DEAR DR. GOTT: I need some information on Rocky Mountain spotted fever. My 47-year-old boyfriend was diagnosed with this in November 2009. He continues to get worse, has a lot of memory loss, poor balance and uses a walker. He still tests positive after all this time. He waited several weeks before getting any help. He had a high fever, was confused, and could not walk. At this point, I called the ambulance and had him taken to the hospital. All the doctors that we have seen during several hospital stays have said that he will never recover. He was given antibiotics at one point, which his doctors called a “big gun” and were the strongest there is. He is depressed, has mood swings, cries a lot, and depends on me 24/7. Around the same time, he also had a staph infection that he got from an open wound. Is there anything I can do to help him?

DEAR READER: Let’s start with the staph infection. [Read more...]