Lyme and ticks
Update: thanks to everyone who responded to this entry (many). It’s clear that a lot of people have had lives or the lives of loved ones damaged by Lyme, and my heart goes out to them—we get only one chance at it after all—without your health you have nothing.
I am fortunate to have noted the ticks and bites early, and so far I am not sick, but I am taking the antibiotic Doxycycline prophylactically for 2 weeks, though I wonder if it should be 3 or 4 weeks.
The rampant physician obstinance and ignorance along with insurance company denials is a common thread that makes my blood boil, but don’t worry: with nationalized health care looming on the horizon here in the US, you’ll be able to see an incompetent doctor within a year or two of infection!
....
The world is scary enough with all the nut-cases out there, but tick bites are a worry we all face when enjoying the outdoors.
While traveling recently, I was bitten by two ticks from Utah and/or Colorado, one of which I retained and is being tested for various diseases. But I was also bitten by an unknown creepy crawly, which left a 1mm bloody spot, which scabbed then turned into a spreading rash, now 18mm in diameter two weeks post-bite.
Lyme disease? Who’s to say for sure— tests are notoriously problematic, but fortunately I have a receptive physician who is going to put me on antibiotics. This is one case where the downside is so compellingly nasty that preventive treatment is a no-brainer.
The truly scary part is the widespread ignorance and dogmatic stupidity in the medical profession, insurer denials, and the misdiagnosed symptoms. Too many people have had their lives ruined by Lyme, and I certainly don’t intend to become one of them.
This rash looks trivial enough, except that it has slowly spread over two weeks. A Lyme disease rash doesn’t always appear even when Lyme is present, but in my case it’s clear that something is “up”; a trivial bite might simply heal and go way; this rash us growing. If it’s Lyme, then it’s a precursor to a systemic and debilitating disease, so I’ll be aggressively treating it.
Spreading rash from unknown nasty (probable Lyme/tick), 15 days post-bite
