Necrotizing Fasciitis

This nasty little bug also known as the flesh eating bacteria or gangrene is the feral beast that was responsible for Aimee Copeland's disaster in my last post.  Just to give you a very brief history on this disease, it was one of the most common causes of death and amputation in wars prior to WWII when antibiotics became available.  Suddenly there was a silver bullet.  And for the next sixty or so years that would remain.

So what happened to Aimee Copeland?  She sought early treatment.  She was treated correctly.  Yet medical professionals were sought to resort to early 20th century techniques to rid her of the disease.  And Why?  The bacteria had evolved into an antibiotic resistant strain and in the most unlikely of places.  Rural Georgia USA in the Little Tallapoosa River.

So the next question is how could a superbug be found in such a place?  Normally they are found in sterile environments like hospitals where antibiotics are in abundance and bacteria can learn to resist them.  But a river in rural Georgia?

Well yes, I do have a theory.  I might add it is just a theory, I have on hard evidence to back it up.  But here goes anyway.  There are a lot of livestock farms in that area.  Many would be using antibiotics to treat their animals on even a prophylactic basis.  These antibiotics would for many reasons run off into water catchments and rivers and interact with bacteria forming superbugs.

The following flow diagram is sourced from the US Government Accountability Office and describes how antibiotic use in animals may effect the health and safety of people.

Now I have to say that I can understand it if a farmer has a sick animal(s) that they would want to treat them with antibiotics.  But why we would treat our livestock with antibiotics prophylactically is beyond me.  You wouldn't treat a healthy person like that so why an animal.  That practice has to stop and controls need to be bought into place to govern what and how these drugs are administered when animals do get sick.

So what can we do about it?  First, only buy organic.  For livestock to be sold in the market it cannot be stamped organic if it has ever been treated with antibiotics.  Second, you  can contact your local politician and communicate your concern if you feel so inclined.  Anyway, I think that that is enough from me on this one.  I don't want to get a reputation as a conspiracy theorist.  Until next time, stay well:)

Top ten of 2012

Last year about the same time I did a top ten of my favourite posts of 2011.  This year I thought I'd do the same.  There is no real criteria for why or which ones.  Some I just liked the way it sounded, it was important to me or just really popular.  I posted to shakes and stones 194 times in 2012 and this was a great way to review all of them.

10. Webster Pack

I don't know why but this post was the most looked at post of 2012.  Why?  I don't know, but with over 840 views there must be something about it.

9. Hats off to you Cory Smallegan

Great singer and a great bloke.  Although we did not spend that much time in each others company, having our transplants on the same day, I feel, gave us a bond that was extremely unique.

8. Prophecy Coming True?

Personal vindication that I am not full of ****.  I feel that through shared knowledge and research we will make huge steps forward in the next few years when it comes to medicine.  This is just the tipof the iceberg.


7. It Makes My Blood Boil

The treatment of patients is very important to me.  If people need treatment they should get it.  This is not the dark ages and we are not barbarians.  Although sometimes the people we choose to be the guardians of our health make me question that.


6. Day +7

A really embarrassing day for me.  And I'm glad I could overcome my embarrassment to show you again.  I think this is the one post that really gives you a good insight in to how hard it can be when right in the middle of it.

5. Choices

Again this one effected me.  As if it isn't hard enough being sick, not having the support of your family would make it even harder.  Realistically if your nearest and dearest are going to have a strong opinion on a patients choices they should take the time to get informed.


4. A Surprising Consultation

This one actually makes me feel guilty.  At the time I felt my neurologist was completely against the idea of HSCT.  This wasn't really the truth.  I was just charging at it at 100 MPH and she was really watching out for the oncoming traffic.  In my own defence I was probably way to emotionally involved to give an unbiased view of the situation.  Right now she is really supportive of my decision and what I have done.

3. Do No Harm?

This is just such a confusing issue and at the time I wrote it also an emotional one.  But I believe that the road ahead is sometimes dangerous and we can't always make the right decisions.  As long as the intentions in the long term is for the individuals benefit then it should go forward.


2. Transplant Day

What can I say.  It was the biggest day of 2012 for me and Bob said it best.


1. My HSCT Story

No surprises here.  After all the hard work pain and suffering, finally there was proof that what I had done worked!

Let me know what you think.  If you agree or not.....  Until next time, stay well:)

Update on my last prophecy

A couple of days after I published my last post, Australian current affairs show "Sixty Minutes" published this story about superbugs.  Stay Well:)

Check out this great MSN video - Superbugs

Another prophecy

This is not a great prophecy.  In fact I hope it doesn't come true.  If it does it could spell disaster of a pandemic proportion.  I am of course talking about the super bug.

Tiny little microscopic lifeforms that are resistant to all our attempts to destroy them.  And why do they exist?  Simple, we have unwittingly made them through the misuse of antibiotics that were created to vanquish these unwanted creatures.

So, how does this work?  Simply, if a bacteria comes into contact with an antibiotic, normally the antibiotic will kill the bacteria and that will be it.  But if antibiotic is unsuccessful in destroying all the bacteria, it will evolve and gain a resistance to that particular antibiotic.  Now if this happens a number of times with different antibiotics, the bug will become very hard to kill and become a superbug.

As patients we can perpetuate this problem by mistreating antibiotics.  For example, if we decide to self medicate and take the wrong antibiotic the bug will evolve to combat that strain of antibiotic and we will have created a smarter bug.  If we fail to finish a course of antibiotics we may find that we have failed to eradicate all the bugs and the remainder will become resistant to the antibiotic.  It is why it is important to follow the instructions of your doctor and be disciplined about taking your medication.

However, this is not the only reason why a superbug maybe created.  Doctors can share some of the blame too as some of them prescribe antibiotics needlessly.  Doctors need to be more frugal with their prescriptions and only prescribing the right antibiotic when it is needed.

We also need to put tighter controls on agriculture.  Many farmers feed antibiotics to their livestock prophylactically to prevent them from getting sick.  Research has shown this to be a very ineffective strategy as livestock that is not fed antibiotics has a similar level of health and is much easier to treat if they do get sick.  These antibiotics are also ingested by us when we eat the livestock.  Realistically, the practice of giving antibiotics to livestock doesn't even make sense on a financial level either.

It is also very worrying in nations with little controls on the use of antibiotics.  In certain countries with poor regulatory rules regarding antibiotics, it is not just possible to purchase a course of antibiotics without a script but it is also possible to buy a single tablet.  Creating the perfect breeding ground for superbugs.  The pharmaceutical companies in these countries have also been found guilty of emptying their antibiotic waste into waterways.

So should we not be taking antibiotics?  Of course not.  We just need to be responsible with them.  And hopefully with proper regulations from the powers that be antibiotics will be our number one defence against unwanted bacteria for a long time to come.  Until next time, stay well:)

New Year Update

My oh my.  It really should be not so new year update.  It feels like an eternity since I posted on my blog.  And it has been.  For various reasons I haven't done it but I am going to try and write here with a little more regularity in the future.

So, how have I been doing?  The short answer is really well.  But since I haven't posted for a while I thought I'd elaborate a little more.  Last time I left you I was still recovering from my carpel tunnel surgery and I am pleased to report that since then there has been a marked improvement in everything.  The most noticeable and best improvement is that now there is no pain what so ever.  I can sleep at night and I have nothing bothering me during the day.

My strength has not improved yet but but that is because it can take up to three months to heal properly and if I push myself there is still a little surgery pain (not nerve pain) which prohibits me from going all out.  Another plus is that the numbness in my fingers has substantially been relieved.  It is quite a liberating sensation and with this improvement and the pain gone I have been able to join the kids playing mario Kart on the Wii which we have all enjoyed.

Recovery from the HSCT has also been great.  Interestingly the best benefits I am receiving now have almost been unnoticed.  It is weird.  I go to do something and as normal people do you just do it.  However, I am then realising after the event that hey, I couldn't do that a year ago.  An example would be about a week ago I was walking down the stairs and after I arrived at the bottom I suddenly noticed how incredibly easy it was.  I didn't even use the handrail.

A more blatant milestone that I have reached is that I have started cycling.  Yes, on a real bicycle too!  No, I'm not entering the Tour de France just yet, but my balance has improved enough that I can do it.  It means I go with the kids on bike rides and I have another avenue to exercise which is great seeing as I have sore knees at the moment and that makes running difficult.  I have also returned to the pool to swim laps.  I do think that to maximise the recovery process it is important to stay fit and exercise regularly.

However, it has not all been plain sailing.  Whilst on holiday I caught a cold.  In the past I was normally able to shake a cold quite easily but this one knocked me for a six.  So I went to the doctor, got a script for some (more) antibiotics and the proceeded to spend the next three days on the couch in front of the cricket.  Fortunately, I'm better now.  Until next time, stay well:)