Mother of two with life-threatening skin infection that doctors told ‘hardened’ –

A mother of two, who developed a life-threatening skin infection before her 28th birthday after undergoing tummy tuck and liposuction surgery, was told by her doctor to “hard up”.

Jamie Hilburn, 39, of Edmond, Oklahoma, said she received the surgery, which removes excess oil and skin, as a gift to boost her self-confidence.

However, a few days after the procedure, the skin on the left side became painful to the touch and reddened as if it had been sunburned. Called the hairdresser – who was not named but was told it was just “hardening” and it was part of the recovery.

When the pain got worse, even after she went to the hospital for medication, her grandmother called the surgeon and said, “Listen man, this isn’t a ‘hardening recuperation.’ Something is wrong. She is in so much pain.’

He was later transferred to another hospital, where he was diagnosed with MRSA and held on the ward for ten days. Having been forced into bankruptcy by experience, Hilburn still has a scar on her left side from the treatment.

MRSA is a potentially life-threatening infection because bacteria are resistant to different types of antibiotics. It is estimated that close to half of patients die and 20,000 Americans are killed by these super-resistant bacteria each year.

Revealing his experiences 11 years later, Hilburn claims that he still has a scar on his left side. She’s photographed above with her boyfriend and her 7-year-old daughter, whom she has after her ordeal.

Explaining her experience to The Initiate, Hilburn said, “It’s something you wouldn’t think of in a million years for a stupid and futile procedure.”

He added: “I wanted to have the surgery because there are obvious reasons: looks, insecurities, but I don’t care anymore.

“It made me love what I have without needing anything else.”

After her first call to the doctor, Hilburn explained that she spent the night lying on the arm of the couch, putting pressure on her red skin, because that was the only way to relieve pain.

The next day, he went to a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with cellulitis, a common bacterial infection.

Hilburn said they gave her painkillers and sleeping pills before firing her, and not antibiotics that could kill bacteria.

Later, when her pain got worse and after a phone call with her doctor, she was transferred to a larger hospital in the state for treatment.

Soon, an MRSA infection emerged, caused by a Staphylococcus bacterium that was able to resist few known antibiotics.

Fortunately, one of the hospital’s “last resort” antibiotics was able to kill the bacteria and cure the infection.

Hospitals have stocks of these antibiotics that are not available elsewhere, and they are only offered to patients when other commonly used antibiotics have failed. They are held back to maintain their effects because bacteria can learn to bypass them if the drug is used too often.

After 10 days in the hospital, Hilburn spent another month in home care where she was connected to an IV and had a drainage bag.

It was unclear how he contracted the infection, but the Mayo Clinic says it’s possible to become infected during surgery if doctors are not strict about washing hands and cleaning instruments between patients.

Hilburn said that after being diagnosed with MRSA, her plastic surgeon reimbursed the procedure and covered her home care.

However, he was unable to cover a total of $125,000 in hospital expenses, forcing him to file for bankruptcy. He also refused to cover his insurance, as the trip was caused by a cosmetic procedure.

At the time, she was a single mother to her son, and this helped her “get through the experience,” in her own words.

But he’s been engaged ever since and has a daughter, now seven, who went back to school to study psychology.

Jamie Hilburn got her a tummy tuck and liposuction as a gift on her 28th birthday. But after she contracted a skin infection—she was eventually diagnosed with MRSA—her doctor initially told her to “hard up.”

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes fat from areas of the body such as the hips, buttocks, arms or neck; A tummy tuck removes excess fat and skin from the abdomen to “sculpt” the area.

Both carry risks such as skin infections, scarring, fluid accumulation under the operated skin and loss of sensation in some areas.

In rare cases, MRSA infections can occur after procedures.

About 120,000 cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in the United States, and the number is increasing, with an estimated 20,000 deaths.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that anyone who is infected can have skin that may become red, swollen and painful, and also warm to the touch.

They advise anyone with these symptoms to contact their doctor immediately for medical treatment.

Bacterial infections can be prevented by cleaning the wounds, without touching the wounds, and by regularly cleaning your hands, even after touching a bandage or wound.