RMSF

I will be using this for any additional time spent outdoors this summer. I first uploaded a picture of a deer tick, but it was just too creepy. For those of you who don't know yet, last week [not while white-water rafting or spending time at the lake] after visiting the pool at Paris Landing, I pulled a tick off of my shoulder. A couple of days later, some unusual spots appeared on my wrist on the same side. I'd remembered dad mentioning just in passing about Lyme disease and rocky mountain spotted fever... Now, since going through Aaron's 'toughness-training' [I'm only a level 2...no, really.]... I thought If I mention that I'm worried the tick may have given me something, they'll think im just being super-paranoid since we were just talking about it. So, I'd been feeling sick, but I think for other reasons. But, these spots were getting a worse and were hard to ignore. A day or so later, Mom said I was sweating bullets and thought I should get them checked out. When I finally showed them to my dad, he agreed that I should see the doctor just in case.

So, I made an appointment now that I'm back in Oklahoma and went in today - I just approached the doctor very passively... you know, this may be nothing, just wanting to rule out anything.... but, she confirmed that yes, the spots do look like rocky mountain spotted fever. [<--there's your wikipedia link with the signs and prognosis, and details on the little culprit carrying this disease...] Any confirmatory tests would take longer than just administering the recommended treatment, so they started me on the specific antibiotic for RMSF. They also took a CBC just to make sure there wasn't anything like abnormal platelets causing the spots. It'd been only a week since the tick bite, so obviously there's no cause for major concern - and I didn't even have a fever at yesterday's appointment. She started asking me about other symptoms and telling me what to look for...and how some cases can be really bad and even fatal. I must have had a horrified look on my face, because she jumped in very quickly - "Butyou'regoingtobefine!" I know often people become hospitalized, but I think that's usually before they identify it. Right? So, I'm just starting up my recommended doses and hoping not to get sick, sick. Anyway, just be cautious folks. use your repellant. like brad paisley suggests 'check each other for ticks' and when in doubt, I guess you really can't be too cautious.