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Rant

Twice in three years now

May 12, 2015 5:42AM PDT

after 26 years that the local ticks have done me in.

First time was the infamous deer tick and Lyme Disease that was treated with antibiotic shot after the third day of the bite after it started to act like a flesh-eating bacteria. "cured"......

Now after finding a common 'dog tick' in my scalp line last Thursday (no telling how long it was there before I found it at the nape of my neck), I'm now being treated for the next 21 days with Prednisone and Vibramycin for the human form of Erlichia that normally is found in dogs. Stiff neck, headache, nausea, fatigue, and light headedness.

After two doses now of the Prednisone I can move my neck again and the headache and most of the joint pain is gone....it'll take a few days for my stomach to hopefully go back to normal again. Not sure about the fatigue. Figures this would all come on the second day of pretty decent weather where I was able to actually get some work done around the yard....and now am too sore and weak to do anything but act like it's winter again and watch tv or crochet or read while I play the 'waiting' game.

Crap........

Discussion is locked

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Sorry to read this...
May 12, 2015 5:47AM PDT

twice in three years is a bit of a bummer. Hope you get well soon.
Dafydd.

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Yeah, bad news
May 12, 2015 5:57AM PDT

That's bad Toni, and I'm sorry to read it.

I hope you recover fully soon.

Mark

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They're usually only found
May 12, 2015 6:15AM PDT

hanging around on the tops of tall grass and weeds waiting for something stupid to come along that brushes up against them so they can then 'hitch' a ride and a free meal.

My grass had all been mowed already, but the veggie garden area is being torn down since I don't plan to do that type of gardening anymore (can't deal with the tiller anymore and the root cellar is well stocked for years to come). I had outlined the whole thing with hosta plants to attract bees, so I was digging them all out and putting them into a trailer to move elsewhere. Everything inside the garden itself (now without the mesh and chickenwire fencing) is all tall weeds and grass that will be mowed over once the hostas are no longer in the way.........so sitting on the ground getting the plants out made me a prime target for the ticks that were probably in the garden area that I had to keep walking into in order to use the garden fork to loosen the plants.

My fault for not considering the target I had made of myself and for not checking thoroughly, as would be usual for me if I was out in the field, once I came back to the house. Didn't find it until many hours later as I was in bed for the night......

Thanks for the well wishes....I'm sure I'll get over this again....I just so ready to play in the dirt again after such a horribly long winter.

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Ahh! I have read about these!
May 12, 2015 7:58PM PDT
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Holy cow.....
May 12, 2015 8:36PM PDT

I printed the whole article.........thank you for finding such a real in-depth report.

Yep....scary stuff when I thought for years I only had to worry about the tiny 'deer' tick the size of a poppy seed.

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My dog has fleas
May 12, 2015 7:58AM PDT

took him to vet last week for rabies shot. Tested positive for Lyme and Erhlicia. He's on a month of doxycyline now. I'm thinking about getting the test myself now. Need to poison the backyard, been a few years.

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Derek's dogs
May 12, 2015 8:23PM PDT

both labs....one was given away to a single couple that takes him on private plane rides like a prince now when they moved from Manassas to Norfolk because he was getting too aggressive with the kids. They kept gentle Cody but he stayed here for 8 mos while the paperwork finished up on a house they bought and had to live in a motel for a couple of months. Colby, the price now, was found to have Erhlicia.....and Cody was found to have Lyme Disease when I took him in to be fixed at my local vet. Both have had it long term and not sure if it was from San Diego when they were pups or if they got hit in Manassas on their property which was heavily wooded in the back. Cody has real joint issues now that he gets occasional pain meds for....especially when he comes here with them and runs with my dog. He comes back limping and walking real slow to make it back....and just lays around for another day or two recovering. His mind still wants to run but his legs/hips can't bounce back fast anymore.....once he feels he's recovered well enough, he'll bolt out the door with my dog and be off again like he's willing to take the crap just to have fun again. It almost breaks your heart when you see him coming back. We've gotten to where we try to only let one dog at a time out the door here just so he stays on his own in the yard or follows the kids around at a slower pace. They have a small fenced in yard in Norfolk and another year old lab mix now so he gets to 'play' there again without so much damage being done and still get enough exercise that he doesn't turn into a 'lump'. He's almost 9 now which is close to the lifespan of a lab and he's so good with the kids letting them crawl all over him like a toy or pillow that they want to keep him around as long as possible. Nobody knows yet if any heart damage was done in addition to the joint issues from that Lyme Disease...no testing has been done so far that I know of....and that's the 'last' symptom to hit for long term which makes it a really dangerous illness. That doesn't show up for years.

Definitely get checked....simple blood test and if caught early enough can be cured.....but a new bite from the wrong tick will bring it back unfortunately and treatment starts all over again.

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aching joints on dog
May 13, 2015 5:42AM PDT

Yes, that's the problem with our 7-8 year old dog and not the age for that yet. Since the anti-biotics he's been doing better, on for a week now.

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I feel ya...
May 12, 2015 10:47AM PDT

I know I mentioned all the ticks around here. I've already found them on my person but only crawling. If it makes you feel better, last week I found one on the pouch, that was "full" of blood and must have fell from one of the cats. I killed right away. I check myself and the cats too but only now and then. I always wear long clothes but doesn't keep them off of me. I come pretty close and so far have been lucky at least at far as I know.

I hope you get better and all that. Don't have any lasting effects and get well again. I read on the web, that one of the "twins" girls from old Full House tv has got the tick bacterium too. I guess you're in good company. Reminds me to buy more "military surplus deet". Get well.... -----Willy Happy

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On the pouch?
May 12, 2015 10:58AM PDT

Does this mean you could've been tritesticular?
Dafydd.

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That's "porch"
May 12, 2015 7:34PM PDT

But yes, I have found them on the couch as well. The whole idea either they were on me or on the cat(s) too. Either way, I have to be on guard. Gawd, I've been lucky. One thing for sure, I don't use shorts in the brush. -----Willy Happy Shocked, pesky varmits

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(NT) You meant "couch", didn't you?
May 12, 2015 6:29PM PDT
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I'm sorry to hear about this
May 12, 2015 10:06PM PDT

My uncle got bitten by a tick and got lyme disease. Prayers to you.