MRSA

There hasn't been a lot of knitting or blogging or anything lately because my youngest DS and my DH have MRSA. It's basically a bad staph infection that doesn't respond to antibiotics well. DH noticed it first on his hand and then a few days later we noticed it on DS. My theory though is that DS had it first on his foot and we didn't notice it until it was on his leg. In the end DH has had only one confirmed abcess from it and DS has four. I first noticed it on DS on the 9th when I picked him up from preschool and immediately took him to the urgent care clinic. They confirmed it was staph, assumed it was MRSA, and put him on the antibiotic they thought would work. Poor kid hurt so bad he couldn't walk. We noticed the other three abscesses over the next 24 hours. On the 11th, DH's culture came back to confirm it was MRSA so on the 12th I brought DS to his pediatrician. She lanced his two worst abcesses and upped his dose of antibiotic. She also outlined the infection on his belly in marker so we could see if it got worse. On the 13th we brought him back to the pedi because it was worse and they sent us to the hospital. DS spent Saturday night on IV antibiotics and on Sunday had minor surgery to lance the three remaining abcesses. Fortunately they put him under a general anesthesia, so he doesn't remember it. They had to pack in gauze in all three. Poor kid. He was released from the hospital later that night. Monday we were back at the pedi office to have his wounds checked and she was able to remove the packing completely from his two on his legs. She had to pull out part of the packing from his stomach, but we had to wait until Tuesday to get the rest taken out. Tuesday we got a call from the pedi office that the MRSA DS has is resistant to part of the antibiotic he's on, but that it could work. If we notice anything changing in a negative way with him we'll have to go back in for an additional antibiotic or to have him admitted again. We also had to remove the rest of his packing ourselves on Tuesday. He actually did it himself - it was amazing to see him just grit his teeth and pull it out. So far it looks like it's healing ok, but the one on his stomach is definitely tender to the touch.

DH is doing better, but his dr put him on a new antibiotic today. Hopefully it will help.

Now our neighbor has it as well. I'm very worried about him - after listening to his mother about how their doctor has handled his illness.... well I certainly would never bring my child to that incompetent office.

With the amount of praying I've been doing lately, God probably recognizes me simply by my voice at this point. I cannot believe everything we've been through in the last week. Never in my life have I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but the last 8 days I've been so wrapped up in taking care of DS I really wish I could be a SAHM and take care of him full-time. I know I can't protect him from everything, but I wish I could.