I’m a CA MRSA carrier too. I’m immunocompromised from taking steroids to treat extreme allergies, and since I’m colonized with a particularly contagious strain, I constantly reinfect myself. This, in spite of bathing in Hibiclens (surgeons’ scrub soap), being on permananent anttibiotics (Minocycline and Cipro) and a long list of other measures. I take great care to avoid contact with others, and to avoid any other way of spreading it.

Recently I was hospitalized for 3 days with a lung infection. During that time, the hospital constantly tried to put another patient in the room with me. Every time the shift changed I’d go through it all over again. They were out of beds and half of them acted like I thought I was the Queen of England because I insisted on isolation. I’d have to explain I did NOT want to infect anyone else, especially not an already-sick patient.

I had to teach some of them what MRSA stood for. I had to explain how they needed to glove up and/or wash their hands every single time they came near me.

They finally discharged me without doing a bronchoscopy that they themselves ordered. When I asked *why?* I didn’t get much of an answer. Every one of my numberous REAL doctors were just as irritated and puzzled about this as I was.

I think they finally realized what MRSA meant, and that I’d have to be in a *private* room - which at least one staff person would angrily sniff about, every day - and they just didn’t want to *waste* the bed any more.

This was at Holy Cross in Ft. Lauderdale, FL - which was just honored as one of the *50 Best Hospitals in America.*

Go figure.

I’ve got other stories like that, too. All true.