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November 28, 2006, 2:49 pm PST
 I am fortunate (or unfortunate enough) to have experienced CPS in Texas from ALL sides of the fence. I've been a 911 dispatcher for 15 years, and been responsible for contacting CPS in emergency situations of all kinds, some of which proved to be justifed, others were just smoke & miirrors. As a 911 dispatcher, I've also been asked several times to be a witness to a pedophile's confession to an investigator. I've taken care of abused children for hours while on duty with 911, until CPS could find and/or send a caseworker to take control of the situation.
I am also a mother, and a grandmother. My own daughter was sexually abused at a young age by someone I trusted. As soon as I found out, I got her out of the situation, reported the abuse, and tried to follow the system. Unfortunately, the "system" at that time consisted of bullying my daughter (who was 12) to the point that the Sheriff's Office investigator flat out told her that she had to confront her abuser in court, or SHE would be held responsible for any other kids that were hurt by him. She couldn't do it, and has been haunted since.
Then, lo & behold, I married a man who had custody of his daughters, who had been sexually abused by their mother's boyfriend, only to find out that he was "inappropriate" with his own daughters..
Yes, I know, question my judgment. That's ok, I do too. I got out of that situation quickly too. Then I turned to law enforcement, and became one of the primary people responsible for tracking known sex offenders in our county, and am proud to say that I was instrumental in putting more than 15-20 of them back behind bars, where they belong.
I have also been on the "wrong" side of the fence where my ex-husband, knowing he could not prove me an unfit mother in court in order to gain custody of his only son, went after my older son, and falsely claimed my oldest son (then 14) was sexually abusing my baby boy (then 4). As soon as I followed established procedures, reported everything, cooperated with CPS officials and investigators, got my baby back, and complied with everything they asked me to...it was proven without a doubt in a court of law that my ex-husband had "coached" my baby to recite a story. I was put under protective custody because it was felt that my ex and his new wife would try to harm me in some way.
WOW, to sum it up, I have experienced CPS from all possible angles, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Each individual case has to be taken on the merits of that case alone. However, there is a crisis In Child Protective Services in this state, overloaded, overworked, underpaid, and undertrained caseworkers trying to do what they can in what is the absolutely most horrendous environment the mind can imagine. The system needs help.
As far as Jeremy goes, I believe he is guilty. But, that's just my opinion. |
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April 1, 2008, 4:53 pm PDT
I am a 50 year old 5 year breast cancer survivor who has been 'battling' MRSA since at the very least Sept, 2007. On Aug 29,2007, I had a bilateral mastectomy (left side recurrence, right side prophylactic) followed by an immediate DIEP reconstruction, where my own belly fat was used to build new breasts. I was on the table for 10+ hours, and while that was long and difficult, including a spell when I literally quit breathing 2 days later, the worst was yet to come. My abdoominal incision went from 1' behind hip to 1' behind hip, long, long scar, but my belly fat was gone. Within 10 days of that surgery, my abdominal incision began to open up and 'weep', drain, so we went back to doc. Doc obtained culture of oozing stuff, and it came back positive for MRSA. By that time, my incision was literally opening up and spliting like a zipper being unzipped. Immediately back to doc, who 'snipped' the last tissue holding my abdominal wound together, right there in the office, my husband almost fainted. The doc did this in order to allow the wound to drain and 'heal from the inside out'. At this point, the open wound was 8' long (side to side) 1 1/2 ' deep, and 2 1/2 ' wide). After weeks of looking in the mirror at my new 'bloody smile' below my belly button, washing and rinsing and packing it daily with fresh gauze, then applying sanitary pads to cover the wounds...I was worn out. However, the wound did gradually heal to the point that on Dec 5, 2007 I had a 'revision surgery' in order to fix and tuck some minor problems around my new breasts, build nipples, and close the remaining hole in my belly. I was loaded up with Vancomyacin prior to that surgery, but in less than 5 days, my belly became hot, red, swollen, bloated, and the redness continued up my torso, and down my right hip and leg. Immediately went back to doc, (this is a large metroplex hospital I'm talking about), and he admitted me. For the next 8 days I was on IV antibiotics consisting of vancomyacin, clindamyacin, and another one IV I can't remember, plus oral bactrim. I almost died. When the doc 'lanced' my swollen abdomen on the 2nd day of hospitalization, approximately 2 cups of fluid and pus rushed out of my belly onto me, my bed, and totally surprised my doc. That incision was less than 1/4 inch. When I was finally sent home 6 days later, it was with home health and an incision that had widened and spread to approximately 4' long, and 2' wide, again having to heal from the inside out. This time my insurance paid for home health nurses to take care of my wound daily, check my vitals, etc. On Feb 14, 2008, I had the belly closed AGAIN, and while it has remained closed, I have a huge swelling just underneath the site, with obvious fluid buildup, but now everyone is afraid to drain my belly, for fear. My family (extended, not immediate) treat me like a leper, who is death walking in the door. I absolutely have to have an entire left elbow joint replacement, but until this MRSA is declared gone, I remain in pain, no surgeon will touch me, and I'm on pain meds to get me through day to day. I'm only 50. I can't pick up my grandkids. This is what MRSA has done to me.
Debra |
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April 1, 2008, 6:50 pm PDT
Quote From: desertlilly My heart goes out to you! I will pray for your recovery.
I would like to ask everyone here a question, something for them to ponder, and also tell you about my experience with MRSA. First...you had a tummy tuck. This is a procedure that I would have LIKED to have had done, but due to the danger of MRSA, I will remain the way I am, tummy and all. I am not laying blame on you. I want to point something out to the general public. How many have had a cosmetic procedure, like breast augmentation? How many of these people are young, perhaps in their teens, and how many are considering having a procedure done? THINK ABOUT THIS LADIES.....ANY time you go in for a procedure, cosmetic or otherwise (breast enlargement) IT IS SURGERY, and you risk getting MRSA. If that isn't enough, you risk GIVING MRSA TO YOUR FAMILY AND OTHERS!!!!! YOU may be healthy and be able to shrug MRSA off, but what about if you expose, say, your mom who is older and not able to fight MRSA off?
I am diabetic. IDDM to be exact (insulin dependant diabetes mellitus). You may not think of a diabetic as having a compromised immune system, but some of us do. I happen to be one of the un-lucky one's.
In 1980 I gave birth to my second son. Within a few short weeks I fell sick, REALLY sick. I had two things wrong with me. I had gall stones, and I had contracted Hepatitis B. Hep B is not easy to get. It is contracted through sexual contact, or a blood source. I am not sure HOW I contracted it, but it has a long incubation period, and looking back, I am fairly sure that I contracted it at my doctors office when I was having a blood draw, and had to be re-stuck several times due to the in-experience of the person doing the draw (now I always ask for someone skilled in phlebotomy). I was sick, VERY sick for a few months. I had surgery to remove my gall bladder in late 1980 (while I was 6 weeks pregnant with my third son).
Flash forward to 2006. My 2 year old grand daughter had this pimple looking thing on her face. We were in the pool and I wanted to take her home and pop this ugly thing! If I touched it she would cry out in pain. Soon after my daughter got a painful pimple on her leg, In both instances the pimple burst open, and oozed for a few days. The lesion left a scar. In a few weeks, I noticed a pimple on my grand daughters backside. By then my daughter mentioned that her (now ex) boyfriend said he had the same pimple and his two young son's had lesions on their head. What ever this was, was now spreading from person to person. My daughter took herself and her daughter to the doctor. The tests came back positive for MRSA. I had no idea what this was, so I Googled it, and was frightened at what I read. Not only can MRSA spread, but it can turn into Necrotizing Facetious (speliing is incorrect, I'm sure) FLEASH EATTING DISEASE! My daughter begged her Boyfriend to take the kids to the doctor. He refused saying he did not have enough money to take them (a long story). By then my daughter ended the relationship, but we are sure the boyfriends son's picked up MRSA from their mother who is an escort. My daughter and grand daughter had several outbreaks over the next year. Currently, my daughter and grand daughter have had no more break outs.
Last November, I had emergency surgery, an appendectomy. Much to my distress, I was released from the hospital within 13 hours of having the surgery. As I mentioned, I am diabetic. My glucose reading going in to surgery was 500, normal is under 100. Within two days post-op, I was feeling feverish and had a lump in and around one of the incision sites (I had laparoscopic surgery). It was inflamed and tender, hell it downright HURT. I went to the doctor, he checked my out and told me I was fine, even though I was running a fever and had this lump, which by now was a mound. Two days after that, I had my husband rush me back to the doctors office. I had a massive infection that he had to drain. It must have looked pretty bad as the nurse that was assisting him, backed up and looked faint when the doctor cut into me. From that time in early December, until March, the following year, the doctor had to re-cut my wound every other week, to "allow the wound to heal from the bottom (inside) up (outside). Mind you, I knew about MRSA. I had seen it. Doctor told me that the culture taken on my wound showed E-COLI. I was given antibiotic....pills and liquid. I was very sick during this entire time. Every couple of days I would have terrible nausea and vomiting. I could get very little food down me, a few crackers and a bit of soup chased down with a few sips of 7-up or ginger-ale. In a few months time, I lost 50 pounds! I wound up in the emergency room to be hooked up to IVs twice. My blood pressure skyrocketed because I was so dehydrated. I had a CAT scan that showed nothing. I had my blood tested. My primary asked if I had been out of the country. I had not been to Mexico in many months, but gave a stool sample to test for parasites. I was sent to a wound care specialist. I was till taking antibiotics, that just about killed me because I was nauseated and vomiting. Finally, my primary said, and I quote..."if I didn't know better, I would think you had something called MRSA" ! Welllll DUHHHHH, I told you ALL I had been exposed to it many months earlier! Slowly I got better...slowwwly I felt like a human again.
To this day, I do not know who or where I picked MRSA up. Was it from my daughter and grand daughter? We are almost compulsive about keeping things clean. I use a combination of alcohol and water in a spray bottle that I clean sinks, toilets, basins, floors, counter tops, etc. I use bleach IN my tub and toilet to clean them. We use wipes to clean the parts of a shopping basket we come into contact with. We wash hands all the time. Did I get it at home...........OR, did I get it IN the hospital, OR did I get it at the doctors office? After all, he DID have gloves on, BUT he did not wear a mask on his face! If MRSA or step, staff is in most peoples noses, might it have come from my surgeon?
Just like years ago when I contracted Hep B, and recently MRSA, I have no one to blame, BUT, I will continue to be diligent with cleaning my surroundings. BTW, we wash our hands when we eat out BEFORE we eat, do you? I hope to GOD those who are preparing our food also wash their hands, but I fear...they don't. So if you see a crazy woman, cleaning off a scooter and basket at your local wal Mart, stop by and say hello, it's probably me!
OH, I almost forgot. We used a combination of water and Prvidone Iodine in a 10 per cent solution to dry up the lesions. We kept them covered with a band aid, and made sure we washed our hands THOUROLY after we treated the spot. My tummy tuck was not a procedure done out of vanity, but a life saving reconstruction procedure at the same time as my bilateral mastectomy due to breast cancer. Maybe before you go riding off on your high horse, condemning me for having "a cosmetic procedure" you should read the entire message and understand what the frick you are talking about. I understand your problems, but DO NOT DARE COMPARE ME AS A FIVE YEAR BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR TO YOU...THIS IS NOT A CONTEST TO SEE WHO HAD WHAT THE WORST, BUT I HIGHLY RESENT YOUR IMPLICATION, AND WILL BE REPORTING YOU TO THE MONITORS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE REPLYING TO, DON'T DARE TELL ME I'M VAIN, OR THIS WAS CONTRACTED OUT OF COSMETIC CONCERNS. |
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April 1, 2008, 7:04 pm PDT
Quote From: desertlilly My heart goes out to you! I will pray for your recovery.
I would like to ask everyone here a question, something for them to ponder, and also tell you about my experience with MRSA. First...you had a tummy tuck. This is a procedure that I would have LIKED to have had done, but due to the danger of MRSA, I will remain the way I am, tummy and all. I am not laying blame on you. I want to point something out to the general public. How many have had a cosmetic procedure, like breast augmentation? How many of these people are young, perhaps in their teens, and how many are considering having a procedure done? THINK ABOUT THIS LADIES.....ANY time you go in for a procedure, cosmetic or otherwise (breast enlargement) IT IS SURGERY, and you risk getting MRSA. If that isn't enough, you risk GIVING MRSA TO YOUR FAMILY AND OTHERS!!!!! YOU may be healthy and be able to shrug MRSA off, but what about if you expose, say, your mom who is older and not able to fight MRSA off?
I am diabetic. IDDM to be exact (insulin dependant diabetes mellitus). You may not think of a diabetic as having a compromised immune system, but some of us do. I happen to be one of the un-lucky one's.
In 1980 I gave birth to my second son. Within a few short weeks I fell sick, REALLY sick. I had two things wrong with me. I had gall stones, and I had contracted Hepatitis B. Hep B is not easy to get. It is contracted through sexual contact, or a blood source. I am not sure HOW I contracted it, but it has a long incubation period, and looking back, I am fairly sure that I contracted it at my doctors office when I was having a blood draw, and had to be re-stuck several times due to the in-experience of the person doing the draw (now I always ask for someone skilled in phlebotomy). I was sick, VERY sick for a few months. I had surgery to remove my gall bladder in late 1980 (while I was 6 weeks pregnant with my third son).
Flash forward to 2006. My 2 year old grand daughter had this pimple looking thing on her face. We were in the pool and I wanted to take her home and pop this ugly thing! If I touched it she would cry out in pain. Soon after my daughter got a painful pimple on her leg, In both instances the pimple burst open, and oozed for a few days. The lesion left a scar. In a few weeks, I noticed a pimple on my grand daughters backside. By then my daughter mentioned that her (now ex) boyfriend said he had the same pimple and his two young son's had lesions on their head. What ever this was, was now spreading from person to person. My daughter took herself and her daughter to the doctor. The tests came back positive for MRSA. I had no idea what this was, so I Googled it, and was frightened at what I read. Not only can MRSA spread, but it can turn into Necrotizing Facetious (speliing is incorrect, I'm sure) FLEASH EATTING DISEASE! My daughter begged her Boyfriend to take the kids to the doctor. He refused saying he did not have enough money to take them (a long story). By then my daughter ended the relationship, but we are sure the boyfriends son's picked up MRSA from their mother who is an escort. My daughter and grand daughter had several outbreaks over the next year. Currently, my daughter and grand daughter have had no more break outs.
Last November, I had emergency surgery, an appendectomy. Much to my distress, I was released from the hospital within 13 hours of having the surgery. As I mentioned, I am diabetic. My glucose reading going in to surgery was 500, normal is under 100. Within two days post-op, I was feeling feverish and had a lump in and around one of the incision sites (I had laparoscopic surgery). It was inflamed and tender, hell it downright HURT. I went to the doctor, he checked my out and told me I was fine, even though I was running a fever and had this lump, which by now was a mound. Two days after that, I had my husband rush me back to the doctors office. I had a massive infection that he had to drain. It must have looked pretty bad as the nurse that was assisting him, backed up and looked faint when the doctor cut into me. From that time in early December, until March, the following year, the doctor had to re-cut my wound every other week, to "allow the wound to heal from the bottom (inside) up (outside). Mind you, I knew about MRSA. I had seen it. Doctor told me that the culture taken on my wound showed E-COLI. I was given antibiotic....pills and liquid. I was very sick during this entire time. Every couple of days I would have terrible nausea and vomiting. I could get very little food down me, a few crackers and a bit of soup chased down with a few sips of 7-up or ginger-ale. In a few months time, I lost 50 pounds! I wound up in the emergency room to be hooked up to IVs twice. My blood pressure skyrocketed because I was so dehydrated. I had a CAT scan that showed nothing. I had my blood tested. My primary asked if I had been out of the country. I had not been to Mexico in many months, but gave a stool sample to test for parasites. I was sent to a wound care specialist. I was till taking antibiotics, that just about killed me because I was nauseated and vomiting. Finally, my primary said, and I quote..."if I didn't know better, I would think you had something called MRSA" ! Welllll DUHHHHH, I told you ALL I had been exposed to it many months earlier! Slowly I got better...slowwwly I felt like a human again.
To this day, I do not know who or where I picked MRSA up. Was it from my daughter and grand daughter? We are almost compulsive about keeping things clean. I use a combination of alcohol and water in a spray bottle that I clean sinks, toilets, basins, floors, counter tops, etc. I use bleach IN my tub and toilet to clean them. We use wipes to clean the parts of a shopping basket we come into contact with. We wash hands all the time. Did I get it at home...........OR, did I get it IN the hospital, OR did I get it at the doctors office? After all, he DID have gloves on, BUT he did not wear a mask on his face! If MRSA or step, staff is in most peoples noses, might it have come from my surgeon?
Just like years ago when I contracted Hep B, and recently MRSA, I have no one to blame, BUT, I will continue to be diligent with cleaning my surroundings. BTW, we wash our hands when we eat out BEFORE we eat, do you? I hope to GOD those who are preparing our food also wash their hands, but I fear...they don't. So if you see a crazy woman, cleaning off a scooter and basket at your local wal Mart, stop by and say hello, it's probably me!
OH, I almost forgot. We used a combination of water and Prvidone Iodine in a 10 per cent solution to dry up the lesions. We kept them covered with a band aid, and made sure we washed our hands THOUROLY after we treated the spot. I feel your pain, but you absolutely glossed over my own experience, and instead glommed onto one or two phrases from my post, and missed the boat.
I am sorry for you.
I feel for you, and your problems, but I will not lay blame at your feet for how and when you contracted MRSA and hep B, as you did by implying that my "breast augmentation" (your words, not mine) and my "tummy tuck" were "cosmetic". You could not be further from the truth, and until you have walked in my shoes for a mile or two, please don't judge me. I will not judge you.
Good for you regarding your efforts to be diligent regarding cleaning your surroundings. BTW, we wash our hands in Texas just as you do. We also wash our hands after planting our own vegetables, and we don't go out to eat. So if I see a crazy woman, cleaning off a scooter, may I suggest you get up off your butt and grow your own vegetables (as we do) and grow your own beef (as we do) and cook your own meals (as we do) instead of relying on others to "serve you" and then bitch about the cleanliness or lack thereof.
BTW, do you wash your own hands after picking your nose? Or sneezing before you open a door? Do you carry antiseptics everywhere with you, and spray everything around you? If you do, I commend you, if you are honest, you need to back up and read my real first post before pissing off an honest to God fearing, fearing no one, breast cancer survivor, who is just trying to live, and who just happens to have MRSA.
Thanks for listening, and you might want to wipe your computer monitor and spray it down after you ready this message, otherwise the "superbug" will jump out and get you!!
Debra |
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November 13, 2008, 3:20 pm PST
Quote From: joan1961 Hi Debra: Found your letter from a google search. How are you doing?
I too had a deip & ended up with MRSA. I have been in the hospital every month since April 08' & am still on IV Vancomyacin. I still tire easy =( Wondering where you are now with this. I started with biopsies last August (A year ago!) I am now told the hematoma I received was probably the innitial breeding ground for this ugly staph. My Infectious Disease Doctor at Cleveland Clinic said that a hematoma's center is perfect for breeding of ugly bacteria. Who knows???
Here is my file info. Breast Cancer Survivor with the BRCA2 Gene.... Finding out I had cancer was the easy part, getting MRSA twice & then Staph Aureus I have definately taken a HIT! Nov. 07' Lumpectomy - got MRSA. Breast reopeneded - Packing for 4 weeks. I had the Deip Flap Procedure (Double Bi-lateral Masectomy) in April 2008 because I have BRCA2 Gene. Developed Staph in new breast week-long in-hospital stay in June --
Let me know how you are. We will beat this! joan
Hi Joan, I am so very sorry I only found your reply now, in mid November...I hope and pray you get this message. MRSA is devastating. I finally, finally healed, but have been unable to find a reputable orthopedic surgeon who will perform a very necessary left elbow joint replacement (nother long story) because of my history of MRSA.
For those who don't realize. MRSA lives on the skin. We ALL have it. If conditions are right, and immune systems are weakened, (as in cancer, open wounds, other severe diseases), the nasty bug finds a warm, wet, haven to grow in, and wreak havoc in our bodies. It can and does kill. I was hospitalized more times than I can remember, home health, trying to heal flesh eating abdominal wounds from the inside out, sometimes on my own, and sometimes with help.
I'm still here!! I'm not perfect, never was, never wanted to be. But I survived MRSA. Because of my experience I've decided to NOT have the elbow surgery, even though I'm disabled because of my arm. I'm only 50. But I still tire so easily, can't work, and so and so on and so on.
Please watch out for the newest "super bug" that ABC News is warning about.
I hope this finds you well, and please, email me, and anyone email me with questions about MRSA at dads1997@embarqmail.com.
I beat cancer, and I beat MRSA twice, so I'm not too afraid of posting my email address!!
Deb/Debra...6 year cancer survivor |
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