However, this post is more serious and hope at least it benefits someone. I believe there are some posts in the past about bacteria we live with side by side in nature. Some exist in hot springs. Common sense precautions help in prevent infections. For example, avoiding submerging of the nose in spring pools to avoid contact with Naegleria fowleri or brain eating bacteria. However, the amoeba is rare so extremely unlikely for anyone's excursion to be ruined.
From time to time though someone gets unlucky. I happened to be one of those after surviving a deadly bacterial infection. I collapsed beside my bed and was unable to move with my leg having swollen quickly over a period of a few hours. Was taken to the ER. First picture. Notice how swollen my right leg was compared to my left. I took that photo while waiting for the paramedics. The bacteria decided to make my knee and leg their new home. At the hospital after an assessment underwent multiple surgeries. The fear was that I had flesh eating bacteria but this was proven otherwise after tests and cultivation. However, when they opened up the knee it was worse then they expected. It was a 7 hour procedure to evict the bacteria from their new home. The surgeons told my friends who were slowly showing up to get a hold of my parents and immediate family as I was likely not going to survive. The infection was too aggressive at this point. My organs began to fail. Respiratory then renal (kidney) failure. The most surreal thing was fading away and then being brought back into our world by machines and physicians, like a slap on the wrist not to enter the world we all fear, in medicine gently labeled "end of life". After surgery I was in a medically controlled coma. Machines kept me alive. A computer controlling my heart and blood flow. Another my breathing. Another pumping narcotics and sedatives, including those that killed Price and Michael Jackson, but thankfully under controlled conditions. I woke up after 6 days. Upon turning on the TV, learned we had a new president. The world can change quickly when you're not an active member.
The subsequent fast recovery has surprised physicians, although I'm still in recovery, writing this from my hospital bed. I had 32 of physicians surgeons looking over me at one point. Respiratory went back to normal. Kidneys decided to start working again 4 days after I woke up. Tubes were replaced with real food. One thing I took away from this experience is that there were two possible outcomes, death or survival. At one point I was comfortable with death. This is because some father maybe, would have had received a new heart, two others kidneys, another possibly lungs. Fighting dying almost became selfish when so many were waiting for a second life.
So how did deadly bacteria enter me? It's a mystery. Like all of you I interact with nature excessively. A minor scrape against a rock. A fall or bump on a trail. Contaminated sources of water. All of these are improbable but not impossible. It also didn't have to be from nature. A dentist visit, cross-contamination during a festival and many other sources. Bacteria flows through the blood. Once it has penetrated to that stage, it has a huge advantage to start causing harm very quickly.
The reason I'm posting this is because in nature we live with microbes that are much older than we are. Very small and yet with the ability to kill us very quickly. I didn't notice the swelling on my legs initially. I didn't pay attention to my tiredness and at times delusional thoughts. Early detection would have helped more. Hence after a hike, camping, or sitting in pools that also contain microbes, my recommendation is to be aware. Checking arms and legs for anything unusual, or if girlfriend, partner or wife notices unusual behavior, acting on this early may save your life. Bacteria can affect the brain. I was delusional by the time I arrived in the ER.
On that note, I'm eager and restless wanting to return to nature!
These may be graphic to some, view at discretion
1. Waiting for authorities to knock my door down and rescue me, unable to move.
2. After 2nd surgery, notice how much swelling has gone down. Bacteria evicted.
3. Knee surgery unfortunately is very painful, so that compounded many small problems
