Oophorectomy Gone Awry

I am post op laproscopy oopherectomy (both ovaries)outpatient back to work in a week. Surgery was 11/24/2008. HA! Within a week and a half I was hospitalized with a MRSA infection in my left side incision where the ovaries were removed from, had another surgery to remove the infection, had double pneumonia, 2 blood transfusions for anemia and resultant heart damage due to all the physical stress on the heart. 5 days in ICU and 9 days in a private room. I had so.........much pain from the time I woke up from the first surgery until a week and a half later. I knew something was wrong as I've had surgeries before, but never any as painful as this. Oh, and how could I forget, severe back pain and "ovarian" pain, even though they weren't there, from the hospital bed, I presume. I've been home a little over a week. Still on vicoden for pain though taking less of it. Still on antibiotics for MRSA. I'm so.......thankful two antibiotics work against this MRSA. I'm exhausted when I go to the doctor and back. No one told me I was highly contagious and NOT to infect anyone else unless precautions were taken until I asked today. Of course I kissed and held my six month old grandson. No more. No contact with anyone except who I live with, my hubby and my 18 yr old son who is a senior in high school. They need to take extra precautions. HELP! THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE! My ovaires produced too much testosterone caused by some type of hyperplasia. I will find out tomorrow what type of hyperplasia.

Hi Chloe60!

Wow -- it sounds like you have been through the mill, and that's a shame. I hope that better times lie ahead for you. Hang in there! Be sure to let your doctor know if your recovery doesn't improve.

You are so unlucky and I feel for you. Please check with your Doctor what precautions he deems necessary. I am a Nurse in Australia, and have nursed many MRSI patients. In 12 years I have never seen another Health Professional catch it and we work with it often. The main precaution is wash your hands, particularly after touching the wound, which you should do only whilst wearing latex gloves which are then discarded into a plastic bag and straight into the outside bin. All clothing and sheets and towels which come in contact should be disinfected and washed seperately from other people's. Bandages thrown out, in a bag and into the outside bin. Handwashing is the single most important thing. There is virtually no chance of this infection spreading to anyone else including your Grandbaby. Disinfect the shower or bath after you use it. There are lots of sprays available for that. Just spray around and rinse down. Don't touch anyone with broken skin though. In short, please don't feel like a leper as you are not "highly contagious". Whilst it is a dangerous infection, it is not in fact easily spread but does require some management in the home.
You may well get different information, being in America, but that is how it is here and my personal experience dealing with it on a frequent basis.
I wish you all the best, you have a hard time of what should have been relatively simple, but you are coming out the other side now, and thank goodness for that. Stay strong, this won't be forever......

It helps to have lots of support and encouragement! When I do things, I tend to do them up big! I will try to be very careful as I've been trying to be. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I really thought I was going to die at one point. I said goodbye to my two sons. My husband thought I might die too. I'm too ornery for that. Besides they transferred me from our local hospital which is known as a "band aid" center to a Cleveland Clinic Hospital where I got excellent care. Thanks so much for your replies!

O my lord that is bad...I am soooo sorry you had to go threw all that. Will be thanking about you. hope you get better soon.

Read "Oophorectomy Gone Awry" where I posted my first experience with MRSA. That was not the half of it! I was rehospitalized with MRSA in my spine on 1/13/09. Apparently, it got in my bloodstream and traveled to the L3 and L4 discs where it ate everything out except the nerves. It "irritated" the nerves. It was excruciatingly painful. I was in the hospital until March 7, 2009. I had to have in home nursing and physical therapy. Vancomycin was given IV for 12 weeks. I have to learn how to walk again. My right leg is very weak. I can't begin to tell you how PAINFUL MRSA is. Pain medication wouldn't work on it. The only pain med that was helpful was dilaudid which is supposed to be "the best they have". Then the doctors were worried about addiction. They have to treat pain first. It's unlikely one will get addicted to pain meds they need. It was a nightmare. I think I'm glad my ovaries are out. I haven't really had the time to decide if I feel better with them out. One of my worst symptoms with my ovaries in was being hypersexual. I still want to be very sexual but I don't think it's hypersexual anymore. Lois