Wind back 2 years, 1 month ago. I was jogging through the woods when I felt something bite me on the backside (through the leggings I was wearing), I brushed it off, yelped a bit, then carried on jogging.
Later that night I noticed a small dark spot on my left cheek, like many people I like a good squeeze and started to try to extract it - nothing happened.
What followed was 10 days of pure and utter hell. This dot turned into a red inflammation mark and really hurt to sit on…
anyway after visiting A&E twice, several doctors most were in the agreement it was either a spider bite, or an allergic reaction to a bee sting. I was given precautionary antibiotics, antihistamines and just put up with the pain. It is worth mentioning that one doctor at A&E tried to pierce the bite and made the comment - 'I don't have gloves as I can't find any'….
During this time I went out for my birthday, even stripping off in the loo to show my fellow friend this bite that no amount of alcohol was numbing the pain! Still ignoring the pain I went to the gym and tried best to ignore the flu symptoms that were appearing. I am a single mum of two and having had to deal with a lot on my own, my coping mechanism was always 'just get on with it'. Within a couple of days the pain was just too unbearable and so I called up Hartswood Hospital and begged them to get me to see a private surgeon. Whilst I have utmost respect for NHS and their wonderful staff I was desperate.
That evening I took my darling friend Fiona for support and as the surgeon took a look at it, she held my hand, whilst a nurse clamped down on my legs (yes really), as he got the longest needle and took a biopsy. I thought I was going to pass out with the pain.
The following morning I was in Starbucks and the surgeon rang me up and told me to get 'into hospital now, as there was a foreign object in there'. Sadly I had eaten a muffin and couldn't have anaesthetic so an operation to cut away this bite had to be delayed for a day. I went home with visions of mini spiders running in my backside.
The next day I was admitted and thats when the real trouble started. 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches had to be cut away. This bite was the deadly MRSA, a superbug which can rapidly kill. Even worse, this had gone to gangrene, 'fat necrosis' they call it, whereby the tissue just goes black and dies. Following that I was in hospital for 2 weeks and isolation from my children for a month.
Every day this hole was packed with silver to stop infection. Every day I was on gas and air screaming in pain whilst my poor mother had to look at her daughter in agony - I heard in America they put you out for the daily packing. This was worse than any child labour/c-section anything.
It was explained to me that one in three carry MRSA, but I don't. I had caught it from the community, either from hospital or even sitting on a gym mat. 
The after math is 2 years on I still get pain from sitting down, I also have a numb leg sometimes and am waiting for referral to neurosurgeon.
What I learnt from this - don't squeeze spots. Always use 99.99% antibacterial gel (most are just 99.9% and don't kill MRSA). If you have any small cut disinfect gym mats before you stretch.
The upshot - my phobia in spiders was justified….it's not put me off jogging…..my scar tells a tale…and if you get bitten and it doesn't feel right get it checked out!!!!
On a serious note if I hadn't insisted on seeing someone I may not be writing this today - I was incredibly lucky. MRSA KILLS!
No comments:
Post a Comment