MRSA #3: Lab work in .. no MRSA! It's a massive Staph. aureus abscess (Carbunculosis).

[DemoTex]

But it is still a dangerous MoFo. I have been too sick to post for a few days now. The staph is finally responding well to the Bactrim. The drainage today was spectacular, and I am finally out of the 24/7 pain that has wrecked me the past few days.

It is a Staph. aureus abscess (carbuncle) with 12-14 drain points. This is a wicked, deep, and wide abscess that has .. indeed .. kicked my ass. It is slightly to the left of my spine, but overlaps L-3/L-4 (and area sooo rich in nerve endings, believe me!). It has been draining for a few days, but today it gushed and I feel a little better.

I initially posted that I was being treated for MRSA. That course of treatment was because of my long exposure to my mother, who just spent 8 weeks in the hospital with MRSA and esophageal shingles, and my brother's recent (non-cultured, drug respondent, probable staph. aureus) abscesses. It took three days for the lab results to come back. That was Friday.

Another interesting tidbit on MRSA: The three states with the highest rates of MRSA are Georgia, Texas, and California. In Austin, Texas, over 60% of abscess isolates from the emergency department of an Austin hospital yielded MRSA. These organisms are uniformly resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins. These data mark a big shift from the old school thought of nosocomial (hospital acquired) staph, and harken the new reality of CA-MRSA (community-acquired).

I am told by an MD friend in the small town where my parents live (Griffin, Ga.), that S. aureus infections (garden-variety, like I have) are almost pandemic there. There is nothing garden-variety about a carbuncular Staph. a. abscess near the spine (or on the face).

Now, go wash your damn hands!

Thanks dear hearts!

Mac


Still fightin' it, with my DU buds on my wing.

[papau]

1. It's great to hear good news - or at least better news. Hang in there - hugs :-)

:-)

[uppityperson]

2. Yea! Glad to hear that it is "only" staph. Wash hands indeed.

Hoping you feel better soon and heal soon.

[havocmom]

3. Damn, Mac. Good to hear you are getting a handle on that sucker

We are seeing young people (16-30 and in great health) coming down with strange staff infections up here. Not good at all. Mean mother of an infection!

Glad to hear from you.

[DemoTex]

9. Thanks havocmom ..

I'm border-line Howard Hughes now. I carry a small phial of waterless (alcohol-based) hand sanitizer in my pocket. One is on my desk. One is in every room. CDC recommends them, second only to soap and hot water.

[FloridaJudy]

30. A little dab won't do ya...

You need to use a great honking glob of that waterless sanitizing gel, and really rub it in. Soap and hot, hot water works better, but those aren't as readily available.

Congrats on your improvement. Staph infections can be very nasty indeed.

[Bjornsdotter]

4. Oh my goodness

...you poor thing. I'm sending good thoughts your way and hope that you are well soon.

Take care :hug:

[Rex]

5. Oh man!

Get better Demotex! All my hopes for a full recovery. As bad as that is, I'm very, very glad you didn't have MRSA!

[liberalnurse]

6. The Bactrim is a good choice.

I see these infections daily.

[DemoTex]

12. I'm impressed by Bactrim's efficacy ..

However, I did not mention the two surgeries I face to fully drain and debride this wound.

[liberalnurse]

33. Will they do it in the doctor's office?

I typically see say, 2-3 new infections a week....folks tend to say, "I've got a spider bite"....I have seen them in the axillary, breast, back, perineum, legs/thighs mostly.....the main core site, avg. 2 inches x 2 inches, raised, tender, with the surrounding tissue area becoming reddened and hot.

I know that it is very painful...once they drain, and the pressure is relieved, it's much more tolerable. They can reoccur in other sites! A tiny ingrown hair or sa,y a a razor rash happens, it can turn into the "big thing". :scared:

I read earlier you have the prevention plan down....O8)

I'm sorry to hear of your misery.:hug:

[DemoTex]

39. Yes, my dermatologist's group has a highly regarded surgical suite.

And I am much more comfortable with her (and her staff) than some general surgeon whom I do not know. They do these all the time.

But I'm doing everything I can to avoid the surgery. Still doing hot compresses every couple of hours and 2-3 sitz baths or long hot showers a day. Today was a major drainage day. I mean gushers .. volcanic eruptions.

[Cobalt Violet]

7. I wish you a speedy recovery.

:hug:

[MuseRider]

8. Good lord that sounds awful!

I sure hope it keeps draining and heals up pretty quickly. That stuff will really kick your butt like you said so take it easy.

Esophageal shingles? That must have been miserable! Poor thing.

Hang in there. Interesting info about CA-MRSA, did not know that at all. Not good news.

[patrice]

10. Good thoughts and feelings from us to you Demo Tex!

I've known a couple of people who have had those. Both of them are fine now, but it WAS hard gettin' through.

Take care of yourself and . . .

NGU!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. Get well soon!!

Staph and Strep are nasty little buggers, literally!! I had bacterial pneumonia years ago that had hemolytic Strep beta in it, among other things.

When my daughter was little I used to tell her about "good buggies" like Lactobacillus acidophilus, in your gut, and "bad buggies" that cause disease. I have a BA in biology.

I'm so glad they figured out what it was and it's getting better!!

We can't afford to lose a SINGLE Texas liberal!

:toast:

[rasputin1952]

13. Bactrim is good stuff for this type of situation....

Once it started drain regualarly, pressure came off those nerve endings and you should be feelin a LOT better..:woohoo:

Make sure you go through the entire regimen and stay in contact w/your primary MD, and any other MD, Nurse you're dealing with, (especially Nurses, they are the ones who know you best because they see you more often). Don't miss any follow up appt's and for Pete's sake...make sure it has completely resolved before being released from care.

So glad to hear you are doing better...:D :pals:

[DemoTex]

14. Surgery is scheduled for drainage/debridment.

You are preachin' to the choir, rasputin1952! But thanks for caring. I'm the doc's best patient (following HER orders), believe me. And I respect the PA and RN like I do my dear doc. But I am talking about my dermatologist and her staff. They saved my ass.

Last Monday, my internist would not see me (he was given bad info by his triage/receptionist). He called me back at 4 pm and told me I had two minutes. He told me to rub some Neosporin on the abscess and to use hot compresses. He is embarrassed and back-pedaling now. We will see where that goes.

Mac

[rasputin1952]

Might be a good idea to look for a new Primary...

Just sayin'...(whistling).

I've been in the medical field for what seems like forever, well, w/a few breaks..:)

I ran a TMC in the Army for a while, if one of the Medics had refused to see a pt, I would have his/her ass in a sling. If any of the Bn PA's refused to see a pt after screening, and that did happen once, it was off to the Bde surgeon...it only happened once.

On one occasion, we had a soldier come in w/what I figured was a kidney stone. Went through he usual screen in process, and then did some standard tests, but I already knew the diagnosis...hematuria and R flank pain was all I really needed to know for this soldier to get a higher level of care than we could administer.

We called don to his Company, and his CO sent a jeep to transport him to Madigan...I was pissed, but as time was an issue, I went and got a morphine syrette and gave him a good blast hoping to make his trip a little more comfortable. I caught hell from a PA, but the Division Surgeon agreed w/the Bde surgeon that I had done the right thing. To end this story...the soldier was not in my unit, but I saw him a couple of months later...I was truly embarrassed at the way he kept thanking me for saving his life. He was a nice kid.

[Rick Myers]

15. Wow Mac!!! Glad to hear you are doing better...

I always enjoy seeing you 'round these parts! Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Both my parents were in hospitals last year, Mom passed away, but both had BAD infections unrelated to their hospitalization!! There's some BAD bugs out there!

Feel better soon!!!

Rick

[DemoTex]

19. Thanks Rick

Sorry to hear about your mother. And good to hear from you, old DUer.

I still cannot believe my 85 y/o mother with COPD survived that eight weeks of hell with mouth/throat/esophageal shingles and a near-full half-lower-back MRSA abscess. And she whimpered a whole lot less than I have over the last week. On the other hand, she had Morphine to help.

I guess we should study our parents.

Mac

[Forkboy]

16. "The drainage today was spectacular,"

Well,I could have gone without that little bit of info.

Glad you're doing better. :)

[DemoTex]

18. You sound like my wife: Dr. D!

I thought I was toning it waaaaaay down. Nuff said.

[Forkboy]

20. Damn...thanks for the edited version at least.

And don't say I sound like a wife until I ask you to take the trash out.Nay..TELL you to take the trash out. ;)

[DemoTex]

22. Well, Dr. D. (an industrial psychologist) looked at my back last Wednesday ..

She gagged and almost puked. That bad.

:puke:

But, although her name is Nancy .. she ain't no Nancy Nurse! That is why I encouraged her to go ahead today, and leave, to give her talk at the EAWOP (Europe Association of Work/Organizational Psychologists), She did. She is in London now. Flying on to Stockholm tomorrow.

I handle bad sickness much better alone. The very fact that I am posting means I feal better.

Know whut I mean, Vern?

[Kurovski]

17. Get well, and thank you for the update.

K&R.

[Blue Diadem]

21. I am so glad you posted, I was getting worried

Thank goodness you had the gusher..relieving pressure always helps.

Glad to see you here tonight Mac. Keep taking those meds and here's hoping your surgical procedure won't cause too much discomfort.

and yeppers..wash those hands!

[Proud2BAmurkin]

23. Greetings from a Third Ward alum from Griffin

Grades 2-5, lived there in the 70s

[DemoTex]

24. Damn! I'm a Third Ward Alum too!

My mom taught sixth grade there, with Dottie Baily. By the 70's there were two rooms, and mom taught science and math .. Mrs. Baily taught English, history, and civics.

WOW!

THIRD WARD!

[Proud2BAmurkin]

25. whoa!

I remember Miss Kendall, Miss Jellum, Miss Smith. Mr Akin principal

Lived right down the street on E College St.
Remember a few families in the hood, Goolsbys and Plowdens

[DemoTex]

26. I think Joe Akin died recently. Esogophogeal cancer.

Almost all of the older Plowdens are dead. EtOh complications. E. College and Brook Circle were where I concentrated my romances when I was 15-19. Seen those big houses lately? Sad.
Mac

[Missy Vixen]

27. I'm glad you're getting better

I'm now off to wash my hands. Again.

:scared:
Julie

[DianaForRussFeingold]

28. I'm so glad you're feeling better !!! I've been taking your advice!

;) Hand sanitizers do not remove visible dirt and grime, and do not replace regular handwashing. Hand sanitizers should only be used when soap and clean water are not available. :pals:

:hug: :loveya:

[Straight Shooter]

29. *whew*!

:hi:

(We need a kickin'-ass smilie.)

[stevedeshazer]

31. Hang in there buddy

Thanks for the update....

[intaglio]

32. DUers May be interested in these articles

They are real reports on the use of honey to treat wounds such as DemoTex's

First a general one from the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3787867.stm

then three peer reviewed studies
http://www.medbc.com/annals/review/vol_16/num_3/text/vol16n3p131.asp
http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/honey.html
http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2001/november/Molan/honey-as-topical-agent.html

There are other treatments which show promise

[DemoTex]

34. Extremely interesting stuff, intaglio.

I think that I will try honey on my dressing sponges this week, while the wound is still suppurative. The ability of honey to generate hydrogen peroxide in situ blows my mind. In fact, why the hell NOT try it!?

[FlaGranny]

42. I had one of those nasty carbuncles

on my shin a few years ago. It actually started to get necrotic. I was using antibiotic ointment with the only result being that the dang thing just kept getting worse. Since I didn't have any insurance at the time I did a search and found the manuka honey described above. I had it overnighted and started to use it the next day. I developoed an open ulcer about 1/2 inch across and the skin around that was black for about a half inch, so the whole thing was 1-1/2 inches across and surrounded by a reddened area 3 or 4 inches across. I'm not even diabetic so I have no idea what caused it. Anyway, I started using honey dressings. The day after I started there was not much change, but it didn't get worse. By the second day I started to see gradual improvement. It took a week or two but it gradually got better and healed.

I wouldn't be without manuka honey. It's good stuff. One other thing about honey is that it doesn't let the wound form a hard scab. The scab stays soft so there's no problem with cracking and bleeding.

[Beausoir]

35. This is very interesting to me.

Won't go into details but suffice it to say, I was sticken with something very similar while out at sea.

The pain. The chills. The sheer size was unbelievable.
I docked into Costa Maya Mexico and self-medicated on some Mexican Keflex from a pharmacia.

Worked.

[DemoTex]

36. Sounds like a staph abscess.

You are lucky you could get the Keflex. What kind of vessle were you sailing? I mean merchant marine, private yacht, navy, etc?

[Beausoir]

38. Heh. Just a cruise ship.

But that was one nasty mofo. Came out of the blue and completely took over my body.

Gadzooks.

[DemoTex]

40. No doc or meds on board?

Just curious.

[Beausoir]

49. Doc on board...dunno about the meds.

I was traveling with a doctor and I had experienced this before, albeit to a much lesser degree.
I was desperate and I chose to grab some Keflex.

I also grabbed some good Valium, which turned out to be a bad idea considering I had never taken it before. That was one wild ride. Stupid.

Live and learn.

From now on...I travel with Hibiclens. An excellent surgical scrub soap.

[Horse with no Name]

37. Bless you.

I hope you feel better soon.:hug:

[Lisa]

41. I guess abscess does NOT make the heart grow fonder!

At least not when the infection in question is so darned big -- and near the spinal area! (I remember my mom, a public health nurse, telling me about a 3-point carbuncle on one of her patients ... just to impress upon my pre-teen mind why hand-washing was so important. I fled for the bathroom and was scrubbing away, even before she got to her story about another patient who, not trusting the banks, used to stash her life savings, in bills, in her panties.)

Hope you're feeling better soon, Mac.

(By the way ... remember that big boil on ol' Dubya, back in 2000? He was in Texas at the time, wasn't he? Reckon he got a "visit", as he might put it, from your friend S. aureus?)

[DemoTex]

43. S. aureus: Old Yellow.

My derm doc took pics today. Said she had never seen such a monster with so many drain points.

[Lisa]

45. and no wonder -- your carbuncle is going to be the hit of the next symposium!

"Old Yeller", indeed. Did she include a ruler, for scale?

I had a dollar-coin-sized one with one drain point (infected bug bite?), and it hurt like anything.

[greatauntoftriplets]

44. Damn, I was just wondering how you were doing....

checked GD and there you were.

I am delighted to hear that you have a confirmed diagnosis and are taking the right meds. It sounds terrible and I am certain that you are not looking forward to the surgeries.

Please get well soon.

:hi:

[DemoTex]

46. Ironic.

I was just thinking of you, too!

:hi:

[Hekate]

47. Staph ping-ponged around my family for a year when I was a kid.About drove my mom nuts w/ sanitizing

No carbuncles, thank gods, but first one person and then another would get a boil, or styes, or something, and it just went on and on. Mom finally found a product called Perma-Chem and sprayed everything including mattresses and pillows with that. I don't know if that was what turned the tide, but the bug finally, finally went away.

A year or so ago my husband got a nasty staph infection on his lip (possibly from a toothpick impaling a shrimp) and all those memories came rushing back. I practically boiled the bath towels. I sprayed the shower with bleach every time he used it. Unlike my family, he went to the doctor, but the huge swelling was slow to respond to drugs.

He couldn't understand why I got quite so upset until I told him the story.

I'm a handwasher, but I've also just joined the YMCA to get some healthy exercise, and I know a myriad of other folks are using the same equipment every day...

Please continue to get better. This has always been one nasty bug, even before it became drug resistant.

Hekate

[DemoTex]

48. Impetigo was the big bug-a-boo in my childhood.

We called it Infant Tiger. Way more right than wrong, eh? It was a damn Tiger.

[Hekate]

53. When we'd just gotten rid of our staph, a cousin with impetigo came through & set mom off again...

At least I think that's what he had -- some kind of nasty looking thing on his arm. Gads. At least none of us ever caught that.

Keep getting better. :hi:

Hekate

[Ilsa]

50. Yeah, staph A is a nasty infection. Relieved you are starting to recover.

Those nasty blooms of pus are, ironically, a relief for your pain.

I burned out the veins in both arms getting IV antibiotics for Staph A close to a biopsied bone. I took some really potent stuff, nafcillin, a beta-lactamase.

Take good care of yourself. It wouldn't be DU without you.

[JCMach1]

51. I had a daughter with staph. scalded skin syndrome... it is very serious

so be careful...

[katamaran]

52. My boyfriend had this on his FACE for months

A year and a half ago, my boyfriend got a split lip playing with our dog. A week later, his lip was swollen top and bottom and completely ulcerated. Spent Xmas day in the ER with him, got some antibiotics, went home. That cleared up after a couple weeks and he could talk and eat normally again. Then he got a little pimple on his cheek that he popped the top off of, and three days later his entire face was swollen like a balloon. He had six of the damn things on his face, made it nearly impossible to eat, breathe, or see. All giant carbuncles of festering ooze. We know he got it from the initial ER visit. His own doc said he either had AIDS or herpes, before she even ran tests (all negative). He literally gave up on life when my parents and I kidnapped him and took him back to the ER, where we got a wonderful doctor who admitted him immediately lance his whole face and pumped him so full of antibiotics he was swimming in them. Cleared up in a few days. Scared the bejeezus out of us. Staph and MRSA are no fricking joke.