Thoughts appreciated...a friend w/possible MRSA

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nootka

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Thursday the 2nd of April in the evening, my friend Bill (the one who makes the historical memorabilia/shipwreck charts and such) was selling his dirtbikes and went to start the smaller of the two for the buyer.

He missed the peg and lightly abraded his shin through the material of his sweat pants. He also had a sore throat/cold.

He went to Comic Con in Seattle for the weekend as a vendor and while he was there he did not sleep so well, was busy, stood most of the weekend (much like a horse show) and someone broke into his van Saturday night! (not really consequential, just more stress).

Monday when he was home he seemed a little tired but really "on the mend" from the cold.

Tuesday at 3:00 a.m. he awoke with a throbbing leg (the same one he scraped). I got to his place about 8:00 and he was sitting quietly seeming very puny. That was the first time I saw his leg. I was scared by the swelling and realized it was not his sore throat that was causing his illness. By 10 am. he crawled up to bed. I checked on him a few times during the day and he was no better although he said he FELT better while lying down. His wife said the next morning that he had not moved and I knew that when I got there if he had not gone to the dr. he was GOING TO before I left.

I took him to urgent care at around 10 Wed. morning b/c the leg was swollen and reddish and he was very sick-looking; ashen and his voice was barely there.

He was limping on the leg, too, worse than Tuesday. I had suspected a blood clot at first but then infection w/the fever. I had to call a medical help line to convince him that he was gravely ill, but when the doctor looked on Wed. they insisted on culturing it, gave him a shot of antibiotics, a prescription for them and some pain meds and antibiotic cream, dressed the wound and sent him home.

By 5 o'clock his wife was not happy that he was better so she took him back in. they sent him home w/different pain meds and a "wait and see" Long story short is that he went in Friday and had not improved so they admitted him for IV antibiotics for MRSA (google this, it's important to be aware of) which is a resistant strain of staph that is very aggressive and quite contagious. They don't know that he HAS MRSA, just that it is possible because it is not responding.

Saturday morning he still had not improved and they X-rayed his lungs, there is fluid in them and he was admitted to the Critical Care Unit for constant monitoring. I visited him a few times yesterday and it's hard to tell. his sense of humor is back, but he's also scared, I can tell.

His wife says he is better this morning, but we've heard that off and on for four days now and it's not the most comfort it could be.

So if you could spare some positive thoughts for a good guy, we would appreciate it.

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I am handling his business 100% pretty much and getting his van repaired or as close to it as I can until he's up and around (it was covered by parking's insurance thankfully), but feel pretty helpless and hoping something works.

Wash those cuts, scrapes and wounds and keep a close eye on them!!!! this really was a small scrape that did not even bleed initially.

Liz
 
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Liz,

Did they also check his blood sugar for possible diabetes?

Your description of his infection is so much like my two bouts with cellulitis, which came from seemingly innocent abrasions that were complicated by diabetes and the related poor circulation.

I would hope this would be something they would automatically check, but then so often doctors can miss the obvious -- be sure he asks.

Other times as well, infections (such as cat bites) can quickly get out of hand and require a direct line for antibiotics.

I'll be thinking of Bill, and I hope the docs get a handle on this quickly.
 
Pretty scary. Men seem to always say they feel better when they are tried of the fuss and it don't always mean they feel better.

I sure will be sending positive thoughts Bills' way in the hopes that he really feels better soon.

Please keep us updated.

Barbara
 
Yes when I read it it didn't sound like MRSA - sounds like cellulitous. And depending on what strain, it might take 2-3 times of figuring out what kind of antibiotics it will take to kill it.

Cellulitous is bad, can make a cold or flu seem much worse than it is. Makes an area swell, red, hot and infected. Will crawl up a limb unless stopped.

Once cellulitous has been introduced to the body, you can get it again easily just by a scratch.

MRSA - usually is not established unless in a clinic or hosptial to my knowledge. Have had plenty of experience with that as well.
 
Susanne, poor Spyder has cellulitis in his neck right now. He says to tell you he agrees- it's nasty stuff!
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Muffntuf- I work at the nurse line that Liz called and according to my coworkers the infection used to be primarily contracted in a hospital setting but is now out in the community. Wash your hands frequently, clean, disinfect and cover any cuts or abrasions, and for gosh sakes don't touch drainage from suspicious-looking wounds!
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You can get more information here.

Liz, my thoughts and prayers are with Bill. I know he's not happy about being hospitalized, but he's so lucky to have someone like you to make him!
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Leia
 
Liz,

I am praying for Bill, and I will send the word out to all my friends and relatives. It was a year ago last october, that I lost my 4 year old niece to MRSA. She was too little to fight, and I only hope Bill got to the doctors in time for the antibiotics to work. I will keep him in my thoughts, please let us know how he is doing.
 
As to cellulitis vs. MRSA, I cannot say. His doctor is happy today that he's responding finally.

He seems in better spirits, but overwhelmed by how hard this has hit him. I didn't know it yesterday, but his kidneys and liver were showing signs of problems and they were going to have to lower the IV antibiotics. That has changed and his pneumonia is clearing up, I think...

He may be home in a few days, but will be on his back with the leg up for two or three weeks...

i will ask his wife if they've tested or ruled out any of the other things, but as far as I know, he does not have diabetes and is otherwise a very healthy and active person.

Thank you for all the well wishes, prayers and support, they seem to be helping.

laughingllama75, I am so sorry for your loss, it is horrifying how resistant "superbugs" have become prevalent today.
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I am wishing like heck that I had dragged him in the day before when I first saw the leg. 24 hours more headway may have been the difference. Hindsight is just too painful to linger on.

Liz
 
It very well could be both, since cellulitis results from a bad infection, and MRSA is a type of infection -- just a very, very bad one.

Somehow I missed the part about the pneumonia...I still think I caught that in (or else it was exacerbated by) the hospital itself.

Even if they want him to continue the IV, he could ask about having a visiting nurse set him up at home -- he'd probably heal better away from the hospital.

That leg is likely to be agonizing for quite some time, and it really is critical that he keep it elevated...perhaps it's a good thing that he won't feel like doing anything but. I found that with two bouts of it within one year, it took until just recently (almost two years) to be totally without pain and swelling. Even if he's not diabetic, loose-fitting diabetic socks are a huge help, since anything at all constricting can be very painful.

We recently bought something I wish I had then -- anti-gravity lawn chairs -- they let you sit down as with a normal chair, but then you can lean back and raise your legs almost like a featherweight recliner. They take up very little room, so would work well indoors as well as out. I've seen them at GI Joe's and many other stores for about $40.

It makes me hurt just remembering all of this, so I definitely sympathize!
 
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I learned when I move to the NW to get those cuts and scraps cleaned up and covered. DH did not do this one time and ended up with blood posioning. DS has had some issues with that too.

Because of MRSA and because I can't tolerate Antiboitics... my Doc doesn't want me to come into the office unless I really, really need to. She is afraid I could end up with MRSA and she would have no way to fight it.

Am glad to hear he is responding to the Meds. Sounds like he is in good hands, and he has a very good friend in you, taking care of things like are Liz. Keep us updated on how he is doing....... and buy him one of those big first aide kits for future use.

laughingllama75, I am very sorry to hear you lost your niece. <hugs>
 
I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

I was happy to read he is responding to the antibiotics.
 
Glad to hear he is improving. MRSA is very scary. A 16 year old boy that went to the high school I graduated from just died of it a few weeks ago. All he had were minor scrapes and he went downhill in only five days time. It was quite shocking and big news around here. Everyone is sure to clean and cover even seemingly insignificant wounds now. Sending good thoughts that your friend continues to improve and is feeling better soon.
 
They got back some of the swabs they took and it is not MRSA. Still not 100% sure what the bacteria is, but there IS some cellulitis around the wound, so those of you that thought that you were right.

Initially, I feared a blood clot which they say is similar to the symptoms of cellulitis.

I think he's on the mend, but again overwhelmed by how this has knocked his feet out from under him, literally, and thinking of the recovery time.

I'm off to read a little more about cellulitis and thanks (again) for the well-wishes.

Liz
 
Liz, I'm sorry to find out Bill is so ill! :DOH!

My thoughts and prayers are with him.

He's lucky to have a good friend in you!
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I am glad it is not MRSA. We had a boy that had graduated from Tenino a couple years ago recently die from it. He seemed like he had a cold and was in bed. They tried to wake him and by they time they got him to the infirmary he had died, ( he was at college). They found the MRSA had gone into his lungs.

Hope Bill feels better soon!!!!
 
I'm glad Bill is doing a little better, and I am glad he tested neg. for MRSA......now if he can get out of the hospital, before he gets it! I totally agree with the other poster that said a visiting nurse would be better. Hospitals are breeding grounds for infections.... I will keep up the prayers and good thoughts, I hope Bill is well on his way on the road to recovery.
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Also, thanks for the condolences on my niece Katie. She was a special little girl, and certainly did not deserve what hse got. But, she is not in pain or suffering anymore, and we are moving on. She has 2 beatiful sisters, parents and relatives that miss her dearly, but she is in our heart forever.
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cellulitis is no walk in the park either. My daughter had it years ago and was in the hospital for 10 days and almost lost her leg. We went from dr to dr and they kept misdiagnosing her. Finally found one that knew what he was doing. they had to do surgery to remove all the dead tissue then pack the hole. I will never forget bringing her home and having to clean and repack that hole everyday ughh it was horrible

Sending good thoughts to your friend
 
Crabby-Chicken said:
I am glad it is not MRSA. We had a boy that had graduated from Tenino a couple years ago recently die from it. He seemed like he had a cold and was in bed. They tried to wake him and by they time they got him to the infirmary he had died, ( he was at college). They found the MRSA had gone into his lungs.
Oh, now THAT is scary!! The nurse I was talking to yesterday mentioned (if I understood right) that if it goes into your lungs you're more contagious because everything you breathe on or cough on becomes infectious unlike an exterior wound where you have to come into direct contact with the drainage and have a break in your own skin. Can you imagine the risk to the poor people who probably gave this boy CPR when he died?? Scary, scary, scary. Laughingllama75, I too am sorry about your niece.
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I'm so glad Bill is improving and hope he's truly on the mend soon! Do NOT beat yourself up Liz, you tried everything but bludgeoning to get him to go in. I know how worried you were about him. ((hugs)) Hopefully the pain will do its job of encouraging him to take it easy until the cellulitis goes down a bit. Spyder's neck is losing skin like crazy, I can only imagine how much that must hurt in an infected limb.

Leia
 
Cellulitis is a really bed thing in the lower extremity. It can easily become a chronic problem. When my son hit his shin on a bike pedal and two days later I saw the swelling a redness we made the quick trip to Children's Hospital where he was hospitalized on IV antibiotics for several days. Just the term "cellulitis" puts me in panic mode. That was the catch-all daignosis they always used on my problem leg...until it was amputated. It is nothing to mess around with.
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