RE: Bitten by deer tick
Lyme... I wonder why it exists. To answer Tribal, the test conducted here in PA is a blood test. My familyand I spend time in the woods and have always been aware of the tick threat. I've removed ticks from myself, but never found any on anyone else in any of our outings. Two years ago, my son woke up one morning with a severly swelled knee.
He was 11at the time and was active in a number of sports. We took him to the doctor and it was wrote it off as a sprain.As the days went onother symptoms emerged. Fatigue followed by a very high fever. We ended up at the emergency room and the examining physician suggested a Lyme test be conducted. The medical center drew a blood sample, but was unable to test it at the facitlity. It was mailed away and the results came back about 5 days later.
Diagnosis: Lyme disease.
The only "treatment" option, according to medical professionals in our area was a massize dose of antibiotics. We're talking about a young fellow under 100 pounds thatreceived 500 millagramsthree times a day for a period of thirty days. We observed aturn around in his condition after the 7th day, and have him checked regularly. He goes to the hospital immediatelyif any unexplained swelling of joints / unexplainable fatigue is experienced.
I've read and read on Lyme until my eyes hurt and have yet to find anything that concurs with what I've been told within a 100 mile radius in the local medical community. I'm told there is no known cure, but do strongly believe that ifdiagnosed early, and treated aggressively, Lyme can be put in check, so to speak.
I would advise anyone who spends time in the outdoors to be tested for Lyme, even if you've never found a tick attached to your person. To those who have been offered other treatment options, please post them, as I'd like to read them.