Didn't steer clear of the staph

Staph infections are ubiquitous. Even MRSA is commonplace nowadays. Unfortunately, the burden would be on you to prove that you actually contracted the same exact strain from that football player. You and your sons would all have to have DNA testing done on your bacterial strains and those results would have to match that player's results exactly. If they did, then you might have a case, but your sons' lack of hygiene plays a role in your contracting this so they share responsibility also. Do you sure them as well?

There is just as great a possibility that your incision was infected with staph from your own skin or from the hospital you had surgery at. It happens to hundreds of people every day all across the US.

I recommend focusing more on getting better and less on placing blame. Without significant expense and involvement of your local health department as well as the CDC you will never be certain who is responsible.

I agree with Steve...but at the same time I feel it wouldn't hurt to find out it if is the same strand of staph just in case.  Something Steve did not mention is Staph and other bacterial strains sometimes mutate...just hopefully it didn't between hosts.  

If you do intend to persue a lawsuit against the original student's family, the coach, or the school system you will need to be prepared for a long battle.  The hospital is not going to wait years to collect your medical expenses even if you have a lawsuit pending...they will send it to collections.

Hopefully the antibiotics you are on now will be effective.  If not ask your doctor if there is something else they can treat the staff aggressively with besides IV antibiotics.  Perhaps an injection that you could give yourself?

They could have killed someone with their negligence.  A grandparent?  A new baby?  An immunosuppressed person?

I would see a lawyer.  You are talking about a LOT of money.  If it was just doctor co-pays and inconvenience I would suggest a letter to everyone at the district.  But this is a LOT of money.

Go forward.

~Becky

Thanks for all the input everyone.  I talked to another mother last night who had already called the school and complained because she's going through chemo and her baby has a heart condition so either one of them getting staph could be deadly.  She was told that we all signed an agreement when our boys signed up for football that said the school was not responsible for injuries sustained during football practice or games.  They feel that this covers them.

I have no intention of suing the school because 1) It would hurt the school system (they're already financially strapped), 2) It's a small community and I don't want my kids to have to deal with the fallout, 3) They have more money and better lawyers than I do..lol.

What I would like is some sort of acknowledgement that they didn't handle the situation correctly and that it really could be a serious situation.  Their letter to the parents said there is no harm in staph infections which I think is unfair to send out because there are parents out there that don't know the truth and may not realize that their children shouldn't be around people that are older, younger, ill, etc. or may take that to mean that they don't need to see a doctor (the letter never even stated that if you think your child might have staph that they should see a doctor).

I've decided that I'm not going to get that acknowledgement so I'm going to let go of the anger (try to anyways) and just deal with what happens.  As Diane said, I knew I was taking a risk having this surgery and we'll manage if we have to pay that amount, even if it's $25/month.  I'm sure this won't be the last time I have to pay for something because of having this surgery but I'm still very thankful for having had it done.

Wow.  I like your intention.  I hate the callous disregard of our schools but I can't change that...I can only take precautions and deal with any fallout from their mistakes.

Keep the faith hun!

Since the schools thinks they are not responsible maybe a call to the local news crew would be in order. Oh and as others have stated about the initial student who had it, what the hell were the parents thinking sending them in like that.

Sheesh. Given that the answer to this wouldn't have required much (keep the player out of school until staph-free) it just seems ridiculous that they are trying to play it as "no big deal." I'm so sorry. I have had MRSA, I caught it from my daughter (who must have caught it crawling in a playland). My daughter got over it super fast, but it was horrible for me and I have a scar on my tummy where they had to kind of cut it out. It is no joke, and I am not immunocompromised. I can't believe they'd be so careless. I guarantee if someone came in with chicken pox they would be going bonkers at the parents and they wouldn't tell people it's "no big deal."

Well, you might get it covered depending on how it's coded.

Remember this as you move forward: Moral responsibility and legal responsibility are not always synonymous.

Staph is a pure bugger to contain, unfortunately.