Re: Re: MRSA, help!

[Guest guest]

Hi

Sorry to hear about this MRSA. I just got over one that took three different

antibiotics to knock out.

As far as your efforts to keep bedclothes and other shared clothing and textiles

clean and just the washing in Javex should kill that one off. You may though

want to strengthen the Javex mix a bit to be sure.\

It seems that nowadays all one has to do is go out in public before you catch

one of these superbugs. I really do not know what else you could do to protect

yourself. The washing of hands really works, I know I have to wash mine anytime

I come in contact with others or use wet-ones towlets to clean the handles on

grocery carts and other publicly accessible things.

Myself, I am extremely careful and try not to have to use a public washroom

facility when we are out shopping. So far I have avoided them. Shopping trips

are much shorter. Something I celebrate.

No you are not being paranoid as far as I am concerned, your health is at risk

if you do not take precautions. I think maybe some might think I am being a bit

too careful, but I think I would sleep in seperate beds until the open sore is

healed fully. Of course that means abstaining from any sexual activity, I know

I am a real spoil sport. When my MRSA was at it's worst, I slept on the

hide-a-bed in the family room and no one was allowed in the chapel which is just

off the family room.

Because I have had it before, they will not allow me to visit patients in the

hospital and more recently I had to stay away from some of the diabetic clinics

as well as they are run in the hospital annex.

I feel bad for those that would expect a visit from their clergyman, but their

health and my health are at risk. My system is so low now that I catch anything

wafting through the house or outside on the front lawn.

Well, I think I will head to bed. I am scheduled to preach at local church on

January 27th. This will be the first time in a year as my health went south

right after I preached last year at this time. I could use some prayers for

that. Having to take a year off from preaching is hard and I must resist the

temptation to go into my files of all my sermons and resurrection one I have

preached before. So I started to work on my sermon today. But knowing me, I

will still be working on it up until midnight the night before. <GBG>

I pray you both get through this without catching it yourself.

Blessings

Fr. Dave

Re: MRSA, help!

Hi All,

It's in CA. I really need some advice about MRSA. My husband

just had his third MRSA infection. It looked like a boil on his rear

end but they cultured it and it's MRSA. Two and half years ago his

sister died of it at UCLA (where she worked)it turned into a flesh

eating bacteria?!

At the time, I was in Ohio and did not get home in time to see her

because she passed away so quickly. She was in excellent health prior

to this tragedy. Anyway, the MD's think my husband may have gotten

the MRSA bug while visiting her in UCLA's ICU.

His MD thinks it may be " dormant " in his system since he has had it

three times. He had taken double antibiotics each time and it has

gone away.

Thankfully, I do not have any symptoms. But we have been sleeping

together. The MD's said we should not sleep together while it is an

open sore even if it is covered. I use gloves and wash up before and

after changing his bandage. Each time he has had this infection my MD

precribes an antibiotic gel to use in my nostrils, which I apply

religiously morning and night as prescribed. This time Rick's MD

prescribed it for him too.

I have been very fortunate with my skin. I do not get many of the

things others seem to get. But I do not want to be naive and assume

that I am immune. I know this is a nasty, scary, smart bug and it

does not discriminate.

We wash all his undies, sweat pants and bed linens on hot with bleach

and dry them on hot twice. We have never shared towels.

As a person with Reiters, am I doing enough? Am I right to be

concerned for my health, too? Are their any new antibiotics coming

out that fight this big? Should we not sleep together? What questions

should I ask my MD when I see her next week?

I deeply appreciate having you all for support. I welcome your in-put.

In faith,

in CA

[Guest guest]

Dave and , you both are so right about MRSA. Our CDC should have

done something much earlier, when it was confined to just hospitals.

It is now running rampant in our public communities. Many people are

carriers and never get the outward signs. My daughter is an RN and 1

in 5 of her patients are MRSA cases. She has to be so very careful in

handling these patients. As a precaution, she wears gloves most of the

time and treats any open wound as MRSA. I think the name of the

antibiotic they used was vancomycin. Many times it is initially given

in IV form and then by mouth for an extended time.

Since she informed me about this several years ago, I am very careful

when I shop....elevator rails, stair rails, bathrooms, etc. I carry

the antiseptic wipes in my purse and I'm becoming obsessive about

washing my hands after a trip outdoors. The public is mostly unaware

of this horrible problem.

Just recently, another daughter started getting boils under her

arm....she had shared a razor with my grand-daughter and she came down

with the same boils. I think it was just a mild form of staph and

believe that if it was the dangerous form of staph (MRSA), they both

would have gotten worse. They were treated with antibiotics and it

cleared up.

These superbugs are very scary and I completely understand your concern.

Best regards, Connie

[Guest guest]

Hi Connie and Dave,

Thanks so much for your sympathy and info. Wow, Connie, 1 in 5 is an MRSA

case! That is really scary.

Are any new antibiotics on the pharmaceutical horizon that could fight this

nasty,smart bug?

I think the main concern that I personally have about possibly contracting or

carrying the MRSA is if I should ever need the stronger drugs like Methotrexate,

Humira or Embryl. If one is taking meds that lower one's immune system doesn't

it put one at greater risk for a more complicated MRSA infection?

Also, how would an MD determine if I am a carrier? Is a carrier somehow

immune?

My husband's MD said, " some skin types are not prone to MRSA infections. " (I

would very much like that if it were the case.)

Currently we cover Rick's boil. I use gloves when I change his bandage and

wash my hands before and after. Rick wipes off the toilet seat with clorox

wipes. We are both very regular and thorough handwashers. Since is first MRSA

infection, I wash our sheets and towels on hot with bleach and double dry them

on hot. Also, is the bleach for clothes with color as effective as the regular

bleach?

What more should Rick and I be doing to reduce my exposure?

I think back to how we were as kids...we were so carefree. If something fell

on the floor, we'd " blow the germs away " and promply eat it. And we did not wash

our hands if an adult wasn't reminding us..we thought handwashing was for

" fussbudgets. " Oh well, I guess I should be grateful that I stayed as healthy as

I did for as long as I did.

I welcome any in-put you might have to offer.

Love,

in CA

[Guest guest]

, I've tried to find specific articles about MRSA infections and

the use of our biologicals (anti-TNF drugs like Remicade/Enbrel/

Humira) or other immune suppressant drugs (like steroids,

methotrexate) and it is hard to find any. Most of the articles did

mention people who have immune type diseases are more prone. On all

the literature for Remicade, Enbrel, Humira, etc., it does mention to

discontinue if one has an infection of any kind. I would assume that

anyone on these immune suppressants or steroids should be careful and

see a doctor if they get a skin infection to rule out MRSA. One of the

articles I read said that MRSA usually infects hospital patients who

are elderly or very ill, but that doesn't account for the outbreaks at

NC schools and other recent outbreaks. People are more at risk if you

have had frequent, long-term or intensive use of antibiotics (many in

our group take long-term antibiotics). Intravenous drug users and

persons with long-term illnesses are at more risk. It used to be that

MRSA rarely infected healthy people, but I don't know how true that is

today with the community vs hospital based MRSA outbreaks. I think the

infection has gained and mutated to be able to infect more healthy

people. That is my guess. I'm sure the drug companies are working on a

new antibiotic that would be more effective for this type of

infection. Seems we've run out of effective antibiotics the last few

years. The bugs will always find a way to get around us humans.

Thoughts and prayers are with you, Connie

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Connie. I really appreciate your wisdom and support.

Rick has an appointment with an Infectious Disease Specialist next week. I am

taking the morning off to go with him. Hopefully we will come up with more info

and a plan. I'll keep you all posted.

Love,

in CA

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