You should all know what I'm talking about or I would hope you do.These deer ticks as they are so commonly called carry the dreaded Lyme Disease. You ask why i say dreaded is because I have it. I have had it going on 4 years now and let me say it is no fun.
I don't normally like bothering other people with my problems but I feel this is one problem you really need to be reminded of. I know I am everyday when I take my 10+ pills after I roll out of bed.
See I didn't notice the bite which was in the center of my back until it was the size of a basketball. By then it had really taken hold. I now have what they call Degenerative Bone Loss with Tissue Damage in all my joints. I am on medication to rebuild my bone loss but it doesn't happen overnight. I have short term memory loss so I am constantly writing myself notes. I have arthritis so bad that my Rheumatologist is sending me to a Orthopedic Doctor to see if I need hip replacement or if I should tuff it out until I am older because I am only 47.
Most of the time if I kneel down I have to grab something to get back up and my hands constantly swell and that is the highlights. So, please becareful when you are out and about. Check yourself often for any creepy crawlies. Most of the time you won't even feel them.
I know what you might be thinking that he seems so active and is always doing stuff well I am or at least I try to. Most of the time it is only because I am taking so many darn pills that I don't feel I've done to much until later on that night. When I went to see the Lyme Disease specialist back when all this started he suggested if I was going to continue to go out to use something with Prmethrin in it. So I went shopping and this is what I found that helps.
Sawyer Permethrin Insect Repellent Not only do these products repel insects, they actually kill ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, mites and more than 100 other kinds of insects. Sawyer Duranon repellents are for use on clothing, tents and other gear only. A single application will remain effective for up to six weeks, even if you wash the garment once a week.
I have already said more than I really planned to but I would hate to see somebody else go through this stuff so don't forget, take a minute and just look.
12 comments:
Great post Rick! I will be going bear hunting when the snow melts and there are plenty of ticks where I hunt. I bought the Sawyer brand after talking with a salesperson who lived in AK. She said it works well, I sure hope so. I dislike ticks more than any other pest, mostly because you can not feel them on you, just like you said until it is to late. I sure hope you get to feeling better. Sounds absolutely lousy to have Lyme disease.
Good timely post. I hear you. I got Lyme last year. Picked up the tick in bed from one of my cats. Bit me on the back of the knee. I didn't know it until after it fell off. Six weeks later my knee swelled up, turned bright red and within 24 hours I had a fever. I don't think I have ever been that sick before. I've got arthritus bad. Don't know if it's age or from the Lyme. I use the sawyers ever since you told me about it. It seems to work well but can't say for sure. I haven't found a tick on anything that was treated.
We can't be reminded enough about the dangers of these critters. Thanks for the post - good info.
A Great and Necessary Entry...thanks for sharing your personal symptoms. My son has been fighting Lymes too. He is dealing with the joints causing difficulty getting up and down, out of bed, etc. He aches constantly and most recently has had trouble with his jaw being painful, especially when his resistance is down with a cold or flu. He's 6'6", 27 yrs old with 3 little boys depending on him. Half the time this single Dad can hardly move let alone change diapers and fly kites, it's been tough...so continue to post information to warn others of the dangers of these lil varments.
What is this Sawyer brand that Terry and Cal are talking about? Please stop by my site and drop me a line about it..Thanks and BlessYourHeart this Easter
Terry, it is a day to day struggle sometimes but I am trying to not get me down. Good luck on your bear hunt and i hope to see pictures.
Allen, they are nasty little creatures and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that your arthritis is from the lyme. Take care.
wanderingowloutside, thank yo for stopping by.
Dar, tell him he is not alone I know exactly how he feels. I will be stopping by.
Rick,
We have a fair amount of trouble with Lyme in Ontario as well. It's complicated by the fact that for some strange reason the test being used here gives a LOT of false negatives. I'm pretty sure Alissa had it but we got it dealt with quickly. Had to raise quite the stink at the doctors office though. If I hadn't seen pictures of the weird round rash in a magazine I would have never made anything of it until to late. I hope you get feeling better. It's a crappy thing to have to deal with.
Ward, thanks a lot. It is a crappy thing but, I am not going to let it ruin my outdoors. It just might slow me down a bit.
Even after spraying down this weekend I ended up with two tics on me. Nothing to mess with Lyme disease or the many other ones that tics carry.
I check all the time, and fortunately I've never found a tick on me. This is still an excellent reminder for everyone, though, especially for those living in your area, Rick.
Moose and Arthur, it never hurts to be prepared.
Thanks for the reminder, Rick. We don't have tons of deer ticks here in northern Vermont yet, but they are moving in, posing risks for humans and four-footed friends alike.
Once a year, I go down to Cape Cod for a weekend of fishing with my uncle. The place is absolutely crawling with the critters.
Tovar, thank you for stopping by. If you have read previous posts you probably know why the deer tick is very unliked to me.
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