lydy: (me by ddb)
[personal profile] lydy
So, I went for a walk with Eileen last Monday, and got bit by a bug. Actually, several bugs, but only one bite features in this story. On Tuesday, there was a bright red, oblong spot, a little longer than a quarter, but not as wide. It hurt when I scratched it, a kind of a burning hurt. And it itched quite badly.

Wednesday, at work, I looked at it in the mirror. It had grown to the size of my palm, in a roughly paisley shape. I carefully marked out the edges with a magic marker. By the morning of Thursday, it was a little larger than the outline, but not lots larger. I went to bed.

Thursday at work, I looked at it again. It was larger. It was now roughly six inches by three inches, still in a fascinating paisley shape. It had also developed some mottled yellow at the center, looking rather like an old bruise. Doing the thing that Beth told me not to do, I carefully marked out the new, larger red spot, rather than making a doctor's appointment. In my defense, it was three in the morning. It did not grow during my work night, however, and by morning, it looked to me like it had shrunk a little bit, and was possibly a trifle less red.

I had intended to go to the doctor on Friday morning, since I didn't have to work Friday night. But what with the reduction in redness, and the slight retreat, I thought, "Fuck it, I'm tired," and went to bed instead.

When I woke up Friday night, it had grown an additional three inches in length and added an ear-shaped appendage. So I went to Urgent Care Saturday morning.

The doctor had a British-inflected Middle Eastern accent. He looked at the rash. He said, "This rash. I do not like it."

"That makes two of us."

"There is a bug bite at the center. I do not know if it is a tick bite. I do not know if it is a wood tick or a deer tick."

"Me neither."

"I do not like antibiotics. You should take antibiotics. I cannot tell if this is Lyme Disease. You should take anti-biotics."

And so, I'm taking antibiotics.

Date: 2015-06-23 01:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamshark.livejournal.com
Unfortunately, I think Lyme disease can only be tested for after the fact. AFTER you have developed full-blown Lyme disease there will be antibodies in your blood that can be tested for. But antibiotics have a diminishing effect on Lyme as time goes on. If you wait until you have symptoms, the treatment takes longer and may or may not make all the symptoms go away. But if you start treatment before you have symptoms, you may end up taking drugs you don't need and having problems from that. It's a nasty game theory of a disease.

Date: 2015-06-23 03:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] faunhaert.livejournal.com
that just sux
waiting for testing confirmation
you are doomed

wonder just how long lymes has been around

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