Dh found a tick crawling in his hair. I found a rashy spot- back of neck. Educate me!

[FaithManor]

Here is a picture - not his - but one I found online. The tick was not attached when he found it. It was crawling in his hair and he grabbed it and squashed it. So, I'm flipped a bit because I'd like to believe that it hadn't bitten him yet, but I know that the rashy spot on his neck could indicate that it had been there, fed for a while, and then was on the move when he felt it and caught it. He saved it to look at under the microscope.

 

I don't know exactly where he picked it up, but I suspect in Tennessee or Huntsville. On day four of his NASA trip (the prior three days he was at the Westin, Huntsville AL for the conferences) they spent the day at Manchester, TN at a NAR Field flying rockets. So, outside in a rural area all day long. I don't know if this area is known for Lyme's. He was at my uncle's house in E-town, KY for half a day on the 17th and again for the evening of the 22nd. Unc's house borders a creek and they treat their dogs for it plus wear a lot of bug spray there. But, the only coming and going dh did was to and from the car. That's why I tend to think he got is Saturday at the rocket fly-in.

 

We have ZERO Lyme's doctors here. It isn't common, or at least dignosing it certainly isn't, and so finding a medical professional who knows ANYTHING is a crap shoot. A dear friend of ours had Lyme's for TWO YEARS and ended up with permanent heart damage before he found a doctor that had a clue about it. He never did trip a Lyme's test positive. But, 28 days of IV antibiotics made a world of difference and then later he saw a specialist out of state who confirmed Lyme's and more suggestions.

 

Where is the icon of woman running from scary bug? That's me right now. I haven't stopped itching since he showed me the little squished body.

[KnitWit]

Is he exhibiting any symptoms? My bil contracted Rocky Mtn. Spotted Tick Fever from a tick bite and he lives in TN. It took an infectious disease doctor to diagnose him, but by the time he went in he was already very ill. He felt like he had the flu and began running a high fever. He did develop a rash. I think it developed over about a week or two. He was not bitten, but remembered picking a tick off his chair. Inf. disease doc said all you have to do is *touch* an infected tick. No bite necessary.

[FaithManor]

Is he exhibiting any symptoms? My bil contracted Rocky Mtn. Spotted Tick Fever from a tick bite and he lives in TN. It took an infectious disease doctor to diagnose him, but by the time he went in he was already very ill. He felt like he had the flu and began running a high fever. He did develop a rash. I think it developed over about a week or two. He was not bitten, but remembered picking a tick off his chair. Inf. disease doc said all you have to do is *touch* an infected tick. No bite necessary.

 

 

So far, no symptoms. I think his contact with the tick would have begun on Saturday. I also know nothing about Rocky MTN Spotted fever either. I guess I have more to research.

 

Hive, keep the advice and stories coming. I feel the need to arm myself with a lot of information just in case.

 

Faith

[Jennifer in MI]

I have a cousin who who suffered for three years before she had a diagnosis of Lymes. She travelled from the UP of Michigan to flint for a doctor! I'll ask who her doctor was if you want!

[wapiti]

Inf. disease doc said all you have to do is *touch* an infected tick. No bite necessary.

 

That's just great. Ds9 brushed a tick off his shorts today - in the middle of the house when I wasn't home. At least the pictures of the ticks I see on-line don't look like this type of tick, that tends to hang around our back patio and backyard.

 

But, I'm more troubled that a large "bug bite" spot that ds6 has on his arm looks like it could possibly be tick bite. I want to go look at it again right now while he's sleeping :tongue_smilie: . A few years ago, he had a tick in his head. After DH noticed and removed it, there appears to have been no ill effects. Keeping my fingers crossed that "our" ticks aren't carrying anything bad...

 

eta, am I the only one who suddenly feels itchy while reading about ticks?

Edited July 24, 2012 by wapiti

[FaithManor]

Bumping for the morning crew.

 

Jennifer, I may need you to find out the name of that doctor. He still feels okay today, but that spot that's rashy on his neck is slightly worse. I've got an essential oil blend that I make out of organic oils that would take care of it right away - this stuff cures skin irritations and infections better than anything I've ever seen (even have a local doctor that asked me for the recipe), but I'm afraid to cure it because the rash may be a vital piece of diagnostic info for the doc.

 

Oh, and as for itchy, OH MY GOODNESS YES!!!!! I feel like my skin is crawling. If I had valium in the house, I'd take one! :D

 

Faith

[5 Hikers]

If it was crawling and not attached it did not bite him. Pretty sure the rash is something seperate.

 

Also, you cannot squash a tick. That will not kill it. Next time burn it or put alcohol on it.

[Lizzie in Ma]

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/about_lyme.html

[natalie]

If you do think you need it, I pm'd you with the name of a lyme doctor that I don't think would be too terribly far from you. (Of course that's all relative. As we are rural, I tend not to think of anything within a couple hours as too terribly far ... lol :tongue_smilie:.) He was able to help me.

 

[ETA: You are going to share your secret oil recipe, aren't you :D ?]

[NotSoObvious]

I'd save the picture and see a doctor. They might put him on antibiotics right away.

Apparently you have to wait 30 days before testing for Lyme to get an accurate test. Even then, the initial test they do can be wrong, so demand the better test.

Better safe than sorry! You want to catch Lyme before you get it!

 

Anyhow, that's what I've been told. We live in Virginia and the whole tick thing still freaks me out. We do NOT go to the doctor every time we get bit, or we'd be there all summer. (Seriously, I think I found 6 ticks on my girls over a two week period.) But if I had a rash like that and my kid rarely got bit by ticks, I'd be going to the doctor just in case.

[FaithManor]

If you do think you need it, I pm'd you with the name of a lyme doctor that I don't think would be too terribly far from you. (Of course that's all relative. As we are rural, I tend not to think of anything within a couple hours as too terribly far ... lol :tongue_smilie:.) He was able to help me.

 

[ETA: You are going to share your secret oil recipe, aren't you :D ?]

 

 

Thanks for the PM. I responded and gooled the Doc. He now sits on a Lyme's Disease advisory board where he tries to convince the many physicians in Michigan that do not think Lyme's is prevalent that they need to be proactive about diagnosing based on symptoms and not that blood test that isn't very accurate. So, that makes me feel very good knowing we have someone within a reasonable distance that could help. DD county EMS docs for her company (she's a medic) and they told her that she could name the doctor, and they'd pull strings and make sure he was seen. I really like having that perk from her job if we need it.

 

Now, as to my super duper recipe. I will disclose it here because we've found it to be sooooo effective. My mom was bit by a spider and on 21 days of antibiotics and couldn't get that infected bite to heal. 5 days of this stuff and Poof, it was gone. The healing was noticeable after three treatments on the first day. It also has an all natural numbing agent so it's great for mosquito bites. I let the kids use it liberally.

 

First of all, you should know there is a difference between essential oils for aromatherapy or for making cosmetic products and those used for medicinal treatments. Medicines should ALWAYS be made out of pharmaceutical grade oils. These have been purified for contaminents. 2nd, some of the oils in this blend are too strong for internal ingestion so this is a topical remedy only. I do have an immune booster blend and you can either buy these in capsules yourself (GNC carries some of them) or you can make it up and fill glycerin or veggie caps. One of my boys cannot swallow pills for anything. His gag reflex plus his fear of choking (had an incident when he was three and had to have the h.maneuver FOUR times before it dislodged), so he man's up and takes the raw oils (which really taste kind of nasty) in yogurt followed by big swigs of orange juice.

 

For pharmaceutical grade oils, one of the best deals you can get is to put together a group of friends that want to make both the immune booster and the topical blend plus have access to nice, organic herbs. Then go in together to get a distributor/dealer status with Star Of the West herbs out of the PNW area. They have organic herbs for cooking, organic aromatherpy oils, and organic pharmaceutical oils and with the discount, the price is much more reasonable then anywhere I've found. We do that here and order three times per year...a group of 12 women so we just manage to purchase enough to keep the distributor status.

 

Recipe for Topical:

 

Carrier oil - this is the oil all of the essentials will be mixed with. Pure pharma oils are very, very strong and you don't want to over irritate the skin. So the bulk of the concoction is carrier oil. I like almond oil, but when I want to make a cream, I blend coconut oil with a little beeswax and steric acid (steric acid is a perfectly okay natural substance - it helps thicken the base). You don't need much beeswax because that stuff will set up hard as a rock.

 

So, let's say I want to make a small amount... a little bit goes a long ways.

 

3 tbps of carrier oil

 

6 drops tea tree oil

 

6 drops cinnamon oil

 

6 drops rosemary oil

 

6 drops clove bud oil (this is the amazing numbing agent - our local dentist keeps it on hand for patients that have had their wisdom teeth out and develop dry socket...he mixes a half/half mixture of carrier oil and clove bud oil, soaks a tiny piece of gauze in it and packs the hole. Then he sends the oil home and tells the patient to put fresh drops on the qauze as the numbing wears off...people SWEAR BY THIS! My own brother said it is what brought him through.

 

6 drops lemon oil (excellent antiseptic)

 

6 drops lavender oil (do not use Lavendin - ie. fake, but cheap lavender - lavendula is the name you are looking for)

 

 

Shake well, keep inside the cupboard out of light since light helps break down the oils. If you have a dark, glass jar, that helps preserve it.

 

Now, for bruises that are really bad, twisted or sprained ankles that swell, any injury that causes swelling, get comfrey leaf (you can get organically grown from Star of the West by the large bag and it lasts a very long time if kept in it's aluminum packaging and out of the light), and pack a tea ball with it. Brew comfrey tea - let steep until the water has become a temperature that the injured party can stand. Soak a large gauze bandage in the water, then fill with the comfrey leaf from the tea ball, and place over the wound. Alternate for the first six hrs. the comfrey and then cold pack. We even use this on horses. I had one with an injured hoof and we made up a bucket of comfrey tea and place his leg in it. Then packed it with gauze soaked in the other recipe above. The next day the difference was remarkable. I couple more treatments like that, and that horse was a happy camper. You can also make the ointment with the beeswax and steric acid and add powdered comfrey root to the mix. It turns your ointment to an unappealing green. But, once people try it, they tend to forgive the color! :D Our local horse vet is sold on it and now makes her own for her patients.

 

Immune booster:

 

For teens and adults in the winter months:

 

2 tsp. elderberry extract or if you buy it from the pharmacy under the same Sambucol (the chemical name for the compound in elderberry that boosts white and t-cell activity) - two chewables.

 

Along with, three capsules of organic oregano oil and organic olive leaf oil.

 

Plus 1 tsp. per day of wintergreen extract. You'd have to make this though. I have not found it for sale. That's a problem for those of you that do not live in wintergreen berry country. Sorry! I pick several plants along with the berries, grind the leaves and berries with a mortar and pestal, and place in a jar of carrier oil with a little brandy (you do not have to use a lot) - the alcohol helps leach the properties out of the plant and into the oil and also acts as a preservative. After about 10 days, I strain out the solids and store the clarified oil in a dark bottle out of the light.

 

We've found this helps a lot with all of the winter bugs that go around and if we do get sick, seems to lessen the severity of symptoms.

 

For children, 1 tsp. of the elderberry morning and night, plus 1 tsp. per day of the wintergreen. Good luck with the olive leaf and oregano oils. The elderberry tastes like a sour blueberry and is not hard to get down kids at all, nor is the wintergreen...that concoction tastes like a nice piece of winto-green gum or lifesaver. But, the other two oils are just AWFUL! However, if you have a little trooper like my youngest, you make get them to take a few drops of each on their tongue and then swallow a LOT of juice, take some yogurt, and then go brush their teeth and tongue.

 

If dh gets Lyme's, he'll be on the immune booster routine in addition to the big gun antibiotics plus a mega-vitamin plus minerals. I'll be pulling out all the stops, as the saying goes.

 

Faith

[FaithManor]

Bumping in case someone wants the recipes.

 

Faith

[natalie]

Thank you for taking the time to type all of that out :).

 

I just finished printing it out.

 

Question: All of my oils are from Young Living (my aunt sells it and provides it to me at her cost). Do you know if those oils are of sufficient quality? I've only used them topically (and certainly have never used them to the extent you have). I think my aunt has said she has used hers orally, but I am not certain on that.

 

Thanks!

 

[ETA: An interesting side note on the lyme doctor -- I believe they homeschooled their children :D]

[FaithManor]

Thank you for taking the time to type all of that out :).

 

I just finished printing it out.

 

Question: All of my oils are from Young Living (my aunt sells it and provides it to me at her cost). Do you know if those oils are of sufficient quality? I've only used them topically (and certainly have never used them to the extent you have). I think my aunt has said she has used hers orally, but I am not certain on that.

 

Thanks!

 

[ETA: An interesting side note on the lyme doctor -- I believe they homeschooled their children :D]

 

 

Young living makes excellent oils. I use Star of the West because of getting that distributor discount from a friend. Essential oils are so expensive. But, they are costly for the company to make.

 

Faith

[Impish]

I have what I assumed are 2 mosquito bites on my thigh.

 

They now have the classic 'bullseye' appearance.

 

Wolf's leaving work at noon to take me in.

 

*sigh*

[FaithManor]

I have what I assumed are 2 mosquito bites on my thigh.

 

They now have the classic 'bullseye' appearance.

 

Wolf's leaving work at noon to take me in.

 

*sigh*

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Okay, if you have it and Dh has it, then maybe Wolf is going to have to get on the board so we can commisserate about how to help our spouses the best and whether or not we are getting the right answers from our prospective medical communities.

 

Faith

[FaithManor]

I have what I assumed are 2 mosquito bites on my thigh.

 

They now have the classic 'bullseye' appearance.

 

Wolf's leaving work at noon to take me in.

 

*sigh*

 

 

Hoping you will update as soon as you get home!

 

Faith

[FaithManor]

Rash definitely has a center right now and a ringish look to it. Dh insists he feels fine and doesn't need to see a doctor. :glare::banghead:

 

I certainly don't want him to have Lyme's, heaven's no. But, can I just say this wifey thing here...if he doesn't see the doctor and he doesn't have Lyme's, then the next time he really, really needs to go to a doc, he'll tell me "NO" because he was right this time.

 

GRRRRRR......MEN!!!!!!! Why do men have to be so impossible??????? :confused:

 

Faith