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Those blasted Ticks!

mustski

Angel Diva
You know, this almost sounds as though it might be a nasty-plant contact, not necessarily an insect. Poison-something? If this was a tick, it would BE THERE. They cannot infect you if they are not imbedded in your skin (at least that's my knowledge; I might be wrong). Won't hurt to briefly postpone, try what you have available to see if rash and symptoms subside. Nothing cataclysmic will happen in 5 days' time. This could be quite minor. Take a deep breath!
Ticks do drop off. That's why the bites often go unnoticed. They crawl without you feeling them, bite without causing pain, embed until engorged, and then drop off. If they didn't drop off, Lyme wouldn't go undiagnosed. Don't depend on seeing a tick! Nobody likes taking antibiotics for 2 weeks but, frankly, compared to Lyme disease - that's a walk in the park on a sunny day with a nice ocean breeze!
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Agree - once imbedded, they are seriously tough to remove. Mine was on back of my neck, probably for 2-3 days. Felt like a scratched mosquito bite scab. Wasn’t. I usually wear a soft-brimmed hat with netting down to bottom of neck (for black flies) - guess this tick got past it...I have long fingernails, pulled it off with my nails (probably not a good idea but I frankly didn’t have a clue what it was at that point, sure found out).

Bottom line to all in New England: beware. If you can’t stay fully covered, at least use DEET. Yes, it’s toxic. (Ben’s is best - 100%) But, for me, anyway, beats the alternative...

Indeed. As I said above -- winter is better.

I think it depends on your sensitivity and the concentration of DEET. For some people, that can cause neurological damage, seizures, blistering and scarring of the skin, etc. For others, no big deal, but if it bothers you, I wouldn't mess with it!
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
Indeed - important to know one’s tolerance. However, the stats around here on insect-borne illnesses have gotten SO off the charts lately that it really is critical for people to take some level of preventative measure.

As mentioned earlier, last summer there was a doxycycline shortage in this region (might have been national, not sure) - standard treatment for deer tick/Lyme.
 

2ski2moro

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've been bitten by a tick, gotten the bullseye rash, and taken the Doxycycline. Lyme disease is nothing to mess around with. All my dogs have been Lyme positive on their tests. DH had a weird hard lump the size of a pea on his abdomen. No bullseye rash, but it was from a tick bite. He took antibiotics to be sure he didn't have Lyme.

The Lyme disease test is sketchy at best. I had one done to rule out Lyme as causing some bi-lateral foot tendon problems. If you test positive on the first test (ELISA), they give you another test (Western Blot). I tested positive on the first test, but the second test came back inconclusive. My doctor is really conservative and gave me a round of antibiotics. For the last almost 3 years, I have had no other problems with Lyme.

If I may share a funny story without hijacking the thread too much…

A while back, I had been out in the forest all day my head started to itch. It felt like something was moving a couple of pieces of hair right on the top. It would stop for a minute and then start up again. I scratched. I rubbed. I felt something like a tiny pimple, but a pimple doesn't move. Something was moving in my hair. Ewwwwww. Spider? Tick? I made DH look at it. He couldn't see anything.

I tried combing my hair. I rinsed my hair in the sink. It still felt as if something was moving around.

I checked online, and there was a home-remedy that said to put vinegar on a tick to kill it. So I put vinegar on my head. I smelled like a salad, but I was still itching and it was still moving.

I had tried on a hat in the ski shop that day. My imagination started running - maybe it was lice. Ewwww. There is a special Lice shampoo in drugstores. I googled the ingredients and they were the same as in my dogs's flea and tick shampoo. Yes, I jumped in the shower and washed my hair with DOG SHAMPOO! The directions said to leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes. When I rinsed, I saw a tick fall out on the floor of the shower. It was small and flat -not swollen - so I think I got it in time.

My hair was nice and shiny. The only problem was that I had a craving for bacon and an urge to chase balls.

Hijack over.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
Oh my, 2 ski. Keep getting tested. Scary.

No hijack whatever - in fact, a smile in a somewhat somber thread, for those of us beginning the misery of enduring a Northeastern/New England summer. Lived a “few years” before moving out here and never had these concerns or problems. Used to garden, water ski, enjoy the outdoors. That was then, this is now....

Is it winter yet?

Also re-emerging: the carpenter ants. More invasions. Don't even want to disclose how many gallons of spectracide we go through here in an average summer, just to keep our house from being eaten and falling down....

Winter is better.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
Oh my, 2 ski. Keep getting tested. Scary.

No hijack whatever - in fact, a smile in a somewhat somber thread, for those of us beginning the misery of enduring a Northeastern/New England summer. Lived a “few years” before moving out here and never had these concerns or problems. Used to garden, water ski, enjoy the outdoors. That was then, this is now....

Is it winter yet?

Also re-emerging: the carpenter ants. More invasions. Don't even want to disclose how many gallons of spectracide we go through here in an average summer, just to keep our house from being eaten and falling down....

Winter is better.
Yes, even as a SoCal girl, I must agree. Winter is better!
 

mustski

Angel Diva
Sorry mustski. There's no such thing as "winter" in SoCal.

You may have a season that's not-quite-so-hot as the "other" time of year. Winter it is NOT! :wink:
I get that. I meant that I love WINTER! We don't have it at the beach but Big Bear is still in SoCal and we get winter there. It's not as harsh as back east, but at least some of the time, we get snow and wintery weather. I spend every weekend in the mountains. Keep in mind that I did grow up in Montreal. I know what winter is.
 

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