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Remembering KateMN - losing a virtual friend hurts too
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Jul 1, 2021 | Replies (83)Comment receiving replies
By now, most of you have received the news that our fearless mentor, Katherine has passed away. I feel certain this news has rocked the world of many of you; as it did mine. Some people have private messaged me wondering if she had succmbed finally to her bronchicstasis or MAC or pseudomonas. NO, she did not. Our condition is manageable. She contracted two more particularly nasty bugs of which were resistant to all antibiotics. I have been in touch with her son, Scott. He and I both believe she picked those bugs up when she was spending nights in the ICU with her husband and on many other trips with him in the hospital. These two particular ones are mostly acquired from hospital settings. They are super-bugs. When you hear of hospitalized people dying from pneumonia; this is what this super-bug is. I will give you the names of the bacteria for those of you that want to look it up. They are: Klebsiella pneumonia and Serratia Marcescens. These two are especially dangerous to people like us that are immunocompromised and have weakened or damaged lungs. We are the types that it likes to attack. People like us rarely survive this kind of infection. For the most part, they are antibiotic resistant. I am sharing this with you so that you know to avoid hospitals and convalescent homes whenever possible. Those can be dangerous places for us. I have a rule: I do not visit people in the hospital. I politely explain to them why I can't. We all thought the world of Katherine and prayed that she went peacefully. Her son confirmed that she did, she went in her sleep. Her interment and ceremony to celebrate her life will be on Sept. 2 at 2:00. If you can, I'd like for all of us to take pause at that time and honor her. I will post a reminder as that date gets closer. Hugs to all of you, Terri M.
Replies to "By now, most of you have received the news that our fearless mentor, Katherine has passed..."
@auntnanny, Jan, it is scary for all which is why I wanted to post that info.
@windwalker Thank you so much for sharing the information about the super bugs, Terri. This is invaluable information to us all on this forum. I remember reading about her contracting additional bugs from her postings. But I had no idea that they were lethal and resistant to antibiotics.
Terri, Thanks for the information. I did not get this or maybe it's hung up in my email somewhere although I received the responses which made me get on the forum to see what everyone was responding to. I'm so glad to learn that Katherine passed peacefully. And also glad to learn of the cause of her death as I was feeling a bit alarmed as I'm sure others were as well. Good information about hospitals and convalescent homes. I will do my best to stay away or at least wear a mask if I have to be in that setting. Praying that her husband doesn't feel he was responsible for her death on top of his grief and all the health problems he has. Blessings, Linda
thanks Terri M, these superbugs are just awful! I feel for Kates husband, so sad. Thank you for all the information, I think we were all thinking the same thing. Kate really enjoyed life and would want us to do the same, she will always be in our hearts.
Interesting that the Serratia Marcescens is the pinky orange bacteria found in the shower etc,wonder if it is the bacteria that does not let MAI live in the same space. I diddnt realise it was so nasty.
@heathert, Heather, the pink slime in the showers is a different bacteria. It is called methylobactium. That one can make you sick also, just not as prevelant as the others. The Serratia Marcescens is pink, but it is mainly caught in hospitals and nursing homes.
@pfists Hi Shari, just want to wish you luck on your appointment on Wednesday. I would be interested to hear how it went. Which Mayo are you going to?
@ling123, Hi Ling. I looked up those bugs when she told me which ones she had back in March or April. After reading up on them, I knew she was going to have one helluva fight ahead of her. She knew it too.
@windwalker But Terri, the Wikipedia seems to suggest that Serratia Marcescens is the pink slime: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serratia_marcescens
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As Katherine would always say "When you know better, you do better."