And you thought your weekend was lousy.

[HeartBreak]

Well, she's stable. She had a minor operation on her back. Without going into the gory details, they cleaned out some infection, and inserted some drain lines.

They also located a huge portion of the infection. She has it in two of her vertabrae, one of her heart valves, and pretty much all up and down her back.

They're upping her antibiotic doseage, and keeping her mildly sedated, just enough to help her cope with the pain and keep her from scooting around in bed too much.

She's definately doing better. She's getting her color back. Her vitals are stable, but she's still not able to maintain her own O2 levels above 30% (but that's the collapsed lung). Once she's up and over the infection, she'll be on breathing therapy.

Right now, she's only allowed soft stuff, like stuffed animals. I can't take her in any electronics, balloons or flowers. As soon as she's cleared to have them, which should be this weekend, I will print out everyones' well-wishes (blown up, of course), and take them to her.

My sister (neices mom) called the lady who she was staying with (where the infection happened), and told her that she might want to clean her house and disinfect everything. The lady pretty much blew off the advice. The whole family thinks that the lady's kid might be at risk. The next steps are unknown so far, but all that is known is, do NOT eat at the Anderson CA McDonalds (that's where he works), due to a possible Staph risk.

I plan on going up tomorrow and seeing how she is doing, provided she's not got any procedures going.

 

[ZANDOR]

Well, she's stable. She had a minor operation on her back. Without going into the gory details, they cleaned out some infection, and inserted some drain lines.

They also located a huge portion of the infection. She has it in two of her vertabrae, one of her heart valves, and pretty much all up and down her back.

They're upping her antibiotic doseage, and keeping her mildly sedated, just enough to help her cope with the pain and keep her from scooting around in bed too much.

She's definately doing better. She's getting her color back. Her vitals are stable, but she's still not able to maintain her own O2 levels above 30% (but that's the collapsed lung). Once she's up and over the infection, she'll be on breathing therapy.

Right now, she's only allowed soft stuff, like stuffed animals. I can't take her in any electronics, balloons or flowers. As soon as she's cleared to have them, which should be this weekend, I will print out everyones' well-wishes (blown up, of course), and take them to her.

My sister (neices mom) called the lady who she was staying with (where the infection happened), and told her that she might want to clean her house and disinfect everything. The lady pretty much blew off the advice. The whole family thinks that the lady's kid might be at risk. The next steps are unknown so far, but all that is known is, do NOT eat at the Anderson CA McDonalds (that's where he works), due to a possible Staph risk.

I plan on going up tomorrow and seeing how she is doing, provided she's not got any procedures going.

HB Its good to here that she is doing better..

I have to ask..How does this staff infection start?
Can you get it by just being around some one that has it.
Can it be trasferd by just touching some one that has it?

 

[HeartBreak]

That's the $64 question. Nobody knows how she got it. The people she was staying with won't talk. That's the part that hurts the most. They probably know something that can help save her life, and they won't give any information. They probably know that their goose is cooked either way.

Their housekeeping is attrocious; garbage everywhere. When she ran away 6 weeks ago, the local PD would not remove her and take her home. Yes, you read right; they SANCTIONED A RUNAWAY!!!! The officer that responded claimed that it was a "nice house".

If anyone from the Anderson CA PD is reading this; SHAME ON YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT. A LITTLE GIRL IS FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE AT THIS VERY MOMENT BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPIDITY. IF YOU HAD BOTHERED TO RUN A SIMPLE BACKGROUND CHECK, THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!

End rant, sorry for caps, but this is the last straw. The PD is most likely going to be sued, the rookie (yeah, rookie!) that responded is going to be made to go up and see first-hand the carnage, and forced to give a formal apology. I don't care if I have to go to the Governor. I'm mad, but I'm keeping my head (for her sake).

As for contracting Staph, it can be contracted through a cut in the skin, or an insect bite. It occurs naturally on the skin. This whole episode is enough to turn a normal person into a germaphobe.

We're thinking she probably got it though an open sore, made worse by unclean bedding.

Dear Alice,

My family and I have been visiting in a home with someone with a staph infection resulting from cancer surgery. Are we at risk for catching it from just being around him in his environment for an extended period?


Dear Reader,

The chances are low of your contracting a staph infection from visiting the home of someone with a staph infection (from staphylococci bacteria normally found on the skin). You would need to make direct contact with the infected area via an area of broken skin of your own (i.e., wound, insect bite, injury, etc.), as staph is not an airborne disease.

Good hygiene can also help in protecting one's self from getting staph infections, including:

* Keeping abrasions and cuts cleaned and covered with a sterile dressing until they are healed.
* Avoiding contact with other people's wounds or with material contaminated from those wounds.
* Keeping hands clean by washing them thoroughly with warm water and soap.
* Not sharing razors, ointments, soap, wash cloths, or clothing.
* Wiping down all non-washable athletic equipment (head protectors, mats, equipment, etc.) with antibacterial solution or alcohol.

If you do come into direct contact with someone who has a staph infection, wash your hands immediately with warm water and soap. In addition, keep any open sores or cuts covered to lessen the chance of your becoming infected. If, for some reason, you develop a suspicious skin boil or sore, have your health care provider examine it right away. If you did become infected with staph, the sooner you receive a diagnosis and antibiotics, the better.

For a breakdown of different ways that staph infections can affect a person, including info about signs and symptoms, read the Related Q&A listed below.

You can also check out the following web sites for further information:

Questions and Answers: The Flu and Staph Infection info page on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site

Staphylococcal Infections page on the Medline Plus web site

Alice

Related Q&As

What is a staph infection?

note/disclaimer; I am not sanctioning nor planning violence against anyone. I'm just flat out pissed that someone can be so heartless towards human life, and sleep at night. However, the Local PD might get a rude awakening via the Governor, or I might contact the news companies. Either way, I'm definately going to try to get the word out, so no one has to go through what she's going through.

 

[Tarant]

HB my heart goes out to you and your familey. I hope your niece pulls through and is stronger then every. And I hope you do find out what is the cause, I think everyone agrees that not knowing is the worst part of any problem.


The real sad part is the PD failed your niece and countless others, hopefully this will cause the right people to do the right things and fix these problems,I hope you do go to the Governer and make them take a long look at what NEEDS to be fixed, The PD failed your niece and I know that were I live Child Services have failed way to many children.

Once again I hope every thing gets resolved and your niece becomes even stronger.

 

[HeartBreak]

Thanks. I think she'll pull through, but it's going to be a long road of misery. The overall projected hospital stay-time is unknown at this time. I fully intend to do whatever it takes to make the PD realise it's time to shape up.

This isn't the first time they've botched something. They have a long history of being worse than Roscoe P Coltrain. It is high-time they are held accountable.

As of noon friday (Pacific), it'll be her 5th full day in Shock/Trauma ICU. The doctors were hoping to have her in the Post-op recovery area (isolated, of course) by tomorrow. That obviously won't happen until after sunday at this rate.

From there, she'll step-down to the general population. But, there is a risk she could worsen and be jumped back to ICU.

The only refreshing thing about this is she doesn't realise how sick she really is. This thread is sort of a journal, so it will make things easy to recall when it comes time to tell her.

I am leary of going to the news media outlets, since this could easily turn into a Terry Shiavo type incident. That is the last thing I want. However, I do want peoples' awareness raised. Staph is no laughing matter.

 

[Monkey Wrench]

HB, I'm truly, truly glad that your neice is making the turn and bouncing back, albeit a slow bounce, but one in the right direction all the same! I'm sure it's tough on your neice being cooped up in a hospital like she is, especially when she starts feeling better and wants to move around.

Best wishes to your neice for a continued recovery!

 

[HeartBreak]

I just got back from todays' visit. They had her on a breathing tube overnight (standard procedure for someone in ICU after surgery). This morning, they were going to do breathing tests on her, and possibly drain her lungs.

Before they could get that far, she sat up on her own power. They took out the tube, and have her on the nose-tubes now.

Her heartbeat count is around 140/80, she has a bit of a fever, and she still can't maintain her own O2 levels above 30% or so, but she's feeling MUCH stronger.

Now onto the good news.

Sometime this weekend, hopefully tomorrow or sunday, they hope to have her in Pediatrics. Yep, she's made that much of a leap. Simply amazing. She's not going to like being there, but since she's under 18 (by a couple months), she's going to have to cope.

She's going to make a full recovery, that much is certain. The doctors say she's still not out of the woods, but shes' out of the worst part.

 

[digger]

Glad to hear she is doing better.

 

[HeartBreak]

She's doin a bit better today. They had her out of bed for a few minutes (during sheet change) and they have the stint out of her neck. They also moved her over to a windowed "chamber". She has a view of the helipad (lucky brat, lol).

The latest word is, she gets downgraded on monday, if all goes well. Something tells me, she's going to enjoy being in pediatrics.

Her boyfriend was able to get his ship-out deferred and moved over to Reserves, so he can stay here while she gets better.

 

[Monkey Wrench]

Good hearing things are progressing as well as they are, HB! Glad to hear it!

 

[rcnut143]

hey glad shes doing better . "Attack life its going to kill you anyways."

 

[NvNitro]

Glad she is on the mend HB. Keep us posted on her recovery. I'm glad she is doing well, and gaining strength.

 

[HeartBreak]

Well, today was a landmark; she's out of ICU, and into "General Population". She's in her own little room, in the Pediatrics wing. She's still unclear as to why she's there, but she is almost-healthy. They're going to keep her one more week to make certain she's recovered.

There's some residual drama, tho. She thinks shes' still with the boy she was dating when this all occured (the one that hasn't seen her since she went to the hospital). She doesn't realise that she agreed to get back together with the one boyfriend thats' been by her side since he got back into town.

Ahhh, to be a teenager again; the drama, the drama.