I had staph (MRSA variety) in my nose about 5yrs ago. I had to have my nose swabbed 3 times (once a month) to check for MRSA and get a negative result for MRSA three times before they'd declare me cured of MRSA. I think I also had to have my throat swabbed at the same time to make sure it wasnt anywhere else too.

Staph (not necessarily the MRSA variety) lives naturally in your nose. Usually isnt a problem unless you're on a lot of antibiotics (which I was that year)

My dad had staph infection last winter. (he's a nurse, and probably got it from a patient one day in the hospital...scratched his hand on a gurney. The patient didnt have the MRSA variety tho) His staph infection took hold pretty quick too. He scratched his hand one morning, that night I noticed he had a big red mark on his hand and mentioned it to him. The next morning his hand (index and middle finger right at the knuckles) hurt really bad. He went to work and showed it to one of his doctor friends and immediately got dragged into an exam room and had his hand cleaned out and got put on antibiotics...and sent home for a week. (they never did a swab to see if it was MRSA, the doctor said that he was assuming it was and gave him bactrim antibiotic ointment and oral antibiotics. I guess they didnt want to have to have a big OSHA investigation if they'd made it an "official" diagnosis. They just gave him what they'd give for MRSA infections.)

My dad had been a nurse longer than I've been alive (I'm 42) and he'd never gotten an infection like that before. My mom and I were afraid to touch him for a few weeks. Wouldnt let him cook for us for awhile either, we were both creeped out. (and we like to eat out a lot, so we went out a lot)

Staph is really nasty, takes effect quickly sometimes. My aunt got bit by her cat about 10yrs ago on the index finger, and within 2 hrs had a raging infection in her hand that was so bad she had to have surgery to clean her arm out. (they had to cut it from the index finger to her elbow to clean out the infection), and her infection wasnt MRSA. (she doesnt have that cat anymore...gave it away)

Hope your infection wasnt the nasty kind and goes away quick! What antibiotic ointment did you get? Bactrim?? That stuff smells funny, but it works fast!