Okay, Listen Here

Okay, Listen Here

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Bloodsuckers


         Summer is the time for outdoor fun and the time for bugs.  This year because there wasn’t a really cold winter I seem to have an over-abundance of ticks.  I never gave the little buggers much thought but recently I have been going through some strange symptoms that the doctors now think are a result of Lyme Disease.  Ick!  I had two ticks attach to me while I was out trimming bushes and I gave no thought to it, pulling them off and continuing with my work.  A few weeks later, various joints started swelling then going down then the next day a new one would swell.  The pain has been intense and some days I just don’t feel like moving.  I am on medication now but my research has shown me that sometimes it lasts a long time, even years.  Not good news but I am hopeful this antibiotic works.  I am not sure that is what I have but we will know soon when the blood tests come back.  For now we are being pro-active.

         My advice to all of you out there is that if you have a tick on you, don’t pull it out haphazardly.  It must be removed so that the entire head comes out and the body isn’t squeezed (injecting more of the bacteria into the blood).  The carrier of the disease is a deer tick, although there is some research that other related ticks are now carrying the bacteria.  If you have one attached and you remove it, be sure to identify the type of tick.  If a bulls-eye rash develops on the spot you have Lyme Disease.  Get to the doctor quickly.  The sooner medication is administered, the better your chances are of defeating the infection.  I didn’t have the rash (fifty percent of people don’t) so I became more infected without knowing it.  There are multiple symptoms, some so horrible I don’t even want to think about them.

         In my research I found that there is a lot of controversy surrounding Lyme Disease.  There is a movie “Under Our Skin” that will soon be playing on PBS.  If you have Netflix you can watch it.  The movie is also available on Hulu.com but there are commercials.  This movie scared me so badly.  I had always thought Lyme Disease is not that bad.  My mistake.  One pathologist has linked the bacteria to Alzheimer’s Disease.  Other links have been shown to ALS, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis.  This would be a break-through for the causes of these diseases if there is a connection.  Watch this movie.  You should educate yourself about this growing risk.  It is incredible what a tiny little tick bite can cause.  The problem is that the CDC does not recognize long-term Lyme Disease and there are a lot of people suffering from it.  There is an estimate that 420,000 people a year are infected, with only 32,000 cases being reported.  It’s actually an epidemic. 

         So please, please, if you are out enjoying the woods or even your yard be extra careful about the little bloodsuckers.  It’s in Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa. We have Lyme disease in just about every state in the Union.  And, just to throw another wrench in it – your dogs can get Lyme Disease too.  Protect them and yourselves!

         Have you ever heard of Lyme Disease?   Do you know someone who’s had it?  What’s your take on the little bloodsuckers?  I, for one, am now horrified of any tick within a mile of me!

         

11 comments:

  1. My nephew had it when he was a teenager. He was actually in a wheelchair for a few months, but made a full recovery. A key part is to take really good care of yourself DURING recovery, so your body has what it needs to heal. Vitamins, nutrition -- most especially nutrition -- and enough sleep. You have to be ruthless in taking care of yourself, lowering stress levels, etc.

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    1. I have upped my vitamins and supplements but I have to be careful of interactions with the doxicyclline, I am for once not doing a thing around here (it's hard to ignore a dirty floor but I am doing it).

      I know this is a bad subject for a blog but I wanted to warn people. Like it affected your nephew, this can be debilitating. I am glad he recovered!!

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  2. Thanks for the headsup, Cheryl. I had no idea! And I live in the country....am out in woodsy areas often. I'll certainly be more careful now!

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    1. I don't think any of us who grew up in the country or who live in the country have ever given ticks much though except they are a nuisance. Just be sure to check yourself if you're outside and get the little buggers before they attach. Take precautions.

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    2. Yep...never gave it much thought. Will now, though! <3

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  3. Wow! Such a great topic. Sorry I had my eyes dilated today and my vision has been blurry until now.

    I've known some people who've been infected with Lyme Disease. An 11 year old girl in our neighborhood in New Jersey suffered from advanced Arthritis because she'd been bitten by a tick at an even younger age. Very painful Rheumatoid Arthritis. So scary and heartbreaking!

    Makes you wonder about going fishing or hunting these days, doesn't it?

    Years ago, I'd heard that Lyme Disease usually came from a northern tick. I guess that's not the case anymore.

    I hope that's not what you have, Cheryl. Sending prayers and hugs your way!

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    1. Lyme can cause severe arthritis along with neurological problems. It's a dangerous thing. Nope, it's not a Yankee disease any more - we have it down South too.

      Thanks Kathy! I'm hoping for something less invasive. But we'll see...

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  4. I am late to the party. It's been a church kind of day. I worked at Vacation Bible School and then went for drinks with my Sunday School class.

    I know someone who had it. She recovered completely. A tick got on me once. The Guy was idly stroking my back through my shirt. He said, "You've never had a mole there," and investigated. I have never been one to go crazy about bugs. I can kill a spider. But this one was attached to me. I went out of my mind. I pitched a fit, dancing around, screaming, "GET IT OFF ME!!!!!!!!!!!"

    He wisely, told me there was a correct way to do it, not that he knew what it was. He called a friend, who is a micro biologist. That shouldn't have anything to with ticks but she spend so much time in the bog while doing research for her dissertation, that she knew how to deal with a tick. It involved a needle, a flame, and alcohol. Not the drinking kind, but in retrospect that might have been a good ides. Soon thereafter, The Guy ordered a tick removal system in case he should ever have to deal with me again.

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    1. I am with you Jean - GET IT OFF!!! You never even know they're there until someone else sees them. I nearly died the other day when I went outside and came in, only to find one crawling on me. Ick!

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  5. I am even more late to the party because I have been gaving internet troubles...sorry to chime in so late.

    I hate hate hate hate ticks!!!!

    Good luck to you Cheryl on your recovery!!

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    1. Thanks Stephanie! I can sympathize because I hate them too.

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