their stinky air. Better yet, open some darn windows and let some fresh air in!!

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Lili I am right up there with you.Amen!

 

[jo_momma_82]

I'm a longtime lurker and am finally posting ! In April, I had the flu for the 1st time ever and it turned into pneumonia... after 3 weeks of getting so bad that I could barely breathe and my oxygen saturation was so low I was hypoxic, I was FINALLY admitted into the hospital and it turned out that I had MRSA which led to an empyema in my lung and pleura, which means that my long and pleural cavity had filled up with pus. It was SO painful, I had to have a thoracotomy (they cut my side and split open my ribs) and they had to cut open my lung and scrape it out... I had tubes in my chest and had to be put on a respirator for the 1st 2 days and I stayed in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks. I'm only 26 y/o and my doctors said that they had never even heard of someone in my age range having an empyema in their lung. My surgeon speculated that while I had the flu that maybe I picked up MRSA in the hospital the first time I went in b/c my immune system was so low, he even said that my immune system could have been lowered by me being on steroids and 3 different antibiotics during that time.

Now that I know that I'm a carrier of MRSA and having had the horrific experience that I had... I'm scared to death of even getting a cold or a cut. I didn't believe that MRSA was as bad as it was being reported but, my life has been changed by this.... I have an 8 inch long scar and constant post-thoracotomy pain to remind me just how big of a deal it is.

Thanks for listening !

 

[Lili]

Welcome to WS jo_momma_82, and thanks for sharing your story.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Not to scare anyone even more, but about 2 million people (1%) in the USA are carriers of MRSA without any symptoms. And about 25-30% of the population are carriers of staph in general. Sorry, but this is NOT as big of a deal as the media makes it out to be. I'm with those of you who are ANGERED by all of this.

I'm not trying to minimize anyone that has an experience with this. By all means, MRSA is an extremely dangerous infection and precautions should definately be taken to avoid it. It's just not as serious as it is made out to be.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1526776
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7252935

 

[jo_momma_82]

I understand what your saying about it not being as rampant as it's being made out to be but, I promise you it is very serious... if the infection continued for much longer, it could have easily killed me.

 

[jo_momma_82]

Welcome to WS jo_momma_82, and thanks for sharing your story.

Thanks Lili !!! I love this site and I look forward to getting to know everyone here !