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Ms Mitchell
Ms Mitchell
Join Date 02/2006
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New and Improved Germ Warfare

MRSA

March 17, 2006 12:53:53 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
My oldest son is a 19yo private in the US Marine Corps. He has a young wife and a new baby. He was cleaning his weapon and nicked his finger. He was a boy scout; he got his first aid merit badge. So he washed it, slapped on a Band-Aid, and went on about his regularly scheduled day. Now he is facing at least a month in the hospital as the doctors whittle away necrotic tissue. He has developed pneumonia.He will require a skin graft if he does not lose his finger entirely. He has a particularly nasty staph infection.

MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. See http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html#15) is what is known as a super bug. All of the antibiotics that end with "cillin" don't do a thing. This nasty critter has evolved around our attempts to wipe out germs. As Ian Malcolm says in Jurassic Park, "life finds a way." Staphylococci sure do. This thing is evolving faster than the average 19 yo marine, that's the trouble.

Please understand. I am not blaming anyone for anything. It is not the Marine Corps' fault for letting my kid touch a dirty gun. It's not the government's fault for not throwing enough money on research. It's not my kids fault for not taking proper action to deal with his wound (it was just a nick). Sometimes life just happens. Some days you just get the booger-flavored Jelly Belly.

I have a worried kid with a worried bride trying to figure out how to support his family if he is discharged from the Marines with nine fingers. I am most of a continent away hopin this thing won't just kill him outright. All I can do is call and make wisecracks and soothing "poor baby" sounds.

You know what? I do blame people (like my darling mother whom I do love and honor) who take antibiotics incorrectly. She would get a prescription for tetracycline and save few pills for the next time she felt a cold coming on. "It works like magic!" I blame doctors who have prescribed them incorrectly. I blame consumsers who insist on antibacterial everything when soap and water will do. I blame whoever it is that keeps putting new and improved on cleaners and drugs. Well, the staphylococcus is new and improved, too. It seems we've advanced ourselves right back to the Civil War Era when doctors had no clue about germs and soldiers died of infections in minor wounds.
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Ms Mitchell
Tova7
Join Date 09/2005
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Reply #1 March 17, 2006 1:19:37 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

My husband had a nerve removed from his foot several years ago.

It healed, but then after two months got red and seemed infected.  Which was weird because it was closed up and the scar already "set."

So the Drs gave him antibiotics, switching when a couple didn't seem to be working, then he took as prescribed and everything seemed fine.  Two months later we were on vacation in Florida.  His foot was completely healed.  He was jogging again and everything.

Well one day he said his incision hurt.  The next day it was red.  The third day angry red tentacles were running up his leg.  We went to the ER and they admitted him for ten days with three diff kinds of antibiotic.  The cut open his foot and left it open, he had to submerge it three times a day in some sort of medicinal whirlpool.  All I saw when looking at his foot was meat.

I was sure he'd lose his foot.  But HE DIDN'T.

He recovered and is fine and runs marathons now.

I know you are worried.  Infection is serious stuff...but the human body can fight it all on its own too....don't count him down and out just yet.  He's young and healthy and that is a very good thing.

I'll keep you in my prayers. 

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Ms Mitchell
Ms Mitchell
Join Date 02/2006
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Reply #2 March 17, 2006 1:33:07 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Thank you so much for your kindness. That helps.
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Ms Mitchell
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
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Reply #3 March 17, 2006 2:02:11 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I had a similar infection on my neck.  Took 10 days to finally beat the bug.  All our prayers are with your son.  He will come through.
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Ms Mitchell
Moderateman
Join Date 11/2004
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Reply #4 March 17, 2006 2:06:01 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
this old marine will pray for your young marine.

Good article BTW.

MM
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Ms Mitchell
ParaTed2k
Join Date 12/2004
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Reply #5 March 23, 2006 1:12:36 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Doesn't that Marine know to keep his weapon clean and his trigger finger unbloodied?;~D

MRSA is a super bug alright, but I have it on personal authority that the kid is a fighter. Where modern pharmaceutical chemistry fails, them Killer Ts, White Blood cells and other bits of manmade bug fighting biology!

Where that needs a boost, we're praying for him and you!
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