The first time I cultured it, I was in college. I was NEVER one to actually cough stuff up, becuase I thought it was nasty...so I may have cultured it before that, but didnt get a good enough sample to really know. It was the summer between my junior and senior year, so I was 21. I had been quite sick the previous semester and on oral abx about 4-5 times (from january to may) and on IV's in April.
When I went for my check up in like June-ish...I was able to get up a lovely sample of mucus and a few days later was called in for a lovely tune up because of the MRSA. I am assuming I had had it all of the semester and that was why I kept getting sick...I wasnt treating the right infection.
I don't really know where I got it though because I hadnt been in the hospital before that semester. I culture it every time now, though it is under some control. And currently I have not been in the hospital or on IV's for OVER ONE YEAR!!! And I have only been on orals three times in the last 13 months!