The MRSA Chronicles, CHAPTER ONE (Nine Steps to Fighting MRSA)

I've contracted the dread super-bug MRSA. A family member had been dealing with these boils for some time although neither of us realized what it was really about. I must admit that it took getting infected with this disease, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, to start doing serious research.

It manifested first as a painful pimple on my buttocks, and soon grew to the size of a marble. It was painful to sit down. The boil eventually 'came to a head' and I went to the emergency room where they cut it, drained it, and prescribed the antibiotic Bactrim. I was told that it was 'probably MRSA' which they 'see so much of that there was no reason to take a culture'.

After that it began to heal. I didn't think too much about it. I'd hoped the bullet was dodged.

About a week later I developed three more of the painful abscesses, this time on my genitals. It's embarrassing but true and honestly I was devastated. At this point I knew I had a fight on my hands. I went back to the emergency room where I was prescribed more Bactrim, plus an antibiotic called Vibramycin, as well as Bactroban (Mupirocin) ointment. They also told me to start washing with an antimicrobial soap called Hibiclens. This time I was diagnosed with Folliculitus, literally, 'inflamed hair follicles'. I was also tested for some STD's like gonorrhea and herpes simplex one and two, all of which came up negative.

I was angry at this point. I had no insurance and no resources so I was forced to go to the emergency room. I felt like they knew what was really going on yet they seemed reluctant to actually diagnose me. They didn't take me seriously. I felt like I wasn't important to them - they just wanted to write a prescription, charge me money, and send me on my way. I was diagnosed with an abscess, took the antibiotics as prescribed, and dived into internet research.

I felt like I learned in my first hour after googling MRSA than any of the doctors I had seen knew, or were willing to tell me. I learned some valuable information which I will detail at the end of this post.

At this point I was feeling very fatigued all the time. After reading so many horror stories online about how this disease just goes on and on I was seriously and soberly contemplating suicide. Not just because of the personal pain and suffering (though the fact that my genitals were being eaten alive by bacteria was troubling to say the least) - if it was just the quality of my own life I had to worry about I would be able to deal with it. But this evil disease is contagious and despite my hyper-vigilance in hand-washing and personal hygiene, I was afraid of passing it on.

But somehow I know that I can't give up. I won't let some evil little bacteria undo everything I've built in my life. I have people who love me and I won't be remembered as the guy who killed himself because of some goddamn glorified pimples. Also the disease can be deadly on its own and I'm not one to let something like this get the better of me without one hell of a fight.

The abscesses on my genitals healed although they left scars which are slowly disappearing, however I then developed a painful little red bump on the inside of my leg. I managed to fight off the abscess on my leg using methods outlined below before it manifested into a full-blown boil. Then I moved and had to interrupt my MRSA-regimen as well as ran out of the antibiotics prescribed and soon another boil began to appear on my scrotum. I was prescribed more Bactrim, an antibiotic called Clindamycin, and more Bactroban.

So I've decided to declare war. And to keep track of my progress I've started this blog in the hopes that others may benefit from what I am learning and going through. Do NOT give up.

I started putting what I knew into practice. Here's some of what I learned:

1. MRSA, and all Staphylococcus bacteria eat sugar. High sugar intake is enemy #1. I've eliminated all sweets from my diet. I read the labels - everything has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it, from bread to barbecue sauce, from soup to salad dressing. If it has HFCS in it, it doesn't go in my body. (I don't care what the Corn Syrup companies say about how 'all sugar is sugar.' Check out this youtube video to learn more about the bitter truth about sugar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM). I also avoid anything else sugary to the best of my ability. That includes starches as well, like potatoes and pasta, which break down into sugar in your body.
2. I eat simple green foods, fruits and veggies, and I don't cook them much or at all. I also eat meat but I cook it simply, avoiding hydrogenated oils (More on why this is bad later!) and sweetened seasonings, like barbecue sauce. Among the veggies I eat are lots of onion and garlic. Garlic has antimicrobial properties, especially when eaten raw. I began to eat garlic every day. I peel and crush up a few toes of garlic and leave them on a plate and nibble a few pieces every time I walk by. Fresh garlic is one of the things that many MRSA-sufferers agree brings noticeable relief to their symptoms. Cooking it (and the other veggies) majorly lessens their medicinal properties.
3. Here's a biggie: Turmeric and Black Pepper. Just like sugar is your #1 enemy, Turmeric is your #1 ally in this fight. The health benefits of turmeric are incredible - this is the true super-herb. I am amazed I had never heard of the wonderful properties of this herb before. Just google 'Turmeric health benefits' if you don't believe me. Turmeric is THE best thing you can do for MRSA and other forms of staph infections. It is also a powerful weapon against cancer and promotes skin health. You literally get a buzz of the stuff - your body knows it's good. The thing about it is that it has a very low bioavailability - that is, it's not absorbed well. Luckily nature has the answer - black pepper! The active ingredients in black pepper are called piperines which dramatically increase the bioavailability of the active ingredients in turmeric (curcuminoids) - literally by 2000 percent. They go hand-in-hand - always eat black pepper with your turmeric!
   I eat a LOT of turmeric now, always with black pepper. I eat a minimum of a teaspoon of tumeric with a pinch of black pepper every morning and night. For the abscess on my leg I made a poultice of olive oil and turmeric. (This was before I managed to get any black pepper.) The abscess came to a head in two days (much faster than my previous experiences) and I didn't have to get it lanced. I was convinced. Turmeric is soluble in oil.
   Here's a recipe for 'Turmeric Tea' from this website: http://www.thyroidchronicles.net/2011/01/03/turmeric-cures-staph/
   
   
   TURMERIC TEA
   • 8 oz warm water
   • 2 tablespoons turmeric
   • 1 pinch black pepper
   • juice of 1/2 lemon
   • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
4. Lemongrass oil and Tea tree oil are known to be highly effective against MRSA in their own right, although I haven't managed to experiment with them personally as of yet. An infusion of turmeric and black pepper in these oils are likely highly effective, in addition to everything else.
5. Raise your blood's PH! PH is the scale of acidity, from 1 to 14. A PH of 7 is neutral, which is pure water. Lower PH is acidic, and a higher PH is alkaline. Your body's immune system has little jet-fighters called T-helper cells, and their ammo is oxygen in the form of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide which are produced on the spot. Unfortunately, if your blood is too acidic (the PH is too low) there are an excess of hydrogen ions. This means that all of the shots fired by your T-helper cells are lost because they instantly bond with the hydrogen and become neutralized! If you oxygenate your blood then you are creating an environment in which your immune system's weapons become more effective.
   
   How do you oxygenate your blood? For one thing, you can eat a superfood called Kale. Kale is a relative of the cabbage plant and contains extremely high levels of nitric oxide. Also avoid all partially-hydrogenated oils and carbohydrates (Hydrogen ions!) which lower your blood's PH! READ ALL LABELS. It's your body, it's your life, but remember, it's not just about you. It's about everyone you love. It may seem a little hard to alter your diet but the rewards are 10,000-fold for you and everyone else.
   
   Here's some information about the issues with acidity - now, this guy is definitely selling something, so keep that in mind, but most of the information seems pretty legitimate. His actual product is out of my budget and I'm weary of people that charge so much to cure such an insidious disease but there's definitely SOME good info here: http://mrsa30day.com/the-wickedly-effective-MRSA-diet.pdf
6. Exercise and Drink Water! I put these together because they go hand in hand. Exercise is important for all aspects of your mind and body. I've gotten in the habit of jogging 15 minutes every morning. I also do 50 jumping jacks, 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups every day - not even all at once. I space them out. If I have a few spare minutes of alone time, I do 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups. I don't stress if I don't make it to my goal of 50 a day. In fact.. honestly, I rarely do. But it's good to keep in mind and I definitely feel better. If I miss a day of jogging I'm not worried either. Some is better than none. It's important to drink a lot of water when you exercise to avoid a build-up of lactic acid which is your enemy. Some people say to drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day... That seems like good advice. Space it out throughout the day! Again - aspire to that, but if you don't manage to drink that much every day, don't beat yourself up over it. Personally I drink more than that - I guess I just love water. I drink it as often as I think of it, although there is a thing as too much. Find what works for you.
7. Cut out the caffeine and nicotine altogether and reduce your alcohol consumption! Just do it! Eliminate these self-destructive habits! (Some alcohol is known to have positive health benefits, but only in moderation! A glass of wine once in a while lowers your risk of heart disease and promotes a positive mood which has health benefits of its own.)
8. Avoid stress! It's true! Stress affects your immune system, and stress is known to directly exacerbate MRSA infections. Meditate 10 or 15 minutes a day. Pray to God, whether it's Jesus, Allah or Krishna. (Personally, I pray to God in all of his forms and names. He's a good listener. Make sure to say 'Thanks!' and try to mean it. Don't just make it about you! Endeavor to do good for everyone. Ask for the strength to be a righteous person. This affects your own subconscious and empowers you to be strong for others and not just yourself. Even if you don't believe in God - it is a useful mental construct within your own mind. And what's the harm in believing, anyway?) Do whatever you have to do to remind yourself that life is beautiful. Look at the clouds, feel the breeze - remember that you are PRIVILEGED to exist at all in this fantastic, amazing universe, despite the pain. Remember that all things pass and that worrying, stressing, and cursing your fate doesn't help. Listen to happy, inspiring, energetic, healing music. It affects your mind, your subconscious, at many different levels. And your mind directly affects your body in a million ways science has yet to discover. Heal your mind and you'll go a long way to healing your body.
9. Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene! Wash your hands often! Buy a small bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer like Purell and keep it in your pocket. Start using it often! This lowers the risk of spreading the infection both locally on your own body and also to other people! Keep your fingernails cut short. Buy a bottle of Hibiclens and use it on your whole body every day. It's has long-lasting antimicrobial properties - it's like a bacteria-shield for you're entire body.

In SUMMARY:

Cut out the Sugar, Hydrogenated oils, and Carbohydrates. Eat lots of garlic! Eat plenty of green foods, especially kale. Tumeric combined with Black Pepper will change your life. Tea tree oil and lemongrass oil are highly recommended. Exercise and drink water. If you consume nicotine or caffeine, work to eliminate these self-destructive habits! If you choose to drink alcohol, do it only in moderation. Seek peace - lower your stress. Listen to good music. Don't beat yourself up about not meeting all of your goals immediately... Just work toward them. Practice good hygiene to protect yourself and others. Use hand-sanitizer and Hibiclens! HAVE FAITH AND DON'T GIVE UP.

Well that's all I've got for now. I'll keep posting to this blog as I find out what works and what doesn't for me. Good luck to everyone. FIGHT THIS. DON'T GIVE UP. DON'T LET IT BEAT YOU. I have an active infection right now but it's nothing more than a tiny pimple and I don't think it will get much worse. I'm healing. I'm still on antibiotics but I know that antibiotics are not the only answer. The answer is to make my body into an environment that is totally inhospitable to this little bacterial army. I think I'm well on my way.

I intend to defeat this bug once and for all.

Comments, success stories, and advice are sincerely appreciated. I hope this is of use to someone. You are not alone!

(This advice is not intended to replace a doctor's. I am not a trained medical professional. I'm just some guy. If you think you have MRSA then SEE A DOCTOR. This is a life-threatening illness and is nothing to mess around with.)