H.,
I always shudder when I see posts like yours...You are right that MRSA is very common but oh, how dangerous it can truly be. My family's lives have been turned upside down by MRSA since last Sept. 8th. My three year old son, Bryce started running a fever on the 5th that just wouldn't break and my Monday morning at 3:00, he was so physically weak, he couldn't even walk anymore, literally, I mean his muscles were almost completely unusuable. We rushed him to the ER at Denton Regional at 3:30 a.m. They couldn't figure out what was going on so by 9:00 a.m. they were sending him by ambulance to Children's in Dallas. We spent several hours of the day being treated in the ER there when finally around 3:00 p.m., my son was literally fighting for his life. It happened so fast...he was moved to the PICU fighting for every moment. The next day, Tuesday the 9th, his PICU doctors came to us in the consultation room at 4:00 in the afternoon to tell us that he would be gone within an hour and we needed to get Bryce's twin and older sister to the hospital asap to say goodbye. By this time, he was on life support. We were devastated to say the least. What was his diagnosis? MRSA septic shock....most MRSA presents as an abscess that can be drained and then you take the antibiotics. Somehow, Bryce had it in his blood stream and in a matter of hours, he was in liver, kidney, heart and lung failure. We had so many people at the hospital with us along with thousands of people around the country and the world pleading in prayer for Bryce's life. For some reason, the Lord faithfully answered our prayers and pulled Bryce pack from the edge of the cliff. It wasn't simple though. He spent 99 days in the hospital, 38 of those in ICU. He lost his right thumb because the drug used to keep him alive, epinephrine halted the blood supply to his limbs causing them to turn blue and purple. His right thumb just couldn't be saved, it went too long without blood flow...his right hand and arm sustained massive skin damage that led to multiple surgeries and a skin grafting. His left hand was left with horrible scars that looks like he was burned in a fire. The infection caused horrible muscle damage that left Bryce literally like an infant again. He's been in PT/OT since coming home in December. He has learned to walk again but it is so far from perfect. An EMG last week shows that he has profound nerve loss in all his limbs (worse on the right side) that we are praying will heal over the next two years (according to the neurologist). We are so thankful that he came out of this in good cognitive condition, his doctors were so worried that he would sustain brain damage. I can't possible tell you all the literal hell my son has been through because of MRSA, I could write a book about it. I didn't tell you this to scare you because what he went through is rare but it's only rare unless it happens to you. I'm telling you this so that you will be diligent to get it fixed, yes, definitely see an Infectious Disease doctor. MRSA is EVERYWHERE. It has nothing to do with cleanliness - my friends would all tell you that my house in second to none when it comes to being clean and my kids are clean. You can contact it on the buggy at Walmart...you can't hide from it but there is obviously something happening that it keeps reappearing in your family. Get to the doctor and get some info. Best wishes on getting it out of your life, I know all to well how scary it is....
