We are all dependent on antibiotics. Many of us likely take them for granted. As discussed here and here, the world is running out of effective antibiotics. Increasing antibiotic resistance means not being able to treat what we consider today to be regular, run of the mill infections.

Chris Linaman, a “superbug survivor” has shared his story to raise awareness of the danger and devastation of antibiotic resistance. Linaman was recovering from ACL surgery with no complications, until one morning when he woke up with a massively swollen knee. He was diagnosed with MRSA and had emergency surgery. A few days after being sent home from the hospital, he developed a high fever of 105 degrees and was found almost unconscious. As Linaman describes:

Luckily, the spinal tap showed the infection had not yet gotten to my brain. But I needed to have even more surgeries to get rid of it, and I also lost my epidermis—the outer layer of my skin—over my entire body, due to an allergic reaction to the antibiotic they were using to treat me…My leg muscles were wrecked from all of the surgeries, and it took extensive physical therapy to get me back to anything resembling normal…

Beyond the physical trauma, the whole ordeal also nearly ruined our family financially, and it was emotionally devastating as well. At the time, our two kids were just 2 and 4 years old, and they didn’t understand what was going on. It still breaks my heart to think about it. Those were the darkest days of my life, and, honestly, it’s hard to believe that I’m still here…

As horrible as my MRSA infection was, I’m the “good” outcome—I survived. Way too many others have not.

After recovering, Linaman went on to work as an executive chef at a medical center. One thing Linaman and other experts have stressed is the importance of reducing animal use of antibiotics. Linaman created a policy that “prioritizes bringing healthy food to our community and gives preference to food producers who are working to reduce antibiotic use.”

So we need to do anything and everything we can to conserve these lifesaving drugs so that they work when they’re needed—that includes making sure antibiotics are used appropriately and only when necessary—both in people and in animals.”