It was July 2nd, 1986. I was admitted to the Hospital of Joint Diseases – Beth Israel Medical Center. I was remember when I was getting admitted that the guy who took blood was the best blood collector I had come across. He was quick and fast and after being poked and prodded for a week already, I was grateful for someone who could stick me once and hit a vein.

I was then brought up to my room. I had no clue that I would remain in that room for the next 22 days, except for the surgeries. I got comfortable and was happy that I had my own TV. I soon learned the whole TV schedule inside and out. My whole day would be watching TV and getting poked.

I received Last Rights before the surgery and remember a few clergy in the room. I was telling them that I appreciated them stopping by, but I really didn’t understand the whole Last Rights thing. I was born and raised Roman Catholic and I knew what the sacraments wer, but I could not understand why I was getting Last Rights. I remember the priest telling me that one day I would be in place that I would not feel any pain. Hey, I thought, I am all about that! I did not realize he was talking about Heaven at the time. I thought he was talking about another room in the hospital!

July 3rd, 1986 – I was taken into surgery. Dr. Lewis met me in the operating room. I remember being scared out of my mind, but there was a really nice nurse that talked me through everthing. Dr. Lewis was really stand offiish. I remember them strapping my left arm down and shaving it. I always though my first shave would be on my face, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

I remember when they told me that they would be putting me out. I watched the fluid go down the tube and they told me when I woke up that I would have a steel rod inserted into my arm. They joked I would be the bionic man. I just was curious about what all my friends were doing. How was graduation? Who was having a graduation party that I was missing… and then I smelled a strange smell and I was out………….

I entered Dr. Michael Lewis, 77th Street office.  It was huge.  I remember a gigantic waiting room, but I really remember the people I was in the waiting room with.  There were people that had pins coming out of their skin, attached to metal brace structures.  I remember thinking, “How to they sleep?”.  I was also starting to think, this wasn’t so cool after all.

After the 2 hour wait (which turned out to be about standard for his office), I finally saw the doctor.  He spent about 15 minutes explaining how the steel rods worked, and how I would be admitted to the hospital and how repeat visits would be the norm.   He also explained that as I grew he would have to readjust the rods to account for my growth.

We discussed radiation and Chemotherapy and he explained that I would lose my hair like many of the children I say in the waiting room.  He said that the only way to keep my alive was to get to bone as quickly as possible and get the cancer out, before it spread.

I remember my mother asking about the possibility of it being an infection, which was quickly discounted and she was told that even if it was infection, he would probably still have to remove the bone.

I think he actually looked at my arm for 20-30 seconds.  He said he would see us over at the hospital.

July 2, 1986, I was admitted to the Hospital of Joint Diseases.

Mom came to the school and picked me up.  She drove me right over to Good Samaritan Hospital  in Suffern, New York.  I entered the emergency room and registered.  Dr. Michael Resnick, my Orthopedic doctor met us there.  My family doctor, Dr. Louis Ferindino, also met us there.

They took x-rays of my left forearm and blood work.  The results of the blood work were normal white and sediment counts.  I was admitted for more tests and treatment.

It was at this point that I was given an IV through a Heprin lock.  The medication I received was Penicillin, which I had a severe reaction to.  I guess this was the first time I realized I was allergic to Penicillin and all of the Mycin derivatives.

Dr. Resnick diagnosed my problem as a Bone Sarcoma.  He stated that he believed it was a cancerous growth that we already in the bone of my arm.  I remember he left the room with my mother and  my Mom came back in and explained that the outcome was probably not going to be good.  She was in tears, and explained that the Parish priest was going to come over.  Once again, 11 years old, and I was told I had cancer in the bone of my arm.  I overheard the nurses saying that the doctor believed it was cancer in the bone and they thought U only had a short time to live.  I believe the number was 6 weeks.

Well, I apparently thought that this was impossible.  I figured if I had cancer I would have known it, and well, what was the big deal, just take the cancer out.  Well, I soon learned it wasn’t that simple.

Dr. Ferindino on the other hand was convinced it was an infection and stuck to his guns.  He also did say that an infection in the bone could be something really nasty to get rid of, but with the proper treatment, he felt it could be dealt with.

5 days in Good Samaritan Hospital.  Tons of test, blood work every day, CAT Scans, MRIs, and nobody could tell me anymore.  They said it was time to go to a Hospital in New York City.

An appointment was made for me to see Dr. Michael Lewis, who was located at 69th East 77th Street, New York, NY to assess the treatment options.   I was told he specialized in replacing bones with steel rods.   He worked out of the Hospital of Joint Diseases, part of the Beth Israel Hospital.

“Hey, that sounds cool!”, I thought.  I just remember my mother in tears, during the drive.

It was 1986, and I was in 6th grade.  My elementary school was a K-6 in upstate New York (20 minutes outside of the New York City).  It was about 4 days before graduation and while at outdoor recess I noticed my left forearm was about 3 times the size it should have been.  I had injured my arm a few weeks earlier playing soccer and had been to two doctors to check on the pain.  The said it was not broken but may have been “sprained” (which usually means that the doctor just doesn’t know).  Well being 11 years old, and seeing that my left forearm was swollen three times the size that it was  only days before, I thought what every 11 year boy would think- “I’m getting muscles!”.

There was only one catch, it was extremely tender to the touch, and in the area of the swelling, my arm was red and hot.  When I say hot, you could feel the heat on my arm.

I really was hoping it was “muscles” because I didn’t want to miss my 6th grade graduation.  This was going to be a real high point of my life.  At 11 years old, this was that first BIG step.

Well, my friends ran and told the recess aide, who sent me to the school nurse.   Unfortunately, for the school nurse, my condition was not solved by the two catch all solutions.  Eat a cracker or go sit on the toilet.  She called my mother, who came to pick me up from school.

My mother made an appointment with my orthopedic doctor, who I seen quite a few times in the past, who told my mother to bring me right in.

This is where the story starts…….

I am a 33 year old male, at the time of this post. I live in New York.

I was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, a staph infection in the bone of my left arm 22 years ago. This is MRSA- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, in June of 1986.

My journey with MRSA, lasted for a little over 3 years, 5 surgeries, months of hospitalization, and over a year of home IV medication. Once I was able to beat my spat with MRSA I continued on with my life. I graduated from Fordham University, I did 11 years in the Military, (United States Marine Corps and New York Army Nation Guard) and I currently a Police Officer for almost 10 years. The reason I tell people this is to show that I have fully recovered and even though the doctors had just about written me off and shattered all of my childhood dream, I made a full recovery. Well, almost full recovery.

MRSA, which is an is an acronym for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics, has hit the news and everyone seems to be running scared! From parents to school districts, everyone has been saying, “This NEW superbug is something that we really need to be scared of!”.

Well, not that MRSA, or a Staphylococcus infection isn’t scary, but the news has really done an injustice to their viewers and readers. They have done a great job of having people glued to their TV and selling newspapers, but I would like to tell you the real story. I can because I had MRSA, over 20 years ago! Officially it was finally diagnosed as osteomyelitis, a staph infection in the bone.

I decided to use this blog to tell my story and answer some questions for those that are truly concerned with this not really new SUPERBUG.

I will try to make entries every few days, to tell my whole story, in order to better educate yourself about this nasty little infection.

Please don’t hesitate to leave any comments and I will try to get to all of them.