Photo Results From The Teeny Tiny Tick That Bit Me

Woke up in the middle of the night last Thursday. That’s what time I get up. And I noticed a swelling, the size of a grape on my arm near my elbow.

It was sensitive to the touch and very red.

My initial thought was a bite, or I scraped it somehow when I was asleep and that was the reaction.

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My morning was the same, except for the bulge under my shirt sleeve.

When I left work, I went to walk-in care.

And when the doc came in and took his initial look at it he immediately said

That is a tick bite. That rash is Lyme disease which is in early stage.

None of the other symptoms were or are present. No headache. No chills. No fever.

And before I could start the comedy routine about how my life has been great and I have no regrets, he reassured me that the Doxycycline antibiotic will take care of the Lyme, I did the right thing by getting medical attention as soon as I discovered the bite.

True. But I thought it might have been a spider or something that bit me and this was an allergic reaction.  Never saw the tick that bit me. Still haven't. The photo of the tick is of an actor, not the actual tick that bit me.

And I’ve seen ticks. More on the dog than me.  But I have picked one or two off my shirt or skin as soon as they appeared. Here’s a tip. Scotch tape works great.  They get stuck, you fold the tape and their life is over.

Before my bite, I was always wondering how you’d know if a tick bit you. They are so tiny. And they love places where you don’t know they are there, like your back.

So my fear of a tick bite, and getting Lyme was real. That’s why walking in the woods with the dog, I wear long pants and long sleeves and a hat, and spray bug repellent on my ankles, and especially my neck.

And now my concerns have happened. But I never thought the rash and bite would look like this. Wanna see my arm?

Are you sure?

Warning, it's not a pretty sight.

Day of and 2 days later. Doesn’t that 2^nd photo look like it’s painful? It’s not. But it sure is ‘some ugly.’

Be careful out there. Check each other for ticks. And if you get bit, go see the Doc.

I’ll check back in when I go for my follow-up appointment in a couple of weeks.