I have a mild case of MRSA. I was told I have MRSA after a minor operation to remove a suspected melanoma spot on my nose. Still, compared to some of the stories I have heard about MRSA, I am lucky.

It l started a month ago, I was washing up and felt a small lump/bump under my left arm. I never got any kind of bumps under my arm. So I had my other half look at it and he told me he gets them all the time from deodorant or an ingrown hair, so I did not think anything of it! A few days went by and boy it started to hurt! I looked and it was half a golf ball and it happened over night because it was not like that the day before. I also noticed two more; one small and one long and thin, so I used a hot compress to draw it out. I thought it was a boil. The compress helped it and started to drain. The next day it looked and felt better however the long thin one got bigger and so painful, I could not move my arm so I went to the ER. They drained it and put me on antibiotics. It hurt for three days but cleared up fine. I was sent to a clinic for a follow up and to see how the last one I had was doing. It was there that they told me I had MRSA. The whole time I thought I did, I was just hoping for the best I work in healthcare and several of my patients have had it.

A relative was diagnosed with MRSA approximately 2 years ago after sinus surgery. He is allergic to all of the "cillins" and incidentally has Crohn's Disease. He was first given intravenous Vancomycin which was starting to be effective, but the doctor said he had reached the maximum dose and although he begged to continue the treatment, the patient was discharged from the hospital. Later a PIC line was inserted, so that more Vancomycin could be administered. The patient was at home and the PIC line was monitored by a visiting nurse. The nurse inadvertently bandaged the end of the PIC line over an open MRSA lesion and the line had to be immediately discontinued. Other medications tried were Linezolid and Rifampin, both ineffective. Recently he was found to be infected with other bacteria - serratia liquefaciens. He now has numerous open, oozing sores and cellulitis on his arms and legs. He is at this time receiving only palliative narcotic therapy. The frontal sinus where the infection began appears to have collapsed. He has frequent episodes of psychosis - I am not sure if the psychosis is caused by the disease or the narcotics. I am afraid his prognosis is extremely poor. (I am an RN, retired 15 years ago.)

A friend had open heart surgery went home after rehab but became sick at stomach plus her legs were in pain. She is back in hospital after vomiting blood which only happened once but she has gone through all kinds of test and found nothing but yet she was diagnosed with MRSA. She is still vomiting up her food.

My 3-year-old grandson had a large pimple-looking area in his groin area. It came to a head and started to drain. His father took him to his doctor and was told it was MRSA and started him on two different antibiotics. I work in the eldercare business and do not want to pass it on to any clients.