Cellulitis is the Suck!

I have been sick since Friday, 08 July (fever, chills, pain/redness in my left leg).  My leg looks horrible, so today I finally gave in and went to the doctor.  I have cellulitis and was given antibiotics via and IV, then sent home with more antibiotics to take over the next 10 days.  UGH!!!

Cancer Update - March 7, 2016

Update from Colt: "I'm moving kind of slow today. My body is fighting off some kind illness, not sure what yet, but they switched all my medicine to IV medicin instead of pills. I'm sorry for the slow responses to anyone messaging me, my fever keeps spiking around like 4-6 hours. Bad storms coming in tomorrow lol good Lord willin the creek don't rise lol I welcome the positive messages from everyone on my team. Talking to people helps me distract and pass time in here."

Orange Ribbons for Team Colt

My awesome niece made these ribbons for my son, Colt.

As you know, Colt has Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  He is fighting hard 

to get through this and we stand united and fight hard with him!

 

 

Cancer Update for March 1, 2016

Colt has two more days of chemotherapy then recovery time before the next bone marrow biopsy.  Colt looks and feel very exhausted but is eating ok.  Last night he had diarrhea and was sick a bit but otherwise doing ok.

GoFundMe Account for My Son

I set up a GoFundMe account for my son as he is battling Leukemia.

February 8, 2016 - Colt was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia...he is 23 years old. Colt was given seven days of chemotherapy. Then on day 14, the doctors performed a bone marrow biopsy to see if the chemo worked.

February 26, 2016 - The biopsy results came back today. Colt's cancer is very aggressive and resistant. The chemo didn't do its job. So, the next step is more chemo to bridge Colt over until a bone marrow transplant can be done.

The money donated will be used for medical bills, medication, clothing, and personal items for Colt. The money will also be used for travel expenses and we will help family members get tested to see if they are bone marrow match to Colt.

Cancer Update Day 18

Update from Colt:

"I got my bone marrow biopsy results today and it wasn't the best news however, it wasn't the worst news.

My leukemia cells resisted the first round of chemotherapy so they are starting me on another round of chemotherapy today or tomorrow to bridge me over to a bone marrow transplant.

I was hoping for better news However I'm in a good place and it's just going to be a longer battle than was hoping for."

M is for MRSA

You can read more about this challenge at www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/what-is-blogging-from-to-z.html

Today we are working on the letter...."M".

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In November 2010, I went to the doctor because my left leg was swollen and there were red streaks running from my knee to my ankle.  The doctor gave me antibiotics and in a few weeks the swelling and red streaks were gone and I felt a little better.

In January 2011, I went to the Emergency Room with a high fever, chills, left leg swollen and very red. I spend 5 days in the hospital on very strong antibiotics.  The final diagnosis was ....Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Since all this has started I found that I get tired very easily and I have flare-ups often.  The doctor told me I will never be rid of MRSA, I just have to take better care of myself to prevent frequent episodes.  All I know is that I do NOT like MRSA.

More information about MRSA can be found online at:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004520/
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understanding-mrsa-methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus

MRSA Sucks

I went to the doctor today because my left leg is swollen, red and warm...plus there are some hard, knots on the back of my calf.

Doctor said my MRSA is acting up again. He think it started this time from an insect bite (or a tick or fleas or...anything) mixed in with my psoriasis. I think he is wrong about the insect bite for a few reasons (it is too cold for ticks to be out; nothing has bitten me and my dogs do not have fleas), However, the psoriasis on my feet is really bad again and I think that is what caused the MRSA to act up.

But I digress.

I am on antibiotics and I have some cream for the psoriasis and the knots on my leg. I have to keep my leg elevated as much as possible and try to rest as much as possible.  (Yeah right!!! LOL like I have time for that!)

~Shannon

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

I have spent the last week in the hospital. And my diagnosis is ....Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); which is mainly in my lower, left leg. I am now at home on some very strong antibotics and hoping I get better very soon. I do not like not being able to move around!

**************MORE INFORMATOIN**************************

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that's become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections.

Most MRSA infections occur in people who have been in hospitals or other health care settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. When it occurs in these settings, it's known as health care-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). HA-MRSA infections typically are associated with invasive procedures or devices, such as surgeries, intravenous tubing or artificial joints.

Another type of MRSA infection has occurred in the wider community — among healthy people. This form, community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), often begins as a painful skin boil. It's spread by skin-to-skin contact. At-risk populations include groups such as high school wrestlers, child care workers and people who live in crowded conditions.

Symptoms:

Staph skin infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. These can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs.

Causes:

There are different varieties of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, commonly called "staph." Staph bacteria are normally found on the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population. The bacteria are generally harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then they usually cause only minor skin problems in healthy people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 percent of the population carries the type of staph bacteria known as MRSA.

Antibiotic resistance
MRSA is the result of decades of often unnecessary antibiotic use. For years, antibiotics have been prescribed for colds, flu and other viral infections that don't respond to these drugs. Even when antibiotics are used appropriately, they contribute to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria because they don't destroy every germ they target. Bacteria live on an evolutionary fast track, so germs that survive treatment with one antibiotic soon learn to resist others.

This information and more can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735