Re: Rash on my left leg:

[Guest guest]

I am very glad you are seeing your doc tomorrow (today would have been better!)

 They will culture it and figure out what it is.

Good luck and feel better!

Vivien

--- Ron wrote:

Dear friends,

>By The following Tuesday evening, I had a serious fever. It wasn't high enough

to make me run to the hospital, But it was uncomfortable

Low and behold there was a prominent pinkish rash looking mark (mark's

actually) between my ankle and knee. I'm also experiencing a substantial amount

of edema. At first it wasn't really painful, But has started to

become so. And since we first noticed these marks, a few others have

appeared. The worst of these is on the inside of my upper left thigh.

>It's Square shaped, about 2 " x2 " in size. It actually looks more like a Bruise

than anything I could explain it to look like, But can say for a fact that I

haven't bruised myself.

>My wife and I have done a fair amount of research about this and came up

with something like MRSA Cellulitis. It also could be a tick or spider bite

according to what we've read. I'm leaning to the MRSA Cellulitis only

because of the visit to the Hospital I had when I went to see my PM doctors

the prior week. Plus, I don't see any of the tell tale signs of the

tick/spider bite, Like the round center they describe. There's no oozing of any

fluids either.

I had thought of going to the ER but I called and made an appointment with

my PCP. Thankfully I was able to get in tomorrow.

I am writing just to ask if anyone has had anything similar???  If so,

what did they do for you???

[Guest guest]

Hi Ron

I rooting for the spider bite idea. Of the three things that tends to

be the easiest to deal with - even when it's hard to deal with.

Lyndi

Ron wrote:

> My wife and I have done a fair amount of research about this and came up

> with something like MRSA Cellulitis. It also could be a tick or spider bite

> according to what we've read.

[Guest guest]

I have had MRSA cellulitis many, many times. If that was the problem you

would be getting sicker and sicker. Requiring hospitalization and IV

antibiotics at least initially.

I actually could have died from my last MRSA infection August 2010 because

it was both in my blood stream, my IV line that went into my heart, and in

my tissue around where my Groshong Central Line went into my chest (a

central line like a Hickman if you have ever heard of those).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groshong_line

Here is a picture of one, in case you want to see what I am talking about...

http://www.icid.salisbury.nhs.uk/CLINICALMANAGEMENT/HAEMATOLOGY/Pages/CareandMan\

agementofGroshongCathetersCG.aspx

But just so you know, it is harder than you think to get MRSA though. You

have to have an open wound and be exposed to someone that has active MRSA

or a health care worker that was just dealing with someone with MRSA and

didn't wear gloves or wash their hands in between.

It used to be considered a hospital-borne infection but now it is found

everywhere, it just gets lots of publicity because it is a " super bug " and

hard to get rid of, because it is resistant to many antibiotics.

MRSA stands for: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

infection is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that's become resistant

to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections.

Here is where I got my information from if you want to read further.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735

I usually end up on IV Vancomycin and Azetronam (which is now off the market)

both of which are considered the " Big Guns " antibiotics. And unfortunately

I am down to IV Vancomycin only due to my allergies. I mean I can have one

oral antibiotic called Zyvox, but no insurance company in the US will pay

for it. 28 tablets (twice a day drug, so 14 days worth) came to $4800.

The hospital doctors and pharmacists fought the insurance companies for

the 2 weeks then I had to go back into the hospital so they could put in a

PICC line and I was on home IV Vancomycin for 6 weeks every 8 hours around

the clock for an MRSA infection in my left calf one time (inital

hospitalization was December 19 to January 3rd). So at discharge I tried 2

weeks of oral antibiotics then ended up on 6 weeks of IV antibiotics. It

was lovely!

So I too am guessing it is something like a spider or tick bite. MRSA

doesn't just get better on its own... hope you found something out today!!

Anne

>

> Ron wrote:

> My wife and I have done a fair amount of research about this and came up

> with something like MRSA Cellulitis. It also could be a tick or spider

> bite according to what we've read.

>

>

[Guest guest]

> Lyndi wrote:

> I rooting for the spider bite idea.

All

Either one, get to the Doctor. MRSA is an infection from germs, spiders cause

necrosis, ticks usually bulls eye. Rashes are different for all. Treatment is

also different but ALL needs to be immediate.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

>

>By The following Tuesday evening, I had a serious fever. It wasn't high enough

to make me run to the hospital, But it was uncomfortable

> Low and behold there was a prominent pinkish rash looking mark (mark's

>Ron wrote:

> actually) between my ankle and knee. I'm also experiencing a substantial

amount of edema. At first it wasn't really painful, But has started to

> become so. And since we first noticed these marks, a few others have

> appeared. The worst of these is on the inside of my upper left thigh.

Ron,

My story,with a rash on my right breast, I had been working in the yard and

thought I had bruised it and got a blister. The blister was second day and just

happened I was seeking my Doctor for something else and he stated it was a rash

from my bra.

Third day, black necrosis and hole, no pain but I KNEW what black meant-brown

recluse and I figured that I must have walked thru a web. I started to wait

until Monday as this

was Fathers Day. I knew better, I am a Nurse, who cares if I bother the ER

staff, I will get a shot of Keflex and go home.

No, after examination, I spent three days in hospital with IV antibiotics,

fluids, and other things, I had three times a week for debridement for a whole

month !

No, don't put rashes off you don't know what it or they do not go away. Staph

tends to spread up the leg and you could spend hours and hours finding rashes

and

shaped you have (I do this also).

I did not see what bit me and there was not a " bite' mark but red rash, then

blister, then necrosis. Cellulitis needs to be treated asap also.

I am curious to see what you find out.

Good Luck.

Bennie

[Guest guest]

Hiya Friends,

I just wanted to up-date you on how things went with my leg rash. I did go

to my doctor on Thursday of last week (4/26) and once he saw my leg he told

me to go straight to the Hospital, Which we did. That's why I haven't

replied to any posts since then, as I just got home.

They put me on IV Anti-biotics and it worked miracles. By Sunday I was

feeling 100% better. No Swelling, No Discoloration, No Pain. Amazing!!!

They sent me home with some oral antibiotics. I have to take them 3 times a day

for 7 days.

I'm a bit tired and have a lot of PC stuff to go through, But I'll write

more later when I'm more awake about the overall experience I just went

through. It was a very positive experience!!!

Take care and thanks for your caring and concerned thoughts.

Hugs,

Ron B. - NY

[Guest guest]

Ron wrote:

> They put me on IV Antibiotics and it worked miracles. By Sunday I was

> feeling 100% better. No Swelling, No Discoloration, No Pain. Amazing!!!

I'm glad you went for treatment Ron. Please be careful and don't take

anything for granted. Those infections can be a bit on the tricky side.

Here's hoping it all gets out of your system. Forever!

Lyndi

[Guest guest]

So it was a staph infection in your leg? Was it MRSA??

Glad you are feeling better!

Anne

Ron wrote:

> > They put me on IV Antibiotics and it worked miracles. By Sunday I was

feeling 100% better.

[Guest guest]

Hi ya Lyndi,

Thanks for the kind words. It's greatly appreciated!!!

Be well,

Ron B. - NY

> Lyndi wrote:

> Please be careful and don't take anything for granted. Those infections can be

a bit on the tricky side.

[Guest guest]

Ron wrote:

> It was just the a Staph infection, No MRSA thankfully. And I am feeling 100%

better thanks.

Hi Again Ron

MRSA is a Staph Infection. Even though the antibiotics appear to have

knocked the infection for a loop, please continue to be watchful for

rashes, bumps, mouth sores, etc. Staph infections, whether they are the

MRSA strain or not, can still be with us, even if the general symptoms

are not noticeable all the time.

I've been reading World Health Organization reports for years. About

thirty years ago in Norway, the government and the medical profession

agreed to not prescribe antibiotics if any other recourse was available.

Since the majority of infections get better on their own, they saved

antibiotics for illnesses that just might kill somebody.

Unlike the rest of the western world, where antibiotics are even

prescribed for things they won't even help, Norway maintained its goal

of using them for serious illness only. Consequently, there is no MRSA

detectable in Norway's hospitals or nursing facilities. The only cases

of MRSA they have had to contend with, have come from immigrants and

visitors to Norway.

When an immigrant or visiting foreigner is brought to the hospital,

presenting with MRSA, they are put in genuine isolation and are kept

there until they are released from the hospital. Hospitals launder all

clothing worn by nurses, doctors and all maintenance staff. The

employees come in to work in street clothes and change at work. Then

they change again after their shift. They are also required to give

themselves a good scrubbing, both coming and going. Every hospital room

is disinfected as soon as a patient is discharged. In a ward with more

than one person, the hospital bed, all accessories, and anything that

the patient may have touched is disinfected. Doesn't matter whether the

patient had an appendectomy or an infectious disease. The rule applies

to all.

We use to do those things in the rest of the western world, but we got

slack. Nurses and doctors liked wearing home washable uniforms and

clothes. Unfortunately, ordinary laundering does not kill staph. It

needs high heat and a disinfecting agent. So, in our countries,

hospital workers, visitors etc. leave the hospital and go to the

hospital carrying the staph, including MRSA, on their clothing. They

then unwittingly deposit it on people and things - including the

cafeteria, bathrooms, patients, and visitors.

Some folks leave work and go shopping in their pretty scrubs. They take

the bug with them on their clothes and their skin and leave it on

shopping carts, money, and anything else they touched in the store.

Luckily for the general population, most healthy people have the ability

to fight it off and never know how close they came to getting very sick.

It's not too late for us to follow the Norwegian example, so that in a

couple of generations down the line, our grandkids or great grandkids

won't be dealing with unstoppable super bugs. I don't know why " we " are

so reluctant to make such basic changes - from wearing sanitized clothes

when we work in a hospital to doing lots of serious hand washing.

Lyndi

[Guest guest]

Just because I have a long history of MRSA doesn't meant that every

infection I get is going to be MRSA based. Last summer I got a sun burn

(outside for less than 2 hours wearing a tank top and shorts with sun

screen) but the sunburn was so bad that it bubbled, blistered and started

to weep. At which point I went to Urgent Care because of my history of

MRSA and I didn't want to risk getting the open area infected somehow.

They cultured it, and it was already infected with some strep virus. And

with my drug allergies and all, meant going into the ER each day over the

weekend the culture came back to get my port accessed for a dose of IV

Vancomycin every 12 hours, unfortunately I had burned the skin above my

port so not exactly the most pleasant feeling. Then once the clinics were

open again on Monday I was started on 8 days of Home IV Antibiotics with my

home care company and was on Vancomycin for it for a total of 10 days. It

was lovely!

What I am trying to say is that just because you get a certain nasty

infection one time (or many times) you can still get other infections

beyond that. Everyone has staph, strep, etc. on their skin even if you

continuously wash your hands it is just one of the things out there in the

world now. So getting an open sore gives those bacteria access to your

blood stream or inside your body to reek havoc, which is the story of my

life. But if it wasn't me, it would be someone else. So I just deal with

it and go on from there.