... is a day to curse deer ticks and their very existence.
Justin called me last week to ask if he needed an appointment at the doctor for blood work. It took a few questions to find out why he was asking but the answer is that he had a bullseye rash on his back but didn't know where to go. He's had Lyme disease before but that was several years ago and they did blood work if there was no rash present. It took a couple of days but he finally went to the doctor on Friday afternoon and asked if I would go with him. As a healthy young man he never goes to the doctor and often feels like he doesn't know what to ask. I think that patients can almost always benefit from having an advocate with them in any medical situation, so of course, I went with him.
Sometimes Monday is also a day to be thankful that doxycycline is effective against Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Justin is taking it for the next two weeks and that means he also needs to also be careful of photosensitivity as a side effect. As someone who is outside every day working on the grounds crew that may be a little difficult, but so is avoiding ticks.
Have a good Monday and check yourself for ticks!
I hope Justin does well on the doxy, Bonny. Yes, ticks are such horrible vectors, and if you are outside working, you don't even know they are there until you take off your clothes and look. He is lucky to have you for an advocate.
ReplyDeleteOh, ugh Bonny. I think about ticks every time I go outside... but I am not always good at checking for them when I come in! Thank goodness for effective medicines! But really... ticks are just so freaking miserable!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry this happened to him but glad that he called his mom for help and went to the doctor!
ReplyDeleteI hate ticks and Lyme disease so very much! At least now doctors recognize this and treat it, unlike years ago when my BIL went undiagnosed for YEARS and suffered lifelong debilitating health issues as a result. I'm glad you went with Justin and he got the treatment he needs to beat this back.
ReplyDeleteOh dear! Glad Justin is on doxy and if your forecast is anything like ours, (rain, rain, more rain) he won't need to worry about photosensitivity. I had a deer tick on me just last week. No bullseye, but my doctor checked me out anyway. No doxy for me (having had C-Diff any antibiotic can trigger that in me YUCK). Having had Lyme disease the other year, I know that I will always test positive for it. But, I did learn that there is a new test that can determine if you got it more recently! That test has been added to the blood work I'll get done in July.
ReplyDeletethank goodness he went!! Ticks are absolutely awful here. Our little granddaughter had a tick and she had bloodwork to make sure it wasn't lyme. (and it wasn't!)
ReplyDeleteMy BIL was just diagnosed with Lyme. We live in a deer infested area and I'm always picking ticks off myself. Once I had as many as 30 at one time. How I have avoided it I'll never know. Around here it's Alpha Gal you have to worry about. My niece has it and it is a nightmare. I wear a complete head to toe mesh bug suit when I go out for any length of time anymore.
ReplyDeleteLyme is only one of the awful diseases that ticks carry. Alpha gal sounds awful, and so is Powassan virus, erlichiosis, and babesiosis. I hope you stay tick-free in your suit!
DeleteOh dear. I'm sorry your son needs to be treated for a tick related disease. They can be dreadful. I'm with you, everyone benefits by having an advocate or evening another listening ear in medical situations.
ReplyDeleteOh, not at all what Justin needs . . . Ticks are just nasty business. You're so right about "patient advocates" being helpful at doctor appointments. I'm glad you were able to be there with Justin . . . not only to ask good questions but also to act as an extra set of ears for him! Sending XO.
ReplyDeleteI've had two ticks on me this year.
ReplyDeleteI hope Justin avoids another bout of Lyme.