Lyme Lyme Go Away

Lyme disease struck our household this week.  And, since it's all I can focus on, you all will suffer with me!

These little suckers suck!  Literally and figuratively.  Over a month ago, we found one of these horrible things on my 2 year old and, after removing it, he was left with quite the disgusting looking spot and I was so concerned, I called the pediatrician who said to be on the lookout for a classic bull's eye mark anywhere on the body.  This risk period was up to a month.  Thankfully, he never developed such a spot.

This, however is what I found on my 5 year old this week.  We had found 2 tiny ticks several weeks ago that were NOT embedded and NOT engorged.  They came off easily and I dutifully saved them in a plastic baggie with his name and date.  I wasn't so worried about him, the spots healed quickly.  But, Monday night at tub time, I was horrified to find this bull's eye!  I called the pediatrician and they wanted him in immediately.  That freaked me out!  So, at the doctor's office at 9 pm, she diagnoses Lyme Disease and we begin a 2 week course of antibiotics.  I work in a rehab hospital and have seen the horrendous side effects of Lyme Disease, if left untreated.  The only upside for my son is that, he has no symptoms, just the bull's eye.

After many questions to the doc and doing research online, I am only slightly more calm.  Things I've learned:

• Lyme disease is caused by the bacteriumBorrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. 
• Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. 
• If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.
•  Approximately 10 to 20% of patients treated for Lyme disease with a recommended 2–4 week course of antibiotics will have lingering symptoms of fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches
• In some cases, these can last for more than 6 months. Although often called "chronic Lyme disease," this condition is properly known as "Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome" (PTLDS).

Lovely, eh?  The pediatrician swears that, since it was caught in the very early stages, he should be fine.  Thanks to my job though, I will always worry about the truth of that.  After 4 days of antibiotics, the rash has faded considerably and he still feels fine, but I grill him every day.  

I did find that the best method for removing a tick is to soak a cotton ball in dish/hand soap and place it over the tick.  It will essentially asphyxiate the tick and cause it to release his chompers from your skin.  The real risk for Lyme disease is due to the tick regurgitating its saliva back into you.  Doesn't that sound nice?  So, don't just try to pull off the tick, you will almost always leave its head attached to your body!  Once removed, put it in a baggie with the date, name of the person it came from, and where on the body you found it.  I'm a health care nerd, so I always take a picture of the site just in case.  If you're really nerdy, take a sharpie and mark the edges of the site so you know if the rash grows.  (I did do this after we saw the doctor just so I could monitor its changes.)

Ok, enough lecture.  I just want people to be informed about this disease.  The effects are not pleasant, so if you are outside, PLEASE use a bug spray with Deet.  It is the effective method.  Check your family members from head to toe each night after you've been outside.  Have someone check you.  There's lots of places you can't see on your own body!

Off to think of a happier topic for next week!