My absense - and beware, truly, of the deer tick!

[Reinbeau]

I got home last Saturday from a week in the hospital. My sister forced me to go the previous Saturday and thank goodness she did. Not that my husband wasn't paying attention, but I'm really good at telling him what I'm going to do - he knew I was sick but was getting nowhere with me, poor guy.

Some of you know I've not been right for awhile. Turns out I've got advanced Lyme Disease, developed meningitis and darn near died that weekend. My brain was swelling and I couldn't realize how bad I was. I've spent a week on my back in bed getting all kinds of IV meds for numerous infections, the critical one was the meningitis, the worst long term is the Lyme. I've got A PICC line and will have visiting nurses teaching me how to give myself IV meds for the next three weeks. Hopefully they can do something about it, I am bummed to think of the long term effects of the Lyme.

I'll be around now for awhile, housebound, basically, can't teach, I don't know what I'll be able to do in the garden,we'll see...

Please, take Lyme Disease seriously. Many of my neighbors have it - there are a lot of deer around here. Those little ticks are insidious, they only have to be on you for a day, and you barely notice them sometimes. I had the shingles, but it turns out that the Lyme rash brought out the shingles, so they masked the true diagnosis. I hope none of you ever have to deal with this. Wear long pants, tuck your pants into your socks, wear long sleeves as much as you can, and inspect yourself, or have someone do it for you, if you've been in the woods.

 

[sparkles2307]

Ugh we get those once in a while around here too. But we have so many dog ticks that we already do a thorough nightly tick-check after bath time. The neighbor had one attached to his chest for about 6hours, but he's been fine so far.
I feel terrible for you and hope that you have the best recovery that you can!

 

[2468Gardeningisgr8]

OMG!! Glad to hear you listened to your sister...and the doctors were on the ball....
A mother my daughter went to school with had Lyme disease caught in the later stages...and I remember her going through hell....to the point where they put a hospital bed in the livingroom....dont want to put a downer on this but when i do bump into her now and again ....she's perfectly healthy....

And what a great reminder you give everyone...all the best and I wish you a speedy recovery...

 

[patandchickens]

Oh Anne, that really sucks. I used to work with someone who had really really bad Lyme at one point, he was in the hospital for months, almost died, had to take a year off work (biologist) because he just could not think or coordinate or work or do anything, but once he recovered he was FINE (other than stopped doing fieldwork in deer tick areas) and has been quite healthy for the past, whatever it's been, 15-20 years. So, once you get over the hump it is certainly quite possible to be ok afterwards.

Best of luck, take it easy,

Pat

 

[HiDelight]

OMG I have cared for folks with Lyme and anyone here reading this ..she is saying it lightly how badly she suffered!!! it is bad bad!

I am so sorry and hope you are well on your way to mending now

I really feel for you .and yes with symptoms like you had we should all be doing cart wheels that you are up and posting this now!!!!

hugs and please stay on the mend!

ticks are evil!!!

we rarely see it here because not too many ticks but folks who have traveled and come back ..wow it is very serious

take good care!

 

[karanleaf]

Oh My Reinbeau I am soo sorry you were taken so ill

But I am so very happy that you listened to your sister and got to the hospital and are being treated Please be careful and follow all the doctors orders. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers

I certainly hope you being to feel better soon :bouquet

:happy_flower Karan

 

[curly_kate]

I'm glad you are on the mend! :rainbow-sun What were your symptoms? I know they aren't always textbook, so it's good to know what other people have experienced.

 

[Reinbeau]

The worst was a blazing pressurized headache, that was the meningitis setting in. Sore neck, nerve jerks, horrible ear pain, extreme fatigue, plus the shingles (they feel they were brought on by the Lyme infection) were my symptoms. No rash, no tick.

My main symptoms now are still a few nerve jerks, facial palsy that makes it difficult to eat and talk (although that's abating with time), and numbness of my trunk muscles around my waist - also abating with time.

 

[big brown horse]

Hi Reinbeau,

As I said on SS, please please relax and heal!!! Don't feel guilty when others want to help you with your garden etc. People get a boost in their egos by doing "heart work" (aka helping others in need). They need it as much as you need them, so don't feel guilt. In a way you are helping them too.

I hope you start to feel better,
-Sally

 

[dipence71]

AAARRGGG you poor thing. Good to hear you are on the mend.
I hate ticks. I just pulled one off my dd11 and dh in the same day. We have a hard time with ticks here and I really don't know what to do to improve things around here. We live in the country with fields all around. But I keep an eye on any symptoms they might have.