You are not an alarmist but rather what my suspiciousness has been since becoming aware. Thank you for taking the time.
Merrill _____ From: Tod E. Santee [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 3:06 PM To: [email protected]; Merrill Burghardt Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] MRSA Merril, I hate to say it, but Mikey3 is right and I think you might be getting some bad advice. [Emphasize "might"] By the time my MRSA was a problem for me, in other words it was part of a sore, I immediately had to go on IV antibiotics. I used a PICC line for six weeks to infuse vancomycin in 2006. When it reemerged in 2007 my body wasn't handling Vanco very well so I had to use another PICC line another 6 weeks with Rocefin (sp?). After using the Vanco in 2006 a small sore about the size of a dime opened on my low leg far from my original infection. That was able to be successfully treated with a combination of oral Bactrim (sulfa) and Doxycycline (in the tetracycline family) over 14 days. Because of my two major outbreaks and the bone involvement I'm now on what is expected to be a lifetime of Bactrim or some oral antibiotic. If it reemerges in the same place I'll likely be looking at a hemipelvectomy... the removal of half my pelvis and the leg on that side. Even a successful surgery of this kind is extremely risky, takes about six surgeons, and has a terrible record of post surgical infection, necrosis and even death. If you can, I'd suggest getting a second opinion perhaps by someone outside the VA. Please understand I'm not trying to scare you or anybody else. Just letting you know my experiences and that of other people I've known who've had similar situations. Best regards (and best health!), Tod Has the sore been cultured and a sensitivity test done? No one can look at a sore and say you have a MRSA infection. In a message dated 4/3/2008 1:57:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My doctors refuse to treat my MRSA. I have the sore which they monitor but still believe I am better left not treated. What do you think? The sore is managed ONLY by keeping in bed treating the sore on my inner thigh as a heat rash which it is not. My healthcare is VA, think I should just watch the sore grow or treat the MRSA? Bill aka "Ding" Very funny, Scotty. Now beam up my clothes. _____ Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL <http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016> Travel Guides.
