‘If you’re not right, go get checked’: survivor

A Mataura man is lucky to be alive and is urging others to get checked if they do not feel well after a close call with a flesh-eating disease left him in intensive care for three weeks.

On September 12, Mataura Licensing Trust board member and Mataura Volunteer Fire Brigade’s Chief Fire Officer Brendon "Moe" Murray said he noticed a small bump on his leg and assumed it was nothing to worry about.

"On Thursday, I had some chafing between my legs, like an ingrown hair," he said.

But CFO Murray said it quickly spiralled out of control.

"Friday, it became a lump the size of a marble; Saturday, it was like a squash ball," he said.

CFO Murray did some home care on it, cleaning the area and squeezing pus out of it, but it became increasingly painful and inflamed. He was due to drive to Oamaru to watch his son play rugby, but found it was simply too painful and had to return home.

CFO Murray said he was trying to tough it out, but his wife insisted they get medical care.

"She could see me going downhill, so we went to the Gore Hospital. They cut it open, drained it."

The initial prognosis was an infection, but he was still in pain and it was not getting any better.

CFO Murray said he was transferred to Southland Hospital, and after an hour in A&E, was on the surgery table.

"They cut a bit out of it and tested it. They informed me it was a flesh-eating disease; it was eating me."

CFO Murray said he was suddenly in a fight for his life.

"They cut bits out of me, packed me up with gauze, cut out a chunk the size of a 50 cent coin worth of flesh off my groin.

"The next day, they cut out a piece the size of the bottom of a coffee cup, and finally figured out what it was after the third operation," he said.

He was diagnosed with Fournier gangrene, a rare bacterial infection which quickly necrotises the afflicted area and spreads throughout the body.

It is unknown what the exact cause of the disease is, although it is speculated by medical professionals to be related to high blood sugar levels, and has a mortality rate of 20%-30% of all those who contract it.

CFO Murray said it was not only the infection his body was battling.

"I was going downhill.

"They were concerned about my kidneys. They’ve taken a real hiding from the antibiotics and the Nurofen I was taking for the pain.

"While I was getting a CT scan they discovered my lung had collapsed due to pneumonia.

"[It] just went from one thing to another," he said.

CFO Murray was in intensive care for three weeks as he was operated on eight times in 18 days, having necrotised flesh and muscle cut from his body and cleaned.

CFO Murray said after one last operation, they were happy with the progress enough to transfer him to Dunedin to start the process of skin grafts, which he was told would involve another five or six operations.

But finally luck was on his side, as he ended up needing only one skin graft as he healed well from the first operation, CFO Murray said.

"The team up there were amazing.

"They did one skin graft which was quite a major one, and then that was the last operation which was huge.

"After that I was back home for recovery, back on my feet."

CFO Murray said it was a very close call.

"Right at the start they told me if I hadn’t gone to the hospital when I did, it probably would have killed me.

"It just escalated so fast," he said.

Looking back at the experience 45 days later, CFO Murray said he was grateful for the support of his family and his friends helping him get through the extremely dark period.

"I have a young family and a beautiful wife and I need to carry on for them.

"My youngest made me a doll and delivered it to me the second day I was in hospital. The doll went with me ... everywhere," he said.

"My children, my daughter, my wife was at my bedside every day, my close friends were there to support me," he said.

CFO Murray was grateful for all the help he received from healthcare workers and urged people to not hesitate when it came to their health.

"If you’re not 100%, if you’re not right, go get checked out.

"Don’t think you’re going to annoy [healthcare professionals]. They’re trained to look after people," he said.

CFO Murray said although the road ahead was a lot harder than could have otherwise been expected, he had no intention on slowing down.

"I’m myself. I’ll always be myself, someone who enjoys helping other people.

"I’m going out to help everyone else [and] pay it forward," he said.