[pct-l] Ticks

[Mary Kwart]

In the 1990's I got Lyme disease from an embedded deer tick because I had a dog who got many ticks. I lived in the Central California foothills. I had removed the tick, but killed it by wrenching the head off of it when removing it. What the doctor told me to do in the future was to pull the tick out (trying to keep the head intact and so keep it alive) and put it on a cotton ball and keep it in a ziploc. In this way the tick can be sent to the lab for definitive testing for the presence of Lyme disease. I got the red "bullseye" type ring around the bite right after the bite and a month later had flu like symptoms--which are indicators of Lyme disease infected ticks. A subsequent doctor follow up and tests showed that I had Lyme disease. I had to take antibiotics for a month--which made me extremely sensitive to sunlight during that time, so extremely cramped my outdoor activities.

As far as I know, the antibiotics got rid of the Lyme disease. It is no laughing matter. A guy on the National Forest I worked on got it and did not pay attention to the symptoms and eventually had to quit his job from Lyme disease complications (arthritis, etc.)

Bottom line--don't let the ticks get embedded. Do a thorough body check for ticks after going through potentially infested areas.

--Fireweed

---- Original Message -----
>From  	Eugene <atetuna at hotmail.com>
Date  	Fri, 5 Mar 2010 14:21:15 -0800
To  	<groundpounderbill22 at verizon.net>, <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>
Subject  	Re: [pct-l] TICKS


Last week I saw ticks around the Lake Morena area and met a guy that lived there that had a few recent bites.
 
> From: groundpounderbill22 at verizon.net
> To: pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net
> Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 14:41:13 -0800
> Subject: [pct-l] TICKS
>
> "How's Your Trail?" Just wanted to let everyone know that the Ticks are out
> in Force. I was hiking Monday up at Santa Rosa Plateau above Murrieta, got
> one of them little Suckers in my stomach, yes Suckers LOL . I got it out but
> now it is sore and red and not Fun. Everyone take care and see you at the KO
> . Whenever they open the site to register??? LOL Remember "Be Prepared"
> Ground Pounder Bill "Semper Fi"
>