Flesh-eating bacteria victim: 'I was begging - don't cut my arm off'
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BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A local man is back home from the hospital, recovering after a flesh-eating bacteria infection took his arm - and nearly cost him his life.
Ever since he was a teen, Michael Money has worked - all his life, made his living with his hands. And now he's fighting to keep a firm grasp on the only thing he knows.
"I was in the tire business for 20 years," he says, never dreaming that a cut on his hand would cripple him.
"I was working on my pickup truck. I was changing the steering box on the pickup truck, and I cut my knuckle on the inside fender well," he says.
Michael didn't think anything of it.
"I just kept working. I didn't wash my hands until later that day - and that's how it got infected."
So he went to the hospital, but the infection spread rapidly.
"I was begging them - please don't cut my arm off," he says.
But there was no other choice. The flesh-eating bacteria threatened more than just his arm.
"If you don't stop it, it gets into your heart. You can die," he recounts. "They immediately put me in one of these beds, and I was being put down by the anesthesiologist."
When Michael awoke his right hand and forearm were gone. And for a man who makes his living with his hands, succumbing to his new normal just wouldn't do.
"I miss not working - so that's the only thing that's got me," he says. "I can't sit home and do nothing - that's not me. I've got to keep going and keep going."
He has a plan.
"I'm trying to get a mechanical arm," he explains.
It's something thats been successful for others before him. But a mechanical arm can cost between $40,000 and $60,000 - money that Michael just doesn't have.
"I still get enough to barely live. I'm not making it. ... It turned my life upside down."
And he's on a mission - to raise enough money for a mechanical arm.
"I don't want to stay home. I want to go back to society," he says.
On the brink of a new year, this man who's made his living with his two hands since he was 17 years old now hopes others will see his heart.
"I've got a lot of work left I can do," he says.
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If you would like to help Mike, visit his website at http://donationsformikesarm.com.
Ever since he was a teen, Michael Money has worked - all his life, made his living with his hands. And now he's fighting to keep a firm grasp on the only thing he knows.
"I was in the tire business for 20 years," he says, never dreaming that a cut on his hand would cripple him.
"I was working on my pickup truck. I was changing the steering box on the pickup truck, and I cut my knuckle on the inside fender well," he says.
Michael didn't think anything of it.
"I just kept working. I didn't wash my hands until later that day - and that's how it got infected."
So he went to the hospital, but the infection spread rapidly.
"I was begging them - please don't cut my arm off," he says.
But there was no other choice. The flesh-eating bacteria threatened more than just his arm.
"If you don't stop it, it gets into your heart. You can die," he recounts. "They immediately put me in one of these beds, and I was being put down by the anesthesiologist."
When Michael awoke his right hand and forearm were gone. And for a man who makes his living with his hands, succumbing to his new normal just wouldn't do.
"I miss not working - so that's the only thing that's got me," he says. "I can't sit home and do nothing - that's not me. I've got to keep going and keep going."
He has a plan.
"I'm trying to get a mechanical arm," he explains.
It's something thats been successful for others before him. But a mechanical arm can cost between $40,000 and $60,000 - money that Michael just doesn't have.
"I still get enough to barely live. I'm not making it. ... It turned my life upside down."
And he's on a mission - to raise enough money for a mechanical arm.
"I don't want to stay home. I want to go back to society," he says.
On the brink of a new year, this man who's made his living with his two hands since he was 17 years old now hopes others will see his heart.
"I've got a lot of work left I can do," he says.
----
If you would like to help Mike, visit his website at http://donationsformikesarm.com.
Sad Story - my heart goes out to you Michael. If I were you I'd try to set up a fundraiser through Kickstarter or Indiegogo or something like, it will make it easier to use social media to create awareness for your situation and for people to donate through Paypal etc. $ 60,000 is a lot of money but if a lot of people donate $5 each you might reach your goal.
Mr. Money:
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I do not know if you are following these comments (or if someone is doing so for you), but as a recent amputee myself, I would highly recommend you contact The Amputee Coalition of America. They are a tremendous help & resource for your changed circumstances, there are support groups you can be put in touch with, and they also have a "mentor" program that can pair you up with someone in circumstances similar to yours to help you get back on your feet & get your life mack. They were a tremendous help to me when I became an amputee - I hope that they can be of help to you as well. Here is their web address: www.amputee-coalition.org/
didn't read how old he is .... he can now probably apply for social security disability and if that is approved he will go onto medicare i believe after a time period. it is awful he lost an arm however it's not the end of life - only that life - a new one presents itself. what will he do with it ? our military coming home with many more lost parts and a significant number of them find a new life. blessings to this man in hopes he finds a new life ahead.
 @justme Hi Justme, thank you for your comment and I have in my prayers anyone else that has the loss of a limb, site, hearing or any other disability that is a life changing experience.  I am 46 yrs young and I do plan on finding a new life ahead.  Medicare will only approve a mechanical prosthetic arm for what works best for them but even at that you would be responsible for 20 %, which is still way more than I can afford.  If donations do exceed  more than what I will need I then will be sharing the donations with other disabled people in hopes of giving another person a new life.
@justme
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It's not that easy. There is a waiting period before the medicare becomes available - 18 months from the disabling event. In the meantime, there is treatment & supplies required to care for the stump, medical appointments, appointments with a prosthetecist, everything else. SSI is NOT a walk in the park - it is barely enough to even survive on.
Signs and symptoms ( Necrotizing fasciitis)
Over 70% of cases are recorded in patients with one of the ff clinical situations: immunosuppression, diabetes, alcoholism/drug abuse/smoking, malignancies, and chronic systemic diseases. It occasionally occurs in people with an apparently normal general condition.
The infection begins locally at a site of trauma, which may be severe (such as the result of surgery), minor, or even non-apparent. Patients usually complain of intense pain that may seem excessive given the external appearance of the skin. With progression of the disease, often within hours, tissue becomes swollen. Diarrhea and vomiting are also common symptoms.
In the early stages, signs of inflammation may not be apparent if the bacteria are deep within the tissue. If they are not deep, signs of inflammation, such as redness and swollen or hot skin, develop very quickly. Skin color may progress to violet, and blisters may form, with subsequent necrosis (death) of the subcutaneous tissues.
Furthermore, patients with necrotizing fasciitis typically have a fever and appear very ill. Mortality rates have been noted as high as 73 percent if left untreated. Without surgery and medical assistance, such as antibiotics, the infection will rapidly progress and will eventually lead to death.
@Luke0walton You just descibed eveything that happened to me. From the time of the cut till I was getting the IV antibiotics was just over 6 hours.The elbow looked like there was a golf ball under the skin. The entire arm felt like it was on fire for almost 4 days. I feel for eveyone who has to go through this. And yes most people that end up with this are in a high risk group but, they make up most of those that do not survive. Any cut or even a small scape can be the cause of this bacteria getting in. When symptoms first appear do not waight that will lead to death.
I did the same thing 2 years ago. Cut myself on the elbow, not a bad cut just a enough to bleed. Finished rewiring the underside of the truck dash then went in and cleaned up. Put the antibiotic ointment on with a band aid and everything. I was lucky and less than a week later they got the infection under control but, I was told at one point that if there was no improvement they would take the arm at the shoulder in just over 24 hours. It was 48 and the infection was completely gone. Do not know why I was spared and others not. One day we will be told until then I count my blessings and wish Michael all the best in his recovery.
I knew a guy who also didnt wash his hands after cutting one while working on a car. Â This man died in 2 days. Â Consider yourself lucky as you are still alive and have a chance to begin again. I know you may not see the light now, but you just may have saved many more lives of those reading this article of the seriousness of any cut, no matter how small. May you find inner strength you never knew you had before this event. God Bless and Happy New Year.
Hot water and soap go a long way to keep germs at bay and creating such breeding grounds for this virus. We just don't think about taking action when something happens that seems so small. I have been guilty of waiting to clean up a scratch but its funny that I pound "take action now" with my boys. What I wonder is....can't someone like a Bill Gates...with all the money in the world, help this gentleman and so many others in need . I know he does good things with his money but it seems to be on a world scale in other parts of the world. I would like to see people who are so fortunate do something on the "everyday Joe" level. Here is a guy who has the drive to continue to work at his trade and not collect some sort of state disability money but he needs help to do that. I wish him good health and the mechanical arm he needs and will scan the papers for some news on donations going his way and hope as many people who can will donate. Any one of us can be in a situation we can not afford.
Wow, I grew up in the 80s and 90s, amd getting cut while doing things mechanically or playing as a kid was a given. That was long before Purell and other hand sanitizer entered the market. Now people arent used to getting exposed to the same germs that live on the surface of their skin every day, and when they do, this is what happens.
 @northwestsurfer The reason some people get this type of an infection is because of an immunodeficiecy. It doesn't happen to just anyone with a cut or a sore. And it did happen in the 80s and 90s you just didn't hear about it - with the information age you are now informed about nearly everything. =)
@Techno Viking Not true. Its more widespread now because people dont have resistance to regular germs and bacteria anymore; the same way antibiotics dont work any more. Too much abuse and no exposure to everyday germs. Believe what you want though.
@northwestsurfer Purell and antibacterial soap is not allowed him my house, for this very reason.
My daughter passed away one year ago from this bacteria. She was only 29. They were preparing her for her 4th surgery to remove her arm but she went into cardic arrest. It is a horrible bacteria. My heart goes out to you.
@DJ I'm so sorry to hear of your daughters passing. My thoughts are with you.
I know of no insurance policy that is going to pay $60,000 for a prosthetic limb. Most plans have a set maximum benefit for prostheses and usually cover only the most basic product...not the new, high tech ones.Â
@SheilaKA
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Most policies have a specific clause for prosthetics. There are no $$$ or quantity maximums any longer (thanx to ACA!). In the past, some policies had a "one per lifetime" limit - which was disasterous, since the "residual limb" (stump) shrinks & changes shape all the time. What if a child is say 5 years old & had to have an amputation - are you saying that they should never be allowed a larger prosthetic as they grow older?
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I lost my leg in April 2009 - I have had 4 sockets made since then, eac h one because my stump has changed shape & size, each one required to be able to safely walk. Most policies go by "medical necesxsity" - a change in body shape/size, growing taller, those would all be reasons to cover a replacement.
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As for "basic" -vs- "high tech". Most policies will actually cover what is the "best" prosthetic for the individual patient, regardless of cost. It is not strictly looked at ONLY based on cost, but on what is best for the patient, what will help them to become functioning, contributing people once again as opposed to being confined to a wheelchair.
Wow... this flesh eating bacteria is something I've heard about more and more often in the past few years. I wonder if it's becoming more common or if it's just that it's reported more often? I hope this man does not beat himself up for not washing the cut right away. While that is definitely good practice and definitely helps, I have read stories of people getting this even when the wound was washed and treated right away. The bacteria seems to move so swiftly. I can't even imagine having this happen.
Another missed opportunity to highlight what would have been different if this had happened in 2014 when the health care mandate kicks in. Of course no mention from the author of the article about health insurance. We can assume he had none. And if that is true, I assume he would have had access to subsidized insurance. Sad all around. In any other modern country, and even in the not so modern ones, he would have had a much better shot at getting a prostetic with less out of pocket costs.Â
 @lakeview You are making a very big assumption to think they will cover the cost of a mechanical arm. I highly doubt there will be benefits like that.
 @lakeview I don't believe that prosthetic financial assistance is a walk in the park in all Socialized Workers Health Care Paradises, either.
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"Canada has yet to adopt or take steps in formulating a national strategy for legislation in the service provision of assistive devices"
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http://www.disabilitypolicyalliance.ca/dnlddoc.php?id=111
@Getov Mylon  Is your position that if this man lived in Canada, that he would face a 40k to 60k out of pocket bill for his new arm?Â
 @lakeview  @Getov No. I simply counterpoint your underlying contention that Government Mandated Health Care To Be Paid For By A Rube Goldberg Designed Insurance Law will be provided without consideration to expense and availability or lack thereof.
 @lakeview It is a good idea for all to have health insurance. It is a bad idea to get the government involved.
 @lakeview  @Getov I wish my employer would be able to give me the $15,000 or so a year they pay for my family's insurance and I could shop around across State lines for the best catastrophic coverage with a high deductible and maybe I could pocket the difference  to use FOR my deductible. I'll pay for the little stuff (annual checkup, prescriptions, etc...) if they pay for the big stuff (brain transplant, gender re-assignment, quintuple bypass).  I wish the same for you to choose to do so if you wish. But alas, tis not to be...
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And don't call me Sid.
 @lakeview  @Getov No.
@Getov Mylon  This is quite an ironic statement coming from a public employee with benefits paid for by the citizens of Washington.Â
@Getov Mylon  Sid, are you going to follow me around and bug me all the time now?Â
Sad that something as simple as a mechanical arm that probably costs less than $200 to make and people get gouged for $40,000 to $60,000. Another example of how capitalism is so crippling to a free and open society.
 @Blindman What about the research and education of the people who design and build the arm? If the arm is powered and run by a computer there's software, advanced engineering, battery technology. Do you work for nothing Blindman? How do you pay for a place to live, food to eat? Is what you do or build "worth" what they pay you?Â
@Blindman Move to Cuba, they feel the same way about capitalism as you.
 @BlindmanÂ
Trust me, they cost WAY more than $200 - the type he is describing is fully robotic, and is "controlled" by being attached to the nerves in the upper arm. There are other, less expensve arms out there. Usually, a new amputee is started with a "basic" arm, to see what they can tolerate & what they can manipulate, before going "whole hog" to the top of the line model. It has nothing to do with "capitalism crippling a free and open society" and everything to do with the fact that it requires skill & craftsmanship tpo create the arm.
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Prosthetic arms are literally in their infancy, when compared to legs/lower limbs. There was an excellent segment on 60 Minutes this past weekend about them. Arms have not really porgroessed much past the hooks/claws of WWII. They are hoping to bring thingds up to speed in the next decade or so.
 @Blindman Please google "sunk costs" and "marginal costs" and "difference between"
 It is a comical shoprtcoming of some to bleat about what something "costs" to make without consideration of "sunk" costs.
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For example, to fly its very first passenger from Seattle to Las Vegas would cost an airline BILLIONS of dollars. To fly the second passenger would cost less than lunch for four at Mc Donalds.Â
 I would gladly  contribute to his getting a new arm, Mainly because he does not want to sit around on his butt sucking off the system . A postitive example of persiverance! This man has a legitimate disablility. But he is not feeling sorry for himself about it. Very inspirational!! KOMO could you please follow up and get information on where people can contribute if they would like to??
 @missyk VERY VERY well said-- I agree with you 100%! Â
@missyk Beneath the article there's information for donating. I couldn't agree with you more.
You never know what life is going to throw at you....all you can do is control what you do with it. I feel horrible for him. I couldn't even imagine what he is going through. I do have to say that instead of giving up and not doing anything, he's looking at the options of what he can do to continue on with life. I hope that he is getting some counseling, not that he's crazy, but to help him through this transition. I also would like to see KOMO do periodic updates on him. If he continues on the same path he is going, he can be an inspiration to others.
Dear KOMO: Can you please add some factual information to this story please, like what is "flesh-eating bacteria" (not just the vernacular name), how it is spread, what treatment options are available if you get it in time, and how to prevent this severe of a resolution (i.e. don't ignore it; get help as soon as you realize it's infected).Â
 @RamblinGirl You want all that information from a news reporter? You will be waiting a while. Just Google/Bing it if you want to know also webmd is your cheap friend that won't charge you a co-pay to see them.Â
It is called necrotizing fasciitis. My daughter passed away from the bacteria last year. It is very fast moving. Surgery is done to try to remove the bacteria and dead tissue before it can spread. Loss of limbs is very common. She went into the hospital on a Sunday night and passed Tuesday late morning.
 @DJ Sorry for your loss~ losing a child is the worst.. as I too have lost a daughter, but to leukemia~Â
@RamblinGirl There have been so many stories about this bacteria over the last few years I would think you would already know....and I'm guessing that's why komo didn't go into such detail. If you're so curious you can always google it! Geez! If they went into that much detail every time there was a story about this topic then the readers would be bored.Â
 @RamblinGirl why don't you look it up yourself, that's not something that needs to be stated in the article.
Best wishes..
I applaud Mr. Money's determination and willpower to push forward and not let this bring his life to a stop. He is an inspiration and reminder to us all to be thankful for the things we have such as our health, strength, and resolve to live a determined life. Keep going, Mr. Money, and don't let anything stop you!
And I, applaud your impeccable grammar. Carry on.
Your headline itself is tasteless. Then I click on the story and see the image of him in his hospital bed with his arm clearly amputated -- more tasteless. You could've found a more respectable, tasteful, and subdued way to portray this poor man's plight, but instead you degrade it with a crappy headline and then a picture of Mr. Money in bed showing the exact thing he was fearful of -- losing his arm. Way to go, KOMO. Another year of crappy reporting.
@riceboy72 Some KOMO headlines are shameless.
 @riceboy72 I thought the dumber thing they did was write that his arm AND hand were amputated. I'm not sure how you can amputate an arm and leave the hand there.
 @riceboy72 Well if the sensational headline leads more people to the post and to donate to this man, maybe it was worthwhile?Â
 @riceboy72 I suggest you hop on the bandwagon and write the story then and we will see how much better you can do it. There is nothing tasteless about this. It's FACT and a real life story. No need to script it.
Once again, Leslie Dunnigan Story, I don't have a problem with the story or it's content.
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Talking with you is futile. Happy New Year to you.
ricebroy72, you are my hewro... robody rays it beta dan you.
 @riceboy72 Considering this happened over the last few days and that he was interviewed while still in the hospital, I don't think it was tasteless. They were quoting him for the headline.
I don't have a problem with them interviewing him in the hospital, but they could've shot it from the other side of the bed and used a more respectable picture of him. This is what I deem 'tasteless journalism', both in the headline and the still shot of him in his hospital bed. It's like capitalizing on his worst fear.
 @riceboy72 I wholeheartedly agree with your post...this is a guy who does not want to quit life and they do this? KOMO, really! Please change!
 @DMT  @riceboy72 What is tasteless and far below standard about it is that KOMO inexplicably felt this incredible, frightening and quite life-altering experience the man and his loved ones are still fighting their way through, somehow wasn't enough on its own and needed punching up by their drama department to entice us to give a crap.
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It's insulting and disrespectful to Money to decide he needed KOMO's sensationalist "help" making his many challenges seem more interesting and exciting to the community.
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