I’m driven to raise awareness since this has hit close to home for us. CJ is a 13 year old athlete that puts a face (a cute one at that :o) ) to CA-MRSA which in his case was also osteomyelitis (basically a bone infection in his right leg/hip/bloodstream). Prior to this was healthy as a horse (and often ate like one). Initially CJ complained simply of a pulled groin muscle from football/baseball. He was in football clinics and pitched a full game the night before so it made sense. It started as a simple as a small skin infections on his knee —even though he was treated w/ regular antibiotics months ago. His condition was considered life threatening for 3 days (we found out after the fact). His fever hit 107 during an 11 day hospital stay. He lost about 13% of his body weight in less than 3 weeks. Just 3 weeks ago (4-5 months after the on-set) he returned to the baseball/football fields. He’ll be on antibiotics till the end of the year. While he’s doing great at this point – thought it doesn’t make it any less serious.
We knew nothing of this prior to CJ’s situation. Now this may sound way too touchy feely for many…but as I was driving back to the hospital one night, I heard the Alabama song “angels among us”. My initial instinct was to be sad thinking about loved ones that we’ve lost hoping they were watching over CJ. Almost immediately listening to the words my focus changed to positive action. Now that CJ puts a face to this - maybe he’s the angel for someone else. It occurred to me that maybe – just maybe if this makes folks who hear about this take a second look at a skin abrasion or joint pain coupled with a low grade fever….than maybe that’s the positive that can come out of this. Doctors
My goal now is not to make anyone ridiculously over-protective….rather just more educated on something we don’t often hear about. Below is an article that was on the front page of the ATL Journal. It’s probably one of the best I’ve read in terms of accuracy and recommendations.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/health/0905/12superbug.html
Father Judge is Francine and Theresa Drew’s home on the WWW where they are working together towards community awareness of CA-MRSA
MRSA News @ MRSANotes.com
6 responses so far ↓
teresa // Nov 13, 2006 at 11:38 pm
sorry about email address its my daughters. i have mrsa. i have for about the last 5 months. ive been on alot of antibiotics including stayin in the hospital for 5 days and put on vanco. i am now on leviquin and have been for 3 weeks now, o have been trying to tell my dr. that my legs hurt my hips so bad. the pain is awful. i cant sleep or sit long or evemn walk to far. im scared
terry and francine // Nov 20, 2006 at 11:00 am
Hi I am a TV producer from the french public network in Montreal…
We are doing a big story on Community acquired
MRSA and we would like to get in touch with you…
If we could first get in contact by email, we would like to have your testimonies… MR SA is still very unknown to people and doctors…
thank you for your collaboration,
nicole messier, 514 597-7521
Peg McQueary // Nov 22, 2006 at 4:01 am
Hi-
I’ve been battling MRSA (onmy leg, which has left me crippled) for close to 2 years. 18 mos spent on IV antibiotics. Septicemia almost killed me, then C-Diff. I think I’ve been through it all. E-mail me if I can help with your story. Thank you so much for getting the word out.
Peg~
melissa // Jan 22, 2007 at 12:08 am
i, my name is melissa i was diagnosed with mrsa last week i have a five year old who had mrsa two and a half years ago and i just got married last month… i am 25 years old and to me i feel like i am just starting my life and i dont know what to expect with this… but my story is a little different see my son did have sores on his butt and on his arm and leg… but i dont have these i have had this gross green stuff come out of my nose that everyone just told me was just a cold and then chronic sinus infections.
i just recently got my husbands insurance so i did not see a doctor about this until last week and he tested the mucus from my nose which tested positive for mrsa… i am scared even more because i might be pregnant so i the doctor says i cant take my antibiotic which is velaquin. i still don know how i am still alive with that infection in me for who knows how long that stuff has been coming out of my nose for almost nine months now. we were not on any birth control and we had sex while i was ovulating it might be all in my head but it is too soon to take a pregnancy test but i am starting to get really scared the doctor was not any help he was a ent doctor i dont know what kind of specialist to see and i cant get a soon enough appointment do you know if i can just go to the emergency room and say i am not leaving until i am better or i know how to get better?? please any info will help i am clueless i am scared my son will get this again is it possible i caught it from him three years ago almost with out him having any new sores?
do you know if i am pregnant if it will affect the baby or do you know who i can ask because the doctor would not give me any info…
thank you so much and may God be with you
melissa
Lisa // Mar 24, 2007 at 11:44 am
My daughter acquired MRSA in July 2005 at sleep away summer camp (this was her 5th summer there). I was told it was a common “spider bite” and she was taken to the camp MD and given antibiotics. They called me and told me she was fine and had no complaints. Later we found out from her this was not true. She had a fever and was in excrusiationg pain. They made her feel like she was exaterating and being a baby therefore she kept it to herself. They had her using crutches that is how bad it was. The call to me was on a Wednesday, camp was to get out on that same Friday. When her grandparents picked her up, my mother who is a nurse was horrified and crying and called me to meet her at the closest hospital. Needles to say she was seen immediatley, treated with IV’s and like your situation thaught it was over. We were SO wrong. Now two years later she suffers regularly from “outbreaks”and reinfections. She has seen speacialists and has missed many days of school and suffered imennsly. This will probably be with her for the rest of her life. Thank you for your interest in this topic and getting the word out. People have NO idea what this is or the seriousness of it.
nancy // Oct 12, 2007 at 2:51 pm
My daughter also was diagnosed 2 years ago with mrsa and has had repeated infections . Our concern now is the original scar. It has been looked at by a plastic surgeon and he told her not to do anything yet because it looks to still be healing on its own, then her medical doctor saw it and said it looks like the infection could still be under the skin. She now went to another plastic surgeon that told her he didn’t ” think” there was any infection after this length of time. Could this be living under the scars of these kids and re-infecting them.
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