It's Tick season...

[punkypossum]

I ended up with lyme disease (fortunately the early stages only) last year, after picking up a tick that was in for overall less than an hour or so - rather paranoid about the little buggers by now!

 

[badkitty]

I ended up with lyme disease (fortunately the early stages only) last year, after picking up a tick that was in for overall less than an hour or so - rather paranoid about the little buggers by now!

Oh My God

Thats awful Punky! And there I was consoling myself with the thought that at least the wretched thing was "only" in my daughter for about 6 hours.
The medical advice is that the longer they are in, the more chance of Lyme disease transmission..ie 24-36 hours etc.(Btw, that's what happens if you leave them in, Dudi..you run the risk of letting them infect you.)

You were really unlucky. Hope you're all better now?

 

[punkypossum]

Yeah, I only got to the bullseye rash stage - which came up 3 weeks after the bite (apparently that's quite typical). Had a rather useless GP tho, who said we don't have lyme disease in this country and I had to make him do a google search. He finally believed me when he saw the warnings on the NHS site! 2 weeks of antibiotics sorted it out...

 

[badkitty]

Yeah, I only got to the bullseye rash stage - which came up 3 weeks after the bite (apparently that's quite typical). Had a rather useless GP tho, who said we don't have lyme disease in this country and I had to make him do a google search. He finally believed me when he saw the warnings on the NHS site! 2 weeks of antibiotics sorted it out...

What can I say?

Words fail me. But well done for making him listen to you. Am glad you're ok.I will be watching for the bullseye like a hawk, so the first sign and I'll be at my thankfully, totally brilliant gp's door.

 

[Crackle]

Punky was unlucky though. I've had quite a few with no ill-effects, as have the kids. Use to have to go through the dog every day, especially if he'd been in wet long grass. Caught one making a dash for his ear once.

 

[slowfen]

I' ve also had Lyme's disease, picked up in Sweden. If you sped any time in aresa where it is known it is worth learning to spot the initial rash. Then it only takes a month or so of antibiotics, if missed it can then become seriously debilitating or life threatening. I have had a neice in ITU with it.

Lyme disease is known in the New Firest, Thetford Forest, Rockingham Forest and the Highlands of Scotland, basically think deer areas.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lymedisease.htm

 

[punkypossum]

Problem is, apparently not everybody gets the rash, or if it is on your head or something, it's easy to miss if it's covered by hair...

And yes, I was pretty unlucky, but it's worth being careful!

 

[punkypossum]

What can I say?

Words fail me. But well done for making him listen to you. Am glad you're ok.I will be watching for the bullseye like a hawk, so the first sign and I'll be at my thankfully, totally brilliant gp's door.

I haven't even told you the bit about him not knowing which antibiotic to use and at which dose! He sent me home to google it and then wrote me a prescription!

 

[badkitty]

I haven't even told you the bit about him not knowing which antibiotic to use and at which dose! He sent me home to google it and then wrote me a prescription!

*Splutters with exasperation*

Yeah, please don't tell me that. It would make me a. very cross and b. very scared.

Wtf?!

 

[Bodhbh]

They are gross things. Got my legs covered in them walking near Cape Wrath last year. I had long trousers on and long walking socks, but they weren't tucked in, so they still managed to get in and crawl up the legs.

Have some touring planned in a couple of weeks in Eastern Europe with some wild-camping and off-roading hopefully, totally forgot they transmit encephalitis there too and no time to get a jab now. Oh well will just have to be careful.

If you leave them on they swell up about the size of a small pea, more grossness. Still more grossness if you pop them.