Staph is a naturally-occurring bacteria that can be found on skin and in nasal passages. When this bacteria infects the body, sores and illness can occur. The most dangerous strain of this bacteria is known as MRSA.
Many people have heard of staph, but MRSA is relatively uncommon. However, I contracted MRSA, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, while I was in college. This type of staph infection is extremely dangerous and can be life-threatening.
When I first noticed the infection, I thought it was just a cyst on my back. It quickly became worse, though, and was extremely painful. I had it checked out at the training office at my college and they weren’t sure whether or not it was staph. Just to be sure, I called the doctor. They were booked all day so since it was Friday, I went ahead and made an appointment for the following Monday at noon. Since I was a poor college student, I did not want to go to the emergency room unless I absolutely had to.
By Sunday night, the sore had greatly increased in size and redness. It looked green in the center and was obviously full of pus. I could not sleep at night because the pain was so intense. I could literally feel the bacteria eating away at my skin.
By Monday morning, I was very weak and very ill. I woke up to go to class, but did not make it there. I started throwing up around eight in the morning and threw up three times every half an hour. It was like clockwork. I was puking so violently that I knew that I could not wait until noon to see the doctor. Once I got to the doctor’s office, they told me they could take me but that I would have to wait. However, I ran outside and started throwing up again. The vomit was a color of green I had never seen in my life. It was past the yellow stage and was actually lime green. The nurse saw this and got me a room immediately.
Once the doctor came into the room, she cut open the sore on my back. The bacteria had eaten away at the skin and the nerves so much that I did not even feel it when the doctor cut it open. She then proceeded to squeeze the pus out of the wound. I could really feel this, though! She gave me saline solution to keep the wound clean, sulfameth to kill bacteria, and promethazine to prevent nausea. A week later, I returned to the doctor’s office for a check-up of the infection and she let me know that the infection was indeed staph, and was actually MRSA.
I continued the antibiotics, but continued to have problems. The wound was healing, but I was still feeling very sick. I lacked energy and even developed a rash on my legs. This, thankfully, was due to an unknown allergy to the antibiotics. I stopped taking the antibiotics but continued to keep the wound, which turned into a hole in my back, clean and covered. It eventually healed and I began to feel better once I stopped taking the medicine.
I still have a scar on my back from this incident, but I was lucky. MRSA can be deadly, but I managed to escape with only a scar. I wanted to share this experience with others because I wanted to warn people about the dangers of MRSA. I am a very clean person, but hygiene alone is not enough to prevent MRSA. If you discover a small wound that you think could possibly be a staph infection, seek medical attention right away. Keep every small cut clean and covered in order to keep bacteria out. You probably have staph bacteria on your skin right now, so it is very important to keep this bacteria from entering your body. Be careful if you get a tattoo. Do not share towels or equipment with other athletes when working out without cleaning the towels and equipment in between each use. After working out, shower as soon as possible.
I do not know how I contracted MRSA, but I am glad it was no worse than it was. Some people are not so lucky, and hospitalization or even death can result from MRSA. I hope this never happens to you, but I hope that you are now more aware and better prepared if a staph infection should occur.
