My parents have a lot of ticks in their backyard wooded area. We spray sportsman strength repellant (that's 30% DEET Y'all!)but still end up with a tick or two. They have 2 main ticks that I have seen, the Lone Star tick and deer tick. Lone star ticks don’t carry Lyme (although they do carry some other fun diseases) but deer ticks do. On July 18 I was changing Jamison’s diaper when I noticed a very distinct and clear bulls-eye shaped rash surrounding an area he had been bitten by a deer tick the month before. I put the kids in the car, went to the doc-in-a-box where he was diagnosed with having the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which leads to Lyme. He has been on a 21 day cycle of antibiotics.
The day before we left for Mexico, my dad was feeling pretty rotten. Dizzy, flu-like complete with fever and chills. He had been feeling like this for a day or two first thinking maybe it was heat induced following all of the work Kris and he did on Saturday. Sunday he spent a lot of the day bundled in a sweatshirt and long pants under covers up to his ears (it was 76 degrees in the house!). I was actually excited that I might get a chance to wait on him by bringing him toast and Diet Pepsi (ugh, I know, I'm actually related to people who drink Pepsi). Monday morning as Kris and I were leaving for the airport he decided that he had better go in because he had a feeling it could be tick related. He went to the doctor where he was also diagnosed with Lyme and is also on a cycle of antibiotics. What is it with our family and bedbugs, bird mites and ticks? (Click on the bugs to read the corresponding post).
Always In The Middle
13 years ago
2 comments:
OH MY GOSH!!
You guys are like micro-insect magnets!!! Can't you be attacked by a more 'manly' insect!!!
How about blister beetles or yellow jackets? Just a suggestion! JK
OK! If you are going to stay on the roll you are on, just don't get lice as your next mini-bug!!!!
OK!!!!
I hope your Dad is feeling better and Jamison too! Did you actually remove the tick that was in his diaper area?
... and for Pete's sake, go get some 99% Deet!!!
Good luck in Mexico!!! Let us know when we can visit!!! We will wait and see what starts biting you first and then come!!! lol
Fox- yea I removed it. That's how I knew it was a deer tick and exactly what day it was that he got bit in that area. That was very helpful when the Dr was filling out the CDC report form. When I do remove them I keep note of where I removed them from the boys just so I can keep an eye on them. I was surprised because the tick had only been on him no longer than 2 hours (the time we had been outside) and everything I read says the ticks usually need to feed 24 hours before lyme is transmitted...the key word being 'usually' but not always!!!!
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