Been under the radar ...

[Getupngo]

Hi everyone. I've been outtapocket for a couple of months. Part of it has been the in-and-out internet access at the park at which I'm camp-hosting. The other is a medical drama that has turned out very well.

It began with some kind of a bite/sting on my right forearm. I developed an infection, the bite site became hard as a rock, numb, REALLY hot (about four inches around), and inflammation began spreading from there. I went to the emergency room and was told I had MRSA, that highly contagious, antibiotic-resistant strain of staph infection. Well, I was terrified, not only for my health but also for my roomie, who cares for a profoundly disabled baby boy who has a GI feeding tube.

The doc drew a line around the edges of the infection, gave me some of those nuclear-bomb antibiotics, and had me come back the next day to see if the infection is receding, or growing. I did, and the drugs were working and all seemed well.

The next day, I was stung by a wasp on the right hand (just below the other infection), and my hand blew up and THAT red & swelling started spreading north, toward the first infection. Back to the ER I go, and the doc (same one as the first time) smirked at me over coming in with a wasp sting. Take Benedryl, he said. I asked how he knew the first infection was MRSA, and he said, "Well, the only way to tell for sure is to take a swab test." So I insisted he do it.

After two days, the test results showed I did NOT have MRSA (great relief & tears -- then anger). So I contacted the hospital's patient advocate, and asked for an investigation. I said it was unconscionable for a doc to diagnose MRSA & not do a test to confirm it. I asked that all charges for the "wasp" ER visit be reversed, because I never would have come in to the ER -- on a Saturday night -- for a wasp sting. It was my fear of how close it was to what I was told was a MRSA infection that drove that decision. And I asked the doctor be reprimanded. So I'm waiting now.

Otherwise, I'm just happy to be healthy.

[mitch5252]

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Janice, I've been wondering where the heck you were!
WOW - what a story and I'm so glad you're okay now.
How frightening that must have been.
I'm glad you're back and all healed.

Let us know what the hospital does!

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[Cedar518]

First I'm so glad you are ok. Now,.... you go get 'em girl!

[sharon]

Yikes!! My mom was a nurse and she always said don't trust doctors and you've pretty well proved it! Just glad that everything is ok, but what was the first problem? Maybe a spider bite? Hopefully not brown recluse.....Anyway, take care and keep us informed as to how you are doing, and thanks for checking in!

[VickieP]

Janice, so glad that you are back in touch and doing better now. Couldn't help but chuckle to myself, thinking yep, if you would have hooked up with that arrogant man you told us about last time, he could have taken control of the situation and you wouldn't have a thing to worry about!

[mitch5252]

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Cracked me up, Vickie!

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[BirdbyBird]

I am hearing more and more stories about bites from Brown Recluse SPiders. They are nasty and often are misdiagnosed initially. They can land you in hospital or worst if not treated appropriately......... DD dealt with one several years ago, initially thinking it was JUST a wasp... (but see really hadn't seen what caused the bite) ended up in Urgent Care but later was properly diagnosed by her then boyfriend's Mom, who worked in an ER..... She was able to go to her regular doc get on powerful antibiotics, but it still took awhile to clear up.....

What ever it was glad to hear it is responding......

[rvgrammy1953]

Hi, Jan....So glad all is well now....I don't blame you a bit.....

[Getupngo]

Janice, so glad that you are back in touch and doing better now. Couldn't help but chuckle to myself, thinking yep, if you would have hooked up with that arrogant man you told us about last time, he could have taken control of the situation and you wouldn't have a thing to worry about!

Oh, Vickie, that was below the belt (one place that arrogant man never made it to! :lol ).

And Birdie, that first bite/sting ... I don't know what it was. I was reaching into one of my bays. But the second one I SAW ... it was a wasp. I had just returned to the state park and was stung when I went to plug my rig into shore power -- wasps had BUILT A NEST inside the power box. YIKES. This is the SECOND time I have been stung ... and each time it was by a wasp from inside the power box.

And if the first bite WAS a brown recluse and powerful antibiotics were needed, the doc gave me some atomic bomb pills for the MRSA. So it's fixed.

[carold]

Glad to hear all is turning out well. The stories never end. nor do the responses carold

[avalen]

so good to hear from you and also so glad your on the mend. I'll bet it was a brown
recluse spider bite, had a friend that had one on her leg and it was horrid looking
and took awhile to heal with very strong antibiotics, and it left a scar where the
hole was. yikes, hate those little suckers!

[Getupngo]

Nope. It WASN'T a brown recluse, then. It healed up promptly, once the drugs were started.

[retiredhappy]

I agree with some of the others - brown recluse spider. Nasty critters. You DID need the antibiotics just not for the reason the doctor said. I HATE having to deal with doctors.

[WickedLady]

ER doctors can be much to quick to assume. Stand by your guns, girl.

[snowball]

both my husband and one of my daughters got bit by a spider(not at the same time)...had this wicked bite. It's been a while now my dd was in high school and I happened to work in a medical center has a housekeeper any way she had this bite that wasn't healing and I happened to see a flyer showing the progress of this brown recluse spider bite and thought wow that looks like that bite on dd's arm brought her in and they said it was in deed that spider which was not suppose to be in Salt Lake Valley...they did what ever like I said its been years only to have it get worse discovered then that she was allergic to the tape that they had on the arm. wicked bite!!!
sheila