Ticked Off

Arturus · 04-02-2007, 11:08 AM

So yesterday found two other FJs, a Honda PIlot and myself taking a scenic drive through the Rincon Shortcut here in SoCal - beautiful day, great scenery, profane amounts of pinstriping - got home and chalked it up as another good day...that is until....

I got home and felt something painful just behind my ribs...felt like an ingrown hair or something but it hurt. I asked my girlfriend to take a look and as I slowly lifted up my shirt I saw her eyes pop out of her skull...

"Honey, don't move...don't freak out okay."

Now those words do nothing but cause a person to freak out - not recommended in such a circumstance. "What?!?"

"You have a tick." OKay, that is a sentence I never thought I would hear.

She yanked the bastard out and killed him and left for work...I read up on ticks and things don't look good. First, it shouldn't hurt. There shouldn't be a major mark like a red bulls eye...growing darker and more pronounced by the hour...and some serious stomach problems...like all night and morning long...aaagh! Anybody have a similar experience? Isn't it too early to have symptoms of lyme disease?

Waiting on a call back from the doc - maybe it'll give me superpowers or something once the runs stop.

**SoonerFJ** · 04-02-2007, 11:15 AM

Go see your Doc right away. Tick-born diseases are no laughing matter. You can get started on antibiotics today while they are waiting on the lab tests to come back.

sandabbe · 04-02-2007, 11:17 AM

were you running around without your shirt?? or laying on the ground? they usually end up on your legs, wrig has found them on his legs when he mountain biked, but before they latched in. What did you find out?? Hope the stomach stuff was from something you ate, not the tick. Keep us posted, and hope you feel better soon!

also check your pets, we had a severe infestation a few years back in out own yard! our dogs got them bad, so now we never let them go with out frontline or advantage, we never even had a flea problem in the summer before, then to have ticks, uugghhh! Vet said it happens every so often, you don't have to be in the wild (so to speak) to get them. so you may have had it for a little while with out knowing, for it to be so bad.

**BigDouggieDoug** · 04-02-2007, 11:18 AM

Arturus · 04-02-2007, 11:25 AM

I was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a t-shirt under it as well...I didn't wrestle with any woodland creatures or anything - the only thing I can think of is if it got on me as I walked beneath some low branches to take some pics by a creek...supposed to see the doc around noon.

VoodooRocky · 04-02-2007, 11:27 AM

Can I have your FJ if you die? I'll take real god care of it!!

Arturus · 04-02-2007, 11:31 AM

Quote:

VoodooRocky previously said:

Can I have your FJ if you die? I'll take real god care of it!!

Thanks for the support - I knew I could count on you guys to step up and help! Only problem is I already promised to give my FJ to my vet in case of death by tick.

sandabbe · 04-02-2007, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Arturus previously said:

I was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a t-shirt under it as well...I didn't wrestle with any woodland creatures or anything - the only thing I can think of is if it got on me as I walked beneath some low branches to take some pics by a creek...supposed to see the doc around noon.

i added to my post above, please check it, and check your pets.

benmonnin · 04-02-2007, 11:32 AM

Did she get the head out, or did that get left in? That could be a problem. Some of the symptoms you describe are somewhat consistent with Rocky Mountain Fever that you can get from ticks. But, only about 800 cases a year are reported, so it's pretty rare. Also, symptoms don't usually begin until at least 3 days after the bite. Next would be Lyme disease, also transmitted by ticks. You're doing the right thing by getting with a doctor if you're worried. I grew up in Ohio and if I had a nickel for everytime I pulled a tick off of me....well, you know what I'm saying. I'm sure you'll be fine, but keep us updated.

Arturus · 04-02-2007, 11:40 AM

Thanks for the info benmonnin - it puts me a little more at ease. The weird thing was to have symptoms so soon - I mean the tick wasn't even engorged yet so he hadn't been on me long. I'm pretty sure she got the head out too...I read that if any "mouth parts" get left behind, they'll get excreted by themselves.

And sandabbe - yes, I'm gonna check my cats and dog as soon as I can tear myself away from the computer/bathroom waltz I'm currently engaged in.

I can deal with nails driven through my palm, broken bones, surgery while awake and with little anesthesia - but blood sucking bugs really disturb me - them and maggots - some weird engrained phobia of mine.