What are the ways to prevent recurrence of MRSA infection?

Hi doctor,

I am a 49-year-old woman and last month I was hospitalized with a necrotizing soft tissue infection on my thigh. I had two debridement surgeries and was discharged after 5 days. I was treated with about 4 IV antibiotics. I do not remember them all, I recall seeing Vancomycin and Penicillin. I was told that the infection was not MRSA, but a "slower moving bacteria" they did not tell me what it was. I was swabbed for MRSA in my nose and butt before both surgeries and was told I did not have it. For the last day of my stay, I had a roommate who had a bad MRSA infection on her butt and sometimes had diarrhea incontinence during dressing changes. I had no physical contact with her, but we had the same nurse. I was discharged with a five day course of Augmentin.

The wound has been healing very well and has not gotten infected, but three weeks after discharge I got an abscess under my arm. I went to an urgent care and was prescribed Clindamycin and told to return in three days for drainage. The abscess did not improve or get worse over the three days. I got it drained and was prescribed Augmentin and told to also continue the clindamycin. That was a week ago and the wound is healing well. They called today and said cultures show it was MRSA and they prescribed Bactrim and told me to stop the other antibiotics.

I am feeling devastated by this and wanting to understand why it happened. Could I have gotten it in the hospital? I am concerned that it will not go away. Are those swabs at the hospital conclusive and mean for sure I did not have MRSA a month ago? I have never had any medical problems before and these experiences have been very frightening. Is there anything else I can do to prevent recurrence? I have read about everything from bleach baths and hibiclens to antibiotics in the nose.