Comfort HS Class President Fights Staph Infection
Malady Caught Athlete Off Guard
POSTED: Monday, September 20, 2004
UPDATED: 11:37 am CDT September 21,
2004
COMFORT, Texas -- There are three confirmed cases of an antibiotic-resistant staph infection in Comfort, among them the senior class president at Comfort High School.Rodney Eckert, 17, who also plays wide receiver on the school's football team, recently found what he thought was an ant bite in his thigh. The bite turned into a hard spot, and a day later "it developed and became about the size of a softball. About that time, I started to limp," Eckert said."It spread, spread fast and that was the scary thing. It was so small, and then it got so big," Eckert said.A doctor prescribed antibiotics, but the redness spread. By noon the day of the school's recent homecoming game, he was in surgery, where doctors cut a 14-inch canal around his leg.
Eckert then spent six hours in a hyperbaric chamber, so oxygen could hasten the healing."It's sore. The doctor said I should expect to get more sore as it goes on," Eckert said. "But walking-wise, I can walk normal. I get tired easily."Experts say that contact sports are an ideal way for the otherwise common bacteria to enter a body through cuts or abrasions.Eckert's advice is to act fast."You just have to wash your hands, and watch out. Don't be embarrassed to tell anybody," he said.Eckert is on sulfa drugs because the bacteria has mutated from the public's overuse of antibiotics. He said he hopes to be back playing for his high school team in four or five weeks.
| Video |
Rodney Eckert: Staph Infection 'Scary'Copyright 2005 by KSAT.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
According to TMZ.com, a Web site has posted nude pictures of a member of the San Antonio Spurs. Who is it?
After a few weeks of on-again, off-again rain, it looks like more precipitation is back in the forecast. But this time, it looks like cold air will be accompanying it -- which may make things interesting.
Residents can go online to find out if there are any sex offenders living in their neighborhood. You might be surprised who lives down your street.
A local landfill is being dug up for clues into the disappearance of an 8-month-old boy.
Firefighters are battling a 2-alarm building fire on the city's West Side.
Saints running back Reggie Bush talks to WDSU-TV about the Saints' Super Bowl victory, and then gets a kiss from girlfriend Kim Kardashian.
Police man and woman were checking on car that had pulled off to the side of the highway.
Amy Meron was killed early Saturday morning in a drunken driving accident. Her family remembers her as joyous and dedicated.
Check out images sent in by viewers of their "sweeties."
Check out images sent in by viewers of the Cowboy Breakfast and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.
It has been 25 years since the debut of the hit comedy "The Breakfast Club" in theaters. What are the stars of the film up to today?
The Mid-Atlantic U.S. digs out from piles of wet, heavy snow in below-freezing temperatures while power crews try to restore electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes and clear streets.
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
