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Post by Coolkat on Jul 5, 2022 8:14:27 GMT -8
Well, I guess it was bound to happen at some point but I just did 5 days in the hospital because of lyme's disease. Or so they think. The first test came back negative but they treated me as if I had lyme's and have responded well. Waiting to see how the 2nd test turns out. I suppose everyone responds differently but it was a bumpy ride for me. The dr's are fairly confident that it was caught in time. Still not feeling 100% but so so much better.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 5, 2022 8:32:12 GMT -8
It’s good that the disease has a much higher profile than in years past, much like Giardia. Previously before then mis and late diagnoses had unfortunate results.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 5, 2022 9:55:28 GMT -8
Well, I guess it was bound to happen at some point but I just did 5 days in the hospital because of lyme's disease. Or so they think. If you are comfortable sharing I have a couple of questions. First where did you pick up the tick? I have had Lyme disease 4 times now. No bullseye just very high fever. 3 of the four times I found the tick and they clearly had been feeding on me. Again if you don't mind what ended you up in the hospital?
P.S. I am more afraid of ticks than bears.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 5, 2022 20:00:39 GMT -8
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Post by Coolkat on Jul 6, 2022 3:43:46 GMT -8
If you are comfortable sharing I have a couple of questions. I picked up the tick in upper-lower Michigan, if that makes sense. The tick was on me at the most 5 hours when my wife picked it off. No bullseye for me either. I only had a low grade fever but I had extreme headaches that wouldn't allow me to sleep, extreme chills, and then feel like I'm burning up and very very sore and swollen lymph nodes. For about 5 days I had cycles of feeling that I was getting over it to feeling like I'm on my death bed. Went to dr who ordered a bunch of tests but didn't really find anything but I was still feeling like I had been run over by a truck so about a week later I went to the emergency room and after a few tests admitted me because my inflammation markers were sky high and growing and they didn't know why. Finally the infectious disease team got involved and decided to treat me for lyme's even though the test was negative. The fact that I had such severe symptoms in the beginning I believe was my saving grace to catch it in time. I still have backpack trips planned but I tell you it honestly had me re-thinking them.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 6, 2022 4:12:31 GMT -8
The tick was on me at the most 5 hours when my wife picked it off. No bullseye for me either. This goes against what I have read about this. I have read that the tick has to be attached to you for about 24 hours before it gets deep enough into you to start a reverse flow that introduces the bacteria. The exception, and I hope I don't get your wife in trouble, is if you squeeze an attached tick as you are removing it. That pumps bacteria into the bite site. Again hopefully not too personal but where on your body was the tick? Also were there other ticks on you that you removed? My experience has generally been when ticks get on me it is more than one. This could explain why you still got sick when you got that tick off within five hours. I carry a special remover now for getting them off but have yet to use it. It is highly rated.
P.S. I hope you are better
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walkswithblackflies
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Jul 6, 2022 5:38:49 GMT -8
I have read that the tick has to be attached to you for about 24 hours before it gets deep enough into you to start a reverse flow that introduces the bacteria. Yes, the actual mechanism is that it takes at least 24 hours (current thinking is 36-48 hours) for the host blood to mix with the Lyme organism in the tick's hindgut, thereby enabling transfer. Other tick-borne diseases can transfer quicker because they stay present in the foregut. It then takes around 3-14 days (average 7) to show symptoms of Lyme disease. Great explanation here: www.ssequineclinic.com/veterinary-services/lyme-disease-diagnosis-treatment/Ernie - 4 times? Ugh. Coolkat - I hope you're feeling better.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 6, 2022 5:48:46 GMT -8
I have lived mostly in Westchester. It became more of a hotspot than Lyme. Unfortunately I was an early adopter. My first time was in the 80's. It wasn't widely known then but luckily my GP kept up with the literature and asked if I spent time in the woods. When I said yes he asked if if knew if I had been bitten by a tick. I had removed a very small tick that looked like a bead of blood from my thigh right along my underwear line. He treated me with two weeks of penicillin. My fever was so high the night before I had hallucinated. I needed a ride to the doctor. I couldn't drive. The later infections were just high fevers, no hallucinations.
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Post by Coolkat on Jul 6, 2022 8:37:22 GMT -8
This goes against what I have read about this. I agree with you but I'm just telling you what happened with me. I'm pretty sure I know where I go the tick and it was a 4 hour drive home from the location. So it could have only been on me 4 to 6 hours. I suppose it's possible that my wife pinched it as you suggested but I don't know that for sure but a small bit of skin came off with it. I wasn't worried at the time because it I knew it had only been on me a few hours and I've had many ticks on me before for much longer with no issues. My guess is that there are exceptions to the general thoughts on timing of transmission of disease. I would be curious to hear from trinity as to his experience if he doesn't mind sharing.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Jul 7, 2022 3:16:44 GMT -8
Speaking of ticks, someone posted this picture on 14ers.com a couple weeks ago. Gives me the willies! This is in Colorado, where ticks are not as thick in many places. The picture is of duct-tape, wrapped inside-out around the ankles. Does anyone else do this? Here is the original post, though you may need to be a member of the group to view it... www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10229135673599227&set=gm.10159020387542842
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Post by Coolkat on Jul 7, 2022 4:46:03 GMT -8
Speaking of ticks, someone posted this picture on I think that is the scariest photo I've ever seen. I'm about ready to start wearing dog flea/tick collars around my ankles or just below my knees. I guess I'm a little more paranoid now after my experience.
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Post by autumnmist on Jul 7, 2022 8:02:05 GMT -8
Lamebeaver, I've been wrapping edges of clothing since first reading about the tick danger here, but I just duct taped the edges with the sticky side inward. Now I'll change it to smooth side inward and sticky side outward, just to be on the safe side. I'm curious too; does anyone wrap the edge of their hair?
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Post by bobcat1 on Jul 7, 2022 22:37:35 GMT -8
I have started spraying my hiking/camping clothes, including boots and socks, my pack, and my tent exterior with permethrin, once a month during my hiking season. Last year, zero ticks on me that I know of. The first camping trip this spring, in West Virginia, before I had done the season’s first spray, I pulled three ticks off myself, only one was imbedded and starting to feed. Plus one more I found crawling on my tent floor. Fortunately I have developed no symptoms since the bite 8 weeks ago. For me, the permethrin really seems to help keep ticks off me and my gear.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 8, 2022 3:47:34 GMT -8
I do my boots and wool socks with Permithrin. My other clothes I wash too often. Unless it is below freezing I always DEET my legs when I get out of the car at the trailhead. More if there are mosquitoes. This has worked well. I haven't found a tick on me in years now. In anywhere near warm temps I wear shorts and tee shirts so DEET has to be part of the solution for me.
But now that there are cases of Powassan in the NE I am reconsidering paying for at least my camp clothes waist down to be treated by InsectShield. I should be able to wash them as much as I need without constant reapplication.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jul 8, 2022 4:10:20 GMT -8
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