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MRSA is short for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (now say two more times fast, don’t you just love medical terms). This has also been called the Super bug infection.
According to the CDC, less than 2 percent of the population carries MRSA. It is mainly spread by skin to skin contact and caused by a staph infection.
There may be complications. Because of the resistance to some antibiotics this makes MRSA difficult to treat. The usual treatment requires an incision and drainage.
Depending on the area of infection symptoms may be:
- Inflamed, swollen, painful bumps
- Pus or fluid areas
- Sores or boils on the skin
His Work
In 2006 my boyfriend was working for the Port of Milwaukee. Ron helped repair containers to be loaded on trucks, trains and ships.
Part of the job entailed taking inspectors through these containers loaded with merchandise being imported.
He was showing an inspector the inside of a container full of hides. These were oozing guck off them (They weren’t wearing gloves). Ron got this on his hand. Typical guy, (sorry) wipes it off on his shirt not giving it another thought until much later.
We figured the MRSA entered through a cut. Days later he noticed pus coming out of his thumb.
Note: Any sign of pus is an infection. Do something about it!
I am always after him to put; alcohol, peroxide on cuts/scraps, before they get infected. These are disinfectants/astringents to heal injuries. Even witch hazel, tea tree oil or aloe vera will help.
But he didn’t do this and it got worse. He continued to work.
Infected Thumb
Still days later, Ron tells me he can twist his whole thumb around. I looked and his thumb was pus filled and twisted. It did not look good at all. Where I yell at him to go have it checked out now!
Ron went to work but called me later that day. He had gone to the hospital. He was now in ER and they wouldn’t let him leave.
I got there to find him in a room lying on a bed with an IV of antibiotics. The Drs. ran a lot of test to figure out what the problem was. The nurses kept taking blood samples. Of course, they asked him tons of questions. Ron had told them about his work.
MRSA was Rare
MRSA was new then as COVID-19 is now (please refer to CDC & WHO websites for current updates). There wasn’t a lot of information at that time.
It is another scary sickness in the world, besides COVID-19. It too was once rare but has grown in cases. With more patients hospitalized with COVID-19, MRSA is also a concern.
Washing your hands and using hand sanitizer are always wise, especially when you have been in a hospital, clinic or to the Dr. Office.
Turns out he had two other wounds that weren’t healing. Guys (sorry again, I know there’s gotta be exceptions, huh). He had tweezed a nose hair (of course, not sterilizing anything) then tried digging a steel splinter out of his outer thigh (can we say cross-contamination) with the same tweezers’.
Hospitalized
He ended up staying in the hospital for weeks. A wound specialist was called in to look at his thigh. She performed a debridement procedure of the area. This is removing the infected and dead skin so healthy skin can grow back.
Oh, his thumb couldn’t be saved. The first digit had to be amputated. He was put on morphine for the pain. Ron was so worried about how it would look. It looked fine. Having all those nerves at the end of the fingers isn’t easy. At times, he still felt like the whole thumb was there.
After the medical staff discovered it was MRSA, we were told if he had waited a couple more days he wouldn’t be here.
That’s how serious it was. I wish he had gone in sooner. I am so thankful he is still with me.
This has made him more prone to infections. He has to be careful. If he has a surgery there may be a problem with healing. Ron has this listed in his medical record.
Now Ron custom designs his gloves for this hand by shortening that thumb.
Again, any sign of pus (yellow) is an infection. Treat it! Use a disinfectant to get rid of the germs; alcohol, peroxide, witch hazel, tea tree oil or aloe vera. One or more of these should always be in your medicine cabinet.
If the area has pus, sterilize any tools used before using again, anywhere. Disinfect!
If it is a large area, seek medical help. ( For support groups).
Disclaimer: No endorsements for pay or otherwise are included in this blog.
This website is for informational purposes and not for diagnosis.
If you have a condition or concern, please consult your doctor.
Researching content:
https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/healthcare/inpatient.html accessed 06/26/2020
https://www.staph-infection-resources.com/info/carrier/ accessed 06/28/2020
https://www.staph-infection-resources.com/treatment/doctor-wont-tell-you/ accessed 06/28/2020
