How it all started...Part 3

Sometime around my first hosptial stay, I started really researching MRSA online. Most of my questions, the doctor's just had vague answers for. Here are the basics of MRSA from what I found online. I AM NOT A DOCTOR, just a concerned parent. MRSA is staph. The only difference is that MRSA is resistant to some antibiotics. Both can be very serious, espcially when an internal infection like a blood or organ. Thankfully, we have CA-MRSA, which means "community acquired". The other form is HA-MRSA, which is "hospital acquired". From the cultures taken, it looks like the form of MRSA we have still responds to 5 different antibiotics. So that is good for us!

Now, most people have staph living on their bodies. Healthy people usually have no problems. When you have a low immune system or another health issue, like ECZEMA (when your skin is open)...that's when it can cause issues.

After my doctor made the comment about keeping it from spreading to others is when I started looking into this. I was confused...why had no one mentioned this before. All summer long both girls have had repeated infections from this, but not once was I told that it was contagious. Now, for those of you without MRSA, don't freak out on me. MRSA infection is contagious from the drainage ("pus"), so anyone infected needs to have the wound covered completely and should not share towels, clothes, or other personal items. But, just being around someone with it, is not contagious. Remember, most people have staph living on their skin. So being around someone else with it living on their skin without drainage from an infection, is not dangerous.

We have kept our youngest out of class when she has spots because we can't guarantee the band-aid will stay put. And, if they have multiple spots, we also keep them away until any spots are drying up.

One month after my first hosptial stay, in August, I got another spot on my shin. I knew it felt different than a normal knick from shaving, so I started putting bactroban on it. It started to get worse, so off to the doctor I went again. She again gave me Bactrim, but it was not getting better. I'm not sure why, because the culture shows that it does respond to Bactrim, but I ended up in the ER for Vanq again. They gave me two rounds in the ER. They didn't admit me this time because I came in earlier and caught it before my entire lower leg was swollen. I returned the next day for 2 more rounds of Vanq upon their request. The nurse in the ER told me they see MRSA all the time, that it's not unusual. I was later told by our pediatrician that it is common, but it is NOT common to see a case like ours, to have it so many times, repetitively.

At this point I really started researching alternatives for antibiotics and prescription medications. We had tried everything our pediatrician recommended and they keep getting a MRSA infection. I know antibiotics are not good for you to be on so much and they kill the good bacteria in us as well as the bad. We've tried a lot and found a few things that I will always keep on hand in addition to some prescription drugs for MRSA. Two that I would recommend anyone trying are tea tree oil and colloidal silver.

I've used them myself as a "mini" experiment and have found tea tree oil to work great and colloidal silver works good too. I found a great website that has studies with colloidal silver and MRSA. I have found it works great if it can get into the area. If the area is not open, it seems to have trouble getting to it and being effective. But here is the website so you can look into it for yourself: http://silver-colloids.com/Reports/reports.html
There is a lot of information on this website. They have done studies with colloidal silver and MRSA. But, you must research the colloidal silver before purchasing. Since it is not a drug, it is not regulated and some products are not true colloids even though they say they are. This company has tested different types of colloidal silver and tells which ones are true colloids.

Since August, I have had 2 more spots of MRSA. One on my underarm (I forgot to wash my razor once) and one on my cheek (started out as a blemish, but turned to a small boil). Both times I was able to treat the spots without antibiotic. I used a combination of bactroban, colloidal silver and tea tree oil. I have to say, my favorite of the three is tea tree oil. This stuff works great! Although, if you put it on full strength, it can burn deep into your boil, so I suggest diluting it. I have used it full strength though and just toughed it out.

We have tried so many things over the last year. So many I can't keep track of them all. I thought I would list what we are using now since it seems to be the best combination so far:

1) All towels, jammies and clothing are washed after the first use (including dress up clothes)

2) Hibiclens rub down once a week. Hibiclens is what is used before surgery to kill anything on the skin that could possibly cause an infection. We use it on everyone in the family over the weekend. Hair and skin. The only thing I don't like about this is it has red dye in it. So far it hasn't been an issue. Also, I think it kills the good germs too and we need those on us to help fight off the bad ones.

3) Every night the girls take a shower (not a bath because they would be sitting in MRSA and it could get into any of their eczema and cause more infection). After their shower, each one is lotioned up with Olive oil, then a shea butter cream I make from Raw Shea butter, Jojoba oil, Vit. E, Cocoa butter and Grapeseed oil.

4) We change the sheets on the same day we use Hibiclens so everything starts clean at the same time.

5) Both girls take VIBE daily (a viamin and mineral supplement) as well as garlic or another immunity boosting supplement daily. Since they are on antibiotics so often, we hope this will help keep them from getting sick.

6) FreshAir by Ecoquest Air purifier runs continuously in our house. We had learned of this machine through our doctor and started researching it and praying about the decision. It is not a normal air purifier, it's more of an air cleaner. It has been used in hosptials, nursing homes, and day care centers and uses ozone to kill germs in the air and on surfaces. It is not cheap! We'll God provided one free of charge for us! As we were telling some friends about it, they said they use to sell them and had an extra one in storage we could have! Wow!!! It's amazing to think that although this business did not work out for our friends a few years ago, they felt led to sell these and now we know why...God used them to bless us! There are some news stories on the Fresh Air and Ecobox by Ecoquest on Youtube.com.

7) LaundryPure - We also were blessed with this machine that uses UV light and Silver Ions to clean and disinfect our clothes. Since our girls both have eczema and are extremely sensitive to purfumes, dyes, soaps, this machine helps keep down the skin irritation. This also has news stories about it on Youtube.com.

8) We are continuing NAET allergy treatments. Both of the girls have so many allergies I can't keep up with them all. We have seem tremendous progress through these treatments.

9) When I shave, I wash my razor in Hibiclens or bleach and use Hibiclens or an antibacterial soap to shave with. Then I wipe down my legs with Tea tree oil before putting on lotion.

10) Both girls take probiotics daily to help replace the good bacteria that helps fight off the bad

I think that is all of our routine. If I think of anything else, I'll post later.