I’m pretty sure I haven’t mentioned it here, but I found a tick on me a few weeks ago. Talk about undesirable.
It was pretty surprising to find a tick in November, but we’ve had some pretty unseasonably warm weather up here in the Northeast of the US. We live in a heavily wooded area, so ticks are pretty common. I was pretty skeeved out, but not too concerned otherwise. I thought it was a small-sized dog tick, and not a deer tick. (Deer ticks can carry Lyme Disease, but dog ticks don’t.) I also thought the tick had only been on me for a few hours anyhow, and apparently ticks need to be attached for at least 36 hours before they can transmit Lyme Disease. However, about a week and a half after removing the tick, and well after the initial trauma from the tick removal had healed, I started to get a rash at the site of the bite. So either the tick had been on me longer than I’d realized, or our clumsy removal of it had caused the tick to transfer the bacteria faster.
My doctor prescribed a 2-week course of antibiotics for me. I just took the preantipenultimate pill. I’m happy that I’ve only got another day left to go, because the antibiotics have done a number on me, and I have been feeling pretty wiped out and was actually pretty sick for a few days. On the other hand, I’ll gladly take 2 weeks of feeling awful over the longer-term feeling awfulness associated with full-blown Lyme Disease. The rash cleared up right away, so it seems that the antibiotic is working.
But you know what? It really sucks taking care of 2 small children when you are feeling awful. I have found myself being (even) crankier than usual. It’s hard to be patient and cheerful when you just want to curl up in a ball on the floor. I don’t know how I would have coped if I hadn’t been able to take the kids to daycare some of the days, or if John hadn’t been around. (How do stay at home parents manage when they are sick? Or single parents?)
It was such a relief when I felt better, but then Theo has been sick the last few days. I’m not sure whether he’s got the intestinal bug that a couple of other kids at daycare had, or whether he’s also reacting to the antibiotics getting passed on to him through me. (He’s still nursing.) In any case, he has been sleeping worse than usual. And now it seems he’s getting a cold. Phoebe has seemed a bit under the weather, too. Or perhaps she’s just been more needy in reaction to my crankiness.
Life has generally been more than ordinarily crazy the last couple months. John has been working pretty much around the clock, 7 days a week. I’ve had work deadlines, too. And did you know that there’s some sort of major holiday coming up soon for which we’ll be expected to do things like decorate and purchase (and even mail) presents? We as yet have no tree, and I haven’t even started Christmas shopping.
(If it’s any indication of the craziness of our household, I took the above photo on Saturday for the PhotoHunt theme of “undesirable,” and started drafting the post. And I still have yet to get it finished. I decided not to actually submit this as a Photohunt entry, anyhow, because I doubt most people participating in that really need this much detail about my life. But I figured I might as well still use the title.)
collecting tokens 
So smart of you to go to the doctor for the tick incident.
Kitty-
Well, I can’t take too much credit for smarts. It so happens that my doctor is also my kids’ pediatrician, so I just flashed her my rash at Theo’s check-up. Otherwise, I probably would have put things off…
Big hugs to you! You must be feeling pretty ticked off. Perhaps a tickle would cheer you up.
Sorry. I’ll stop now.
Thanks, fairstar. And thanks for tossing in those puns! I’m glad that when I’m not up to it the punning, I can count on others to fill in.
Glad you caught it early!
I hope everyone around there is feeling better soon so you can enjoy the holidays!
Thanks, Kyla! We’re almost all feeling better now. And we fully intend to enjoy the holidays!
Ugh. We have the tick problem too, plus giardia and West Nile. Makes getting dressed to go out into an altoghether different problem.
I hope you and the kids all perk up very soon.
And what a wonderful excuse to have a simple, simple Christmas.
Mary-
I think there has been West Nile in our area, but I haven’t heard of giardia yet.
“Makes getting dressed to go out…”
What’s sad is that I either got the tick at our town playground, or right in our front yard! In freakin’ November!
“And what a wonderful excuse to have a simple, simple Christmas.”
Thanks for this. I’ve been thinking about this comment, and it’s helping me not to stress over the holiday.
Get well soon, Alejna! This sounds pretty awful, but I’m glad you got treated right away.
Thanks, Sally! I’m glad the treatment was early, too. It sounds like I was lucky to notice the rash, as it pops up early in the disease, and treatment is most effective early.
My daughter had Lyme this summer. We were told the tick only needs to be on for 24 hrs to transmit. I HATE ticks. Hate, hate, hate. Undesirable is right. Anyway, I’m glad you caught it and got it treated early. That’s key. Feel better!
I remember that, Kimberly. I actually thought of your post about that along the way, and how you saved the tick for testing. We didn’t save “my” tick, as I didn’t realize it was a deer tick.
I hope your daughter has fully recovered!
I found a tick on me this year, but it turned out okay. I mean, I’m not dead anyway. My little girl has had a tick on her, too, but it was teeny and nothing cmae of it.
antropologa-
I’m glad that you guys seem to have come out unscathed from the tick bites. Keep them in mind, though, if you develop any unexplained fatigue, aches or other malaise down the line. It sounds like many people miss the early stages of the disease, and end up sick later. And the chronic versions of the disease sound downright horrid.
Ticks? Eww.
Eww, indeed, Den. Eww.
Glad you’re feeling better. *hugs*
Thanks, az!
The suckiness of being sick as a parent of small children is one of the best kept secrets of parenthood, I think.
Anyway, I’m glad you’re still ticking.
(*ducks out*)
Seriously, rima! You don’t appreciate what a luxury it is to just plop on the couch or in bed when your sick until you have to wait on demanding little people who still need to eat and drink and be clothed and have other bodily functions. Some of whom also ask you questions over and over again.
“Anyway, I’m glad you’re still ticking.”
I’m always glad to have another pun thrown my way!
The babies don’t care that you don’t have the tree up yet. Just leave it up until St. Valentine’s Day and they’ll be happy. :o)
Here’s to hoping you’ve successfully avoided bug bugs. :: clink ::
Well, the tree is finally up, CityGirl. And if things go at our usual pace, it will be up at least through February!
(I like “bug bugs,” too. It seems I missed quite a few opportunities for clever punny post titles! Apparently my ability to pun was impaired by my illness.)