Update to spider bite and a bump pic

As I mentioned in my previous post, my niece had a spider bite that was getting treated.

The culture results came back today, and it turns out it’s NOT a spider bite.

It’s Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (AKA – MRSA).

The likely-hood of her contracting this at the present time, is high. She’s in summer day-care. And she recently went to a water-park on a field trip with the day-care. The pimple-like bite appeared shortly after.

Apparently it’s pretty common for MRSA to present itself like a spider bite, such as that from a Brown Recluse.

My niece has been on antibiotics, and is now on something STRONGER, with the hopes that it gets better soon. The drain was in place since Tuesday (in the back of her thigh – ouch) and was taken out today. This is the right treatment for a spider bite and also MRSA. To get the bacteria out. It now has to heal from the inside out, and the dressing will need to be changed every couple of days. Her wound is now about 3/4″ round and about 1/2″ deep. Poor girl!!! She is a trooper though and made it through the appt. Sooo lucky it’s on the BACK of her leg, so she didn’t have to ‘see’ it. No lies, it’s gory.

MRSA is highly contagious, and I’ve had my niece couped up in my place for a week. I’ve changed the bandaid that was on her leg twice, before bringing her to the docs. She has slept in my beds, sat on my couches, used my toilets, used my computers etc…

We are washing everything, and are happy that her leg has been COMPLETELY wrapped up since Tuesday. Phew. She’s not going to die or anything (thankfully), it’s just the contagious-ness of this thing that is freaky.

I am going to the doctor soon to get my nose swabbed to see if I have it, same with TH and other people who have ‘checked out’ her wound …

I’m not too concerned if I do have it, b/c there is treatment that is safe to take during pregnancy.

—— on to other things now —–

My niece and I went to a movie yesterday as a reward for her bravery through this fiasco — we saw Mr. Popper’s Penguins which was actually QUITE enjoyable for me. I don’t typically like children’s movies b/c they are soooo corny and goofy that I can’t laugh. This one made me laugh-out-loud a few times. Cheers to Jim Carey for a job well-done. And knowing that the penguins were in fact real and trained and not just some CGI trickery, made it that much better to watch.

Beforehand we went to the maternity shop to get some shirts from me, b/c I don’t have many maternity shirts. Maybe 4 tops and 3 bottoms. I’m running out of things to wear. I can still wear my pre-pregnancy clothes, but they aren’t as comfy and really make me look like a fat-tub-of-lard.

Here’s a pic of me today, with one of the new shirts I bought. It was on sale at Destination Maternity (i love sales! ) and after looking at this pic, I’m thinking maybe I should’ve gotten the next size up. It’s a medium, and fits my top a little big (shoulders and arms) and since it is stretchy, I thought there’d be at least A LITTLE room to grow. Dunno ’bout that now.

I am still down about 5lbs from my pre-preg weight… even though the babes seem to be growing. I used to wear a XL top (non-maternity) and now wear a M. It’s bizarre to me. But having, at the most, another 15 weeks to go, I’m sure I’ll get back into those XL’s and put them to good use

The belly is SWELLING… it’s definitely bigger and firmer and rounder. And the babies are making the weirdest movements. Not just punches and kicks. It feels as if they are doing somersaults and when you look at my belly during one of those, you SWEAR an alien is going to rip itself out of the skin at any moment. It freaks me out. Literally… I am freaked.