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Post by Cindy on Jul 11, 2015 8:42:22 GMT -5
 It happened yet again! I was bit by another tick. I've lived here for 28 years, and in the first 22 years of life here, when I was out in the woods and just outside in general, quite a bit, I only got bit once. Just 1 time in all those years. But in the last 6 years, I've been bit 7 or 8 times now. So many that I've begun to lose count! And all these last years, I've rarely been outside and never in the woods!
Because of the rheumatoid disease and Sjögren's, when I get bit by a tick my whole body seems to go insane. The area where I'm bitten hurts like crazy for weeks, and in some cases, it's been months. I don't mean it hurts a little bit, but rather that it hurts a lot. I get rashes all over and itch, or sometimes just itch without any rash showing anywhere. The palms of my hands will itch, and the bottoms of my feet feel like they're constantly being stung with needles or that bees are stinging me constantly. I feel nauseous, and my whole body aches like I have the flu, or like I've been hit by a truck, and all this starts when I'm bitten and continues for anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months afterward.
And yes, I'm very aware that many of my symptoms are like Lyme disease. I've seen my doctor any number of times after I've been bitten, and I've been tested for it, and they say I don't have it. The problem is that all the symptoms of Lyme disease are the same as the symptoms for RA and Sjögren's. So what's actually happening to me when I get bit, is that my body goes into overdrive causing the RA and Sjögren's to flare. Depending on how long my body decides to attack me, will determine how long I react to the bite. I can tell you this though, it's not any fun. 
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2015 8:51:34 GMT -5
I am sorry to read that you were bitten by a tick and all the pain that causes you. I will be praying for you.
LOL I like your warning sign.
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Post by Cindy on Jul 11, 2015 10:57:37 GMT -5
I'm glad you like it  Thank you for the prayers, I appreciate them greatly!
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catt
Living With Pain
2Corinthians 4:17
Posts: 215 
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Post by catt on Jul 11, 2015 11:47:54 GMT -5
Oh, I am so sorry this happened to you.
I will pray.
Did you find the tick that did the biting?
It is like venom to you, snakes and scorpions.
In Luke, Jesus sent out His disciples and gave
them power over snakes and scorpions and all
power of the enemy. Then, when they came back
He said not to rejoice about that, but that their
name is written in the Book of Life. I am asking
Jesus to have that same power for healing in you.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2015 17:13:59 GMT -5
I will pray also Cindy...I've gotten ticks on me before, years ago, but they never bothered me like that...  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2015 1:24:06 GMT -5
Cindy, ticks have always seemed to love me. I even had one in my ear canal, when I was little and my mother had to take me to the doctor, to get that one. I also recently got a tick. I couldn't get to it, and needed Ed to help me. He said, "It's just a blackhead" I said "No it isn't. I don't get blackheads. lol He pulled a teeny tiny deer tick out of me! All these years, and that's the first time, I've gotten a deer tick!
And it didn't heal for a long time. Matter of fact, it hasn't healed yet, and oh YEAH it itches!! Cindy I sure hope the effects of the tick bite goes away for you soon. I put some PRID on mine to get the poison out. They say not to do that, but I didn't listen. It didn't really help much. lol
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Leigh
Living With Pain
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Post by Leigh on Jul 12, 2015 6:44:46 GMT -5
CIndy, I am so sorry and will pray for you to feel better soon. (I found a tick on me last year and ended up on antibiotics because of it. Even after that my neck glands stayed swollen for awhile.) I seem to have heard that a person can test negative for Lyme Disease but still have the disease, but haven't looked it up to confirm.  |
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james
Junior Member
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Post by james on Jul 12, 2015 6:46:11 GMT -5
Hi Cindy, Came across this article this morning and thought it might be helpful in your battle with ticks. Hate those little things, they always seem to jump on me when I least expect it. Hope it will help you and others with the problem. SYRACUSE, N.Y. --Health professionals in Central New York and across the state are encouraging all residents to take steps to reduce their risk of tick bites that may transmit Lyme disease. "Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium through the bite of an infected deer tick," said Onondaga County Health Commissioner Indu Gupta. "An infected tick must be attached to the skin for 36 hours to transmit the bacterium. Taking preventive measures to avoid tick bites and if indicated, timely antibiotic use after a tick bite can reduce the risk of getting Lyme disease." Since Lyme disease first became reportable in 1986, over 95,000 cases have now been confirmed in state, according to the state Department of Health. One woman's Lyme disease fight: 'I went from straight As to having difficulty reading' The Onondaga County Health Department recommends the following measures to prevent transmission of Lyme disease: In your yard Keep ticks away by mowing your lawn often and remove brush. Stack wood neatly and in dry areas. Keep playground toys, decks and patios away from wooded areas. Keep deer away by not feeding deer on your property, make a barrier to keep deer from going onto your yard, and get rid of plants that attract deer. When outdoors Wear light colored clothes, long pants, long sleeves and socks. Tuck in your shirt and tuck pant legs into your boots or socks. Check for ticks after being outdoors, even when you are in your own yard. Bathe or shower (preferably within 2 hours) after coming indoors. Wash and dry clothing at a high temperature to kill any ticks that may remain on your clothing. Use repellent when outdoors Follow the label directions. Do not spray repellent in enclosed areas. Put a small amount of repellent on your hands and apply it to your child. Do not let children touch repellents. Repellents containing DEET should not be used on children under 2 months old. Use insect repellent containing a 20 to 30 percent concentration of DEET on clothes and on bare skin. Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin. Do not use repellents containing permethrin directly on your skin. Do NOT spray repellent directly on your face, especially near the eyes or mouth. Apply a small amount of repellent near the ears. Do not use repellent on cuts, wounds, or on irritated skin. Wash your treated skin with soap and water after returning indoors. If you have a reaction to a repellent, wash the treated skin with soap and water right away and call your doctor. Check for ticks: Do a full body tick check on yourself, your children and your pets after being outdoors. Check your body for ticks especially your scalp, neck, armpits, groin and ankles. Look carefully when checking for ticks because they can be as small as a poppy seed. How to remove a tick: Take tweezers to the tick's head or mouth, where it enters the skin. Pull the tick firmly up, in a steady motion, away from the skin. Clean the bite with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. Keep a record of the date, time and where you were bitten. Get rid of the tick by placing it in a container of rubbing alcohol. When to call your health care provider If you had a tick bite and develop any of the symptoms below: A skin rash known as "bulls eye" is commonly seen on thighs, groin, trunk and armpits. It appears from 3 to 30 days with an average of 7 days. Other symptoms may include fever, fatigue, chills, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Serious long‐term complications can range from arthritis; facial palsy, headache, meningitis, neuropathy, impaired memory and heart rhythm irregularities. www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/07/how_to_protect_yourself_from_tick_bites_lyme_disease.html#incart_river |
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Post by Cindy on Jul 12, 2015 11:10:55 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the prayers and all that you've shared with me too. This time it's affected me much worse then the times before. I didn't realize it until we got home from my daughter's house yesterday, but in addition to the bite area hurting, for some reason the whole area on the right side of it is very swollen and painful too. It's weird as the tick bite itself has a red rash around it in a circle, which isn't unusual for a tick bite, and that area is swollen and painful, but not as swollen as the area next to it which looks and feels like the size of a golf ball. Since I couldn't see it, I just assumed that was where the bite was. But when we got home, I used another mirror to look at my back and was shocked when I found out it wasn't! I told Bruce that if it was still this bad tomorrow, I'd give in and go to the doctor. To be honest, I really wanted to go to the ER yesterday because it hurt so bad, but I knew we just couldn't afford it so kept my mouth shut. I also began wheezing after my neighbor got the tick out and still am. But since I have the inhaler and nebulizer, I can take care of that thankfully.
This time I never saw the tick. I didn't know my neighbor didn't know much about them, including about how to get them out. She kept trying to do it with her fingers, but of course I didn't realize that at the time, because I couldn't see what she was doing; I could just feel it. I didn't know she wasn't using tweezers until toward the end when she said she thought she was going to have to go get the tweezers.  I know that you have to pull it out hard and quick with tweezers because every time you try and don't get it out, the thing burrows in deeper. Sadly, it took her literally dozens of tries over several minutes to get the thing out, and she flushed it down the toilet before I could say anything. I've been assuming that the pain has been caused because it took her so many tries to get it out, but I would have thought it would be some better by now. So please keep the prayers coming! Thanks again everyone!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2015 14:44:28 GMT -5
Cindy, I pray you get to the doctor quickly. This bite is not the same as in the past. You already know that, so get a call into the Doc, first thing in the morning. Please??!! 
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Post by Cindy on Jul 13, 2015 11:20:42 GMT -5
I did LOL Both Bruce, and my neighbor, were adamant that I see the doctor. Sadly my doctor is on vacation this week so I can't see him, but they told me there's a new clinic in a neighboring town that I could go to. It's a walk in clinic so I won't need an appointment. I called and asked them if they'd see me even though I don't have insurance and they said yes, so that's a relief. They said they ask for $25 down and then they bill you the rest. That I can handle!
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catt
Living With Pain
2Corinthians 4:17
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Post by catt on Jul 13, 2015 20:35:45 GMT -5
Cindy
I have an appointment on Tuesday morning in Nashua.
Let me know if you need a ride. I am not that far away.
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Post by Cindy on Jul 14, 2015 10:00:09 GMT -5
Bruce took a picture of it last night... I hope this works... You can't really see the swelling from the picture though, and besides it's gone down tremendously, so would be hard to see anyway. A lot of the redness is gone too from both areas, though not all. Sorry for the gross picture, but to be honest, I wanted to know what it really looked like since I can't see it myself as it's on my back. Plus, I thought it might be good to have for my doctor when he gets back from vacation. We decided to wait and see him after all. We talked about going to that clinic but Bruce was afraid that the car might break down. We try not to go anywhere out of town except when we absolutely have to and since this had waited this long, I figured there was no reason it couldn't wait longer, especially since the worst of it was Friday and Saturday, and although I still have symptoms, they're nothing I haven't experienced before. I'm terrified of being bitten again though as it seems I'm allergic to them, so I guess my pretty gardens are going to go wild. That makes me sad, but there's nothing I can do about it either.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2015 11:16:20 GMT -5
Cindy, I just saw this picture that you posted on FB, and came here, right away. This is not good, girl. And there is something that I'd forgotten about, with Lyme Disease, and it doesn't always show up in testing, right away. Sometimes it can take years to show symptoms. But, since you already have other complications, that mimic LD, I'd ask him to test you again. (If you can afford it) Because that looks like the symptom of Lyme Disease. There are raised edges around the bite, and that's one indication. You've already said you've gotten the rash and the flu-like symptoms. Mayo clinic's website says that you must see a doctor, even if the symptoms begin to subside, because that doesn't mean it's going away.
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Post by Cindy on Jul 15, 2015 9:19:54 GMT -5
Thanks for your concern Cheryl, but I know I don't have Lyme disease from any of the ticks that have bitten me, including this one. I asked my neighbor what it looked like and from what she described it too was just a regular tick, not a deer tick, which is the kind that carries Lyme disease. That was the one thing my neighbor was positive about. She said she looked at it very carefully. The main reason she wanted me to do to the doc was because of the wound itself, which I admit, does look nasty. But there's not much the doc could do for that, that I can't do at home. All my symptoms are simply my bodies reaction to the bite because of the RA/Sjögren's, and it's also quite possible that I'm simply allergic to them. I seem to be allergic to everything else, so why not that too? I am getting better, and full recovery is simply going to take time. If the last time is anything to go by, it could take as long as 3 months, so I'm not going to hold my breath. Benadryl helps though, when I remember to take it. So, I'm trying to remember to do that. As long as I don't wear a bra, my shoulder doesn't swell up anymore so I can control that as well.
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Post by Cindy on Jul 21, 2015 13:47:42 GMT -5
Bruce caved to all the pressure so insisted I go see my doctor when he got back from vacation, which he did today. So my neighbor took me to see him. He agreed that I was right - I had an allergic reaction to the tick bite, and part of the reason the wound is so severe is due to that it wasn't removed properly. He told me I was doing exactly what needed to be done and to continue doing it, and that it would eventually heal. So now everyone can relax and know for sure that I'm just fine. 
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Leigh
Living With Pain
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Post by Leigh on Jul 21, 2015 20:10:41 GMT -5
Glad to hear it Cindy. It's good that the doctor agreed with your diagnosis and treatment plan.   |
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Post by Cindy on Jul 22, 2015 11:29:01 GMT -5
To be honest, I was almost hoping I was wrong, so it would at least be worth seeing him lol
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txlulu
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Post by txlulu on Jul 23, 2015 0:01:30 GMT -5
Glad to hear you are doing well. God is so good. Will be praying for the allergic reaction symptoms to go away.
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Post by Cindy on Jul 23, 2015 9:37:50 GMT -5
Thanks hon. I'll be glad when I'm feeling better from this stupid thing too! Even after all this time, it still looks just like it does in the picture. I knew it was going to take a long time to heal, but I'm already tired of it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 22:26:59 GMT -5
Oh my heavens, that looks painful. I'm living with a flea infestation currently but praise God have never been bitten by a tick.
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Post by Cindy on Aug 5, 2015 9:36:20 GMT -5
fleas are no fun either! It is painful, but it's finally starting to heal up a little bit anyway. Still dealing with the reaction from it though.
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It happened yet again! I was bit by another tick. I've lived here for 28 years, and in the first 22 years of life here, when I was out in the woods and just outside in general, quite a bit, I only got bit once. Just 1 time in all those years. But in the last 6 years, I've been bit 7 or 8 times now. So many that I've begun to lose count! And all these last years, I've rarely been outside and never in the woods! 
Thank you for the prayers, I appreciate them greatly! 
I know that you have to pull it out hard and quick with tweezers because every time you try and don't get it out, the thing burrows in deeper. Sadly, it took her literally dozens of tries over several minutes to get the thing out, and she flushed it down the toilet before I could say anything. I've been assuming that the pain has been caused because it took her so many tries to get it out, but I would have thought it would be some better by now. So please keep the prayers coming! Thanks again everyone!
!!
