Ticked Off

So. We had an interesting day yesterday. Can't remember the last time I was in an emergency room (maybe it was when I was 3 and stuck that raisin up my nose? I've been lucky). Sure didn't think I'd end up there yesterday because of a simple tick bite!

I first found a little bump and perhaps rash on my leg on Sunday; never saw a tick. But it was just on the top of my sock line; a suspicious place. By Monday is was bigger, so I brought myself to Urgent Care to get it looked at; really seemed like a bit of a Lyme rash and if so I wanted to start treatment right away. I've know a couple people who have suffered terribly from Lyme. Dr. said hmmm, maybe, here's a prescription if you want to fill it later if it spreads, or after the not-so-accurate tests come back in a week or so. It spread and began to hurt, so I started the antibiotics on Tuesday on the way to the big Women's Gathering in WI with Bean. The normal Lyme antibiotic treatment is not compatible with nursing, so I ended up with a not-so-strong type, hoping for the best.

Didn't feel better, felt worse and worse. The rash grew and grew, swelled up and stung like crazy. In hindsight, camping in a COLD tent with Bean (he was fine, I was cold) wasn't the greatest way to deal with this, but I really just thought it would be fine. Showed it to a doctor who was present at the gathering, and she said "Ooooh." And started mentioning MRSA, stronger antibiotics, etc. Most people agreed that it looked worse than Lyme, now. By the time my lips started to feel hot and I was limping, I decided to go back to Urgent Care.

At Urgent Care, the triage nurse took one look at it and also said "Oooooh!". And started mentioning the Emergency Room and intravenous antibiotics. So, me and my little tick bite were essentially admitted to the hospital, where we waited. Doctors finally came, said WOW and began conferring with each other. I had to correct one about an antiobiotic that's not safe for nursing, but to their credit they didn't give me trouble about nursing a young toddler, who is nowhere near ready to wean. We settled on a shot of a stronger antibiotic (which is considered safe with nursing, I told them where to look it up) and MORE amoxicillin. Just sitting with it up on bed for a couple hours made it feel better, and they pronounced it just a heck of a case of Lyme Disease, not MRSA or anything else ickier.

Not that Lyme isn't icky. I still feel sore, tired, a bit feverish. Took a 3 hour nap today with Bean. I guess the lesson is to LOOK FOR TICKS a bit more carefully after being in the woods. This one was likely very tiny, probably picked up on the South Shore near Spiral Earth (where we hope to live someday). I guess the one thing I'm grateful for is that Bean didn't get the tick. I had the same experience a couple weeks ago, when I got stung by a yellowjacket (OUCH!) in the grass where I was going to set Bean down. The thing that scared me the most was that he might have gotten the sting instead. I knew that Lyme was serious out East, but I didn't realize that Wisconsin is also an infection hot spot. Ug.



I've had requests for pictures of the exciting rash, so here it is, in all it's erythema migrans glory. The circle was from yesterday's doctor, so we could see if it was growing or shrinking. I don't think it's grown, but it hasn't shrunk yet, either. We're doing OK, just a few expected, ah, intestinal effects upon Bean, who is essentially taking the antibiotics along with me. We are pushing the probiotics. Rooting for the good microbes, not the bad! Onward...