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hi again everyone,
I am single and live with my parents. I am not a true caregiver yet, but learning a lot here. I learned a very good lesson in the last ten days that I want to share with everyone. We had some recent water damage in my Dad's study where furniture had to be moved, the carpet dried out and it affected phone, cable and internet, etc. It was a process that took several days for everything to get resolved.

Near the end of this exhausting week, i discovered a painful area on my backside. Stupidly I ignored it only because we were trying to put my Dad's study back together and I had a paper due last Thursday. (I'm in graduate school.) To make a long story short, I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a bacterial infection. The lab results came back positive for MRSA.

My reaction was pretty much: MRSA?!?!! WTF? MRSA?!?! I am blessed with good physical health and i have never had anything like this before. I was blown away by this. The infection was unable to be drained so I had to wait for super strength antibiotics to kick in. It hurts to walk or sit normally, the wound is an area that I can't do the bandages properly (my mother has to do it, bless her heart.) I am still am moving around and doing what I can for my parents, simply because I have no one to help. The worst part is my fear of my parents getting this. I have a sister with lupus (low immunity to diseases) so I thought to ask the doctor how to go about protecting my parents. I bought some antibacterial soap for all of us, toilet seats are wiped down with Clorox wipes, my parents cannot use my eating utensils and I am doing my laundry separately.

This is a bit embarrassing putting the diagnosis and the location of the infection out on this board. However, you all have been so wonderful I decided to get over it and post this. Those of you who are doing the constant care thing and find it hard to get away, PLEASE make sure you are keeping your medical (or mental health) appointments as part of your self care. I can't imagine how I would have handled this if I were actively caring for both parents.

So please, please find a way to take care of your selves. This has been awful, and I'm on the mend but on top of the water damage it was just getting to this side of ridiculous. Thanks for reading, sorry if TMI (I tried to be discreet) and hugs to all of you !!!!!

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Miasmom1-Thank you for sharing and encouraging us to take care of ourselves. My friend had MRSA so, I understand a little what your going through. I hope you feel better soon and share what you need and want to :) Your in my thoughts!
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thanks everyone! I think that's why I had such an emotional reaction to this. I do have a therapy dog with whom I visit a hospital, but we haven't been there for 4 weeks. Actually we were due for a visit last Friday, which I had to cancel. I don't belong to a gym. I do help tutor refugees but it's not like I really touch them or their stuff. I have class down at the university 2x a week. the doc said i could have picked it up anywhere and it's very hard to narrow down. so I'm not going to rack my brain. But please guys, be careful!!!!
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Miasmom! I swear by coconut oil three tablespoons every day its an anti-fungal,anti-bacterial will kill anything nasty in the gut! And i wash with tea tree oil also coconut oil kills bacteria in the mouth just swish it around every morning!! MRSA is serious as artist says you must have caught that somewhere public? very scary! I dont do gyms or public pools as im always afraid of catching something nasty! Thankfully you made a recovery but if you were in poor health before it may have been worse!
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Thanks for sharing your experience.

I'm wondering if you work out at a gym, or frequent public places, as it sounds as if you have community acquired MRSA?
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Miasmom1, excellent advice about taking care of one's self.

For myself I just keep putting off the appointments because I am just too tired to even pick up the phone to make an appointment. I have taken my parents to so many different doctor appointments over the past 5 years that if I see another waiting room I would scream :(
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