Patient Comments: MRSA - Describe Your ExperiencePlease describe your experience with MRSA.
Published: June 24
I woke one morning with an itchy area along my jaw line. Within four days it was large; it appeared to be a "pimple - gone BAD!" It was too sore to touch or try to pop. I saw the doctor on day 5. He numbed the area, opened and drained the sore and took a sample. Due to my sensitivity to sulfa-based drugs, he prescribed Ciprodex for 10 days. That, with the several follow up appointments, changed packing and dressing, has cleared up my MRSA infection. It is now day 18, and there is a slight hardness to the area, a very small scab and an indentation in my face. I'm so glad I intervened. Was this comment helpful?Yes
Comment from: Jane, 75 or over Female (Caregiver)
Published: April 08
After my uncle had a heart attack and open heart surgery, he picked up the MRSA virus in ICU. It spread to the wounds in his chest and he had to spend four months in hospital. The virus destroyed his chest and ribs. The result is that no ribs can be replaced by screws because of the weak remaining rib structure. He lost 35 kg of weight, and has to learn to walk again. We don't know what the future holds for my uncle. Was this comment helpful?Yes
Comment from: Dee, 45-54 Female (Caregiver)
Published: April 05
I just lost a dear friend to MRSA. She suffered for years. She possibly developed this from caring for her mother, who was on oxygen. My friend changed her mother's nasal set up frequently. She was treated for a persistent cold, then flu, and finally, MRSA. It was already in her blood stream. She had surgery on her spine, where it settled. She suffered for years. Her liver was destroyed from the antibiotics. She would swell up and have to go through constant tapping. She died at age 54 – loved life, and fought hard, until the end. She wanted to beat this so much! Was this comment helpful?Yes
Published: July 07
I am 21 years old and one night my thigh right above my leg started to hurt and just kept hurting more and more and swelling more as the night went on. After a day I could hardly walk on my leg because it hurt way too bad. I had a scab on it and picked it off which caused my leg to puss out for 48 hours until I finally had my surgery. Any pressure on the leg would make it puss out a lot more. By the second day there was a white stringy puss coming out along with the thick bloody puss. They cut my leg open and cleaned it out and I was on vancomycin 3 times a day for the week I was in the hospital and even though I have been released I have to go to the hospital every 12 hours for another treatment of vancomycin. This is going to last for at least 2 weeks after I am out of the hospital and then after the 2 weeks they will see how my blood samples look and I may still have to go in for treatments longer. I normally do not like to go to doctors but I am very happy that I went to the ER for this one in a reasonable amount of time of 2 days. Was this comment helpful?Yes
Published: July 07
I have been diagnosed with MRSA. I have had many Surgeries and Hospital stays due to it. My advice to everyone is if you think you may have signs of the infection, please seek medical attention immediately. I thought mine was just a simple spider bite, but I was wrong, my dad was the one who told me about the infection, when he looked at the red swelling of the area, he stated that it looks like the MRSA. I got up to go to work the next morning, and I couldn't even walk because the area infected was right at the bottom of my knee cap, and as soon as I went into the emergency room they took one look at it and they knew what it was. I have had many medications, and hospitalizations from it. Keep Lysol or Clorox wipes handy, and antibacterial sanitizer handy so it would spread to others, I just hope that all of you are healthy and never catch this, because it is really devastating and painful to have and I just don't want anybody to go through what I have been through over the past 9 months! Was this comment helpful?Yes
Patient CommentsViewers share their comments
MRSA - Prevention
Question: What methods do you use to prevent the spread of MRSA?
MRSA -Treatment
Question: How was your MRSA treated?
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I developed MRSA after I scratched what I thought was a pimple on my right buttock. Two days later, I got this huge lump at the area where the pimple was. The following day, I went to our Immediate Medical Center and was started on Bactrim. I was told to hot-pack the lesion. After I hot-packed the lesion, the infection spread like wild fire. The following day, I was unable to walk because my entire buttock was purple, full of pus, and extremely painful. My primary care doctor sent me right to the hospital where my surgeon performed emergency surgery on me. I now have an 8-inch surgical incision that has been laid open so it can heal from the inside out. The wound is now about 3/4 inch deep and 2 inches wide since it has healed somewhat thanks to the "Wound Pump" I will be wearing for at least another three weeks. I was hospitalized and given massive doses of antibiotics and will be on antibiotics for another three to four weeks, or more if necessary. My surgeon told me that he had seen many cases of this sort, but none that compared to the amount of necrotic tissue and pus he had to remove from me.