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Tick bite....



 
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ButchA
Veteran Member


Joined: 09 Dec 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Richmond, VA

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 8:10 am    Post subject: Tick bite.... Reply with quote

Wow, amazing, the first morning I woke up without a fever. Let me just say that I don't wish this crap on anyone! It is the most craziest thing when you look back...

{according to the Doc's and all sorts of lab reports, blood work, etc...}
Sun Sept 10th: Drove out to a nice sprawling business complex in the western suburbs of Richmond to go jogging. Not bad... 4 miles in a 9:03 min/mile pace at 56 yrs old!
Remember walking in the grass by the parking lot, looking at one of the big duck ponds. Must have gotten bit by a tick, and the tick jumped off me as it didn't like me (Joke: I must really be something else - the tick bit me and then died! ). No memory of a tick bite, no sign of a tick. No rash, no "ring" around a bite mark. ...Nothing! Go figure...

Mon Sept 11th: Fine. Everything is fine. I got up at 5:00am as usual and went to work driving my school bus. The morning bus run was fine. During my break in between runs (I -and most other drivers- just go back home and chill), I went back home and relaxed, watched TV, mowed my front lawn, etc... Everything was normal. Went back in the afternoon and drove my PM bus run, taking all the kids home, and again, there were no problems.
SOMETIME LATER AFTER DINNER: I started feeling weird... I don't understand it. Something was just wrong, and you can't put your finger on it. I teased my wife that she was trying to poison me at dinner! But, I just shrugged it off, took two Ibuprofen and called it a day.

Tue Sept 12th: Disaster... Woke up at 5:00am feeling like I got hit by a Mack truck. Feel really lethargic and sick as a dog. Temp: 100.3°... As stupid as I can be at times, I braved it, toughed it out, and somehow crawled out of bed, got some coffee, and DROVE TO MY SCHOOL BUS! The ladies in the office took one look at me and were shocked, "What is wrong with you! Get out of here! Go back home and see a doctor!"
So, I went to Patient First (aka Doc in a Box), and at first they were like, "Oh yeah, you got the flu"... Uh, sorry, wrong Dude... I'm not throwing up, I don't have the runs, I'm not coughing, hacking, sneezing, I'm fine. All I got is a wicked fever! H-E-L-L-O!!!
Patient First stuck a giant cotton swab up my nose and freaked me out! I angrily pulled away, hollering, "Heeeeeyyyyy!! You almost punctured my brain!!!" The cotton swab came back negative for the flu (No sh** Sherlock!!) So, as bizarre as this sounds "Doc in a Box" just sent me home with two slips for work (out sick - today 9/12 and tomorrow 9/13), and they told me to get rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take Ibuprofen.

Wed Sept 13th: Same stuff, different day... Didn't get much sleep. Wife was seriously concerned because I tossed and turned all night, and sweated so badly throughout the night, I soaked the bed sheets! Went back to "Doc in a Box" again that morning and saying stuff like, "For Christ's sake... DO SOMETHING!" So, they *finally* got off their duffs and drew blood and things like that. My blood count was a little whacky, WBC was low, Platelets were low, and something else was odd (I can't remember). All of the results showed it was NOT flu, not flu like virus, but yet it could be Lyme disease, Babiesiosis, Anaplasmosis(?), or Lord knows what from a "tick borne virus". They recommended I go see my PCP and or the main hospital ER if the condition gets worse. Gee... Thanks, Patient First... Thanks a lot..

Thu Sept 14th: As odd as this sounds, and with no explanation at all... I woke up, fever way down to about 99.3° and I felt okay. Realizing that we are so short handed at work driving school buses (County wide - we are 36 bus drivers short!!!), and decided to tough it out and go to work and drive my bus. I didn't tell anyone about my temp or anything like that. I felt worn out, tired and weakened, but I toughed it out somehow. All the kids on my bus were all concerned, asking me, "Mr. Butch - where were you? Are you okay?" Parents at the elementary school bus stops were also concerned asking where I was. It was nice to be missed and made me feel a lot better. I went back home after the morning run and changed my shirt (I sweated right through my shirt while on the bus). Took more Ibuprofen and stretched out on the couch and watched TV. Fever broke and was like 98.2° or something, so I went back on my bus and was fine. Don't understand it at all. But, it is what it is...

Fri Sept 15th: Same as the 14th... Woke up with a slight fever, toughed it out, took Ibuprofen, and drove my school bus again. Started thinking that whatever this is, is causing some crazy type of Yo-Yo effect, where I'm sick, I'm fine, I'm sick, I'm fine... Fever, no fever, fever, no fever...

Sat Sept 16th: WHAM!! Fever came right back, knocking me on my a$$ the whole day. Just remember spending the day on the couch, shivering, with both a fever and chills. Stubbornly, I didn't go to the ER or anything, but just toughed it out and let the Ibuprofen bring the fever down.

Sun Sept 17th: As you would guess, I was okay, but with a slight 99.something fever. I felt okay and wanted to get out and do stuff. My wife argued with me and I argued back. I wanted to get out my road bike and go for a bicycle ride to get fresh air and exercise and she wigged out on me, making me stay put. I went stir crazy being cooped up in the house, and finally decided to get out and take my dog for a dog walk in the neighborhood. My wife, my sisters, friends, yelled at me (both in person and on Facebook) and said that I need to rest. But I took it easy the rest of the day and watched NFL football on TV on the couch.

Mon Sept 18th: Same as last week... Woke up with a slight fever, took Ibuprofen, toughed it out and went to work driving my school bus. Sweated profusely and drank water bottles that I brought with me.

Tue Sept 19th: Same as before. But yet fever was elevated a little. Felt like crap, looked like crap, but yet somehow, I toughed it out and lied to everyone that I was fine. Somehow by the Grace of God, I drove my school bus. The kids knew something was wrong, because I wasn't all cheerful and making jokes with them like I always do.
TUESDAY EVENING AFTER DINNER: Got frustrated, got seriously annoyed, fever still up there. As stupid as this sounds, I still didn't go to the ER, but went back to Patient First (hey, 3rd time's a charm!). I finally met with one of the senior doctors on the staff, who reviewed all my previous stuff. Again, they did more blood work, they checked me out from head to toe. As embarrassing as this sounds (completely humiliating!), they not only checked me out from head to toe, but they put on rubber gloves, made me get completely butt a$$ naked like the day I was born! and they used weird UV lights, and checked my entire body for ticks. ...Negative. No sign of a tick bite, but yet that doesn't mean anything. People can get bit by a tick and show no signs. It depends on the person and the species of tick. Long story short - the lab results came back again, and as determined, my blood count was all whacky. WBC low, Platelets low, liver enzymes elevated, etc... All of this points to a bad "tick borne virus", similar to Lyme Disease. But yet not as severe as Lyme or Babesiosis. More like "Anaplasmosis" or something else called "Ehrlichiosis". Doc immediately put me on Doxycycline, 100mg, take 1 every 12 hours, and wants me to contact my PCP for a follow-up.

Wed Sept 20th: Just like Mon Sept 18th. No problems, went back to driving my bus.

Thur Sept 21st: Just like a massive relapse of Sept 12th.... Fever came roaring back, felt like I got hit by a Mack truck. I had no choice but to "call out" at the office and not drive my school bus. Spent the day on the couch, doing anything and everything to break the fever.

Fri Sept 22nd: As odd as it sounds... Go figure... Fever went away and just like Wed the 20th, I went back and drove my school bus. I hate this, man! Sick, fine, sick, fine, sick... Aaaagh!!!

Today: I'm fine. No fever at all. Still feel not quite 100%, but at least there is no fever, no chills, no anything. Later today I want to crank up my electric guitar (Loud!) in my music room and blast some Ted Nugent "Stranglehold" or something and see if I get a massive headache, or can I rock out and headbang with the best of them! We'll see!!!
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deleted_user_02066fd
New Member


Joined: 03 Apr 1996
Posts: 0

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glad you are beginning to feel better. Any tick bite should be taken seriously. Lyme Disease is very common where I live. My wife always has me check her after she has been out working in our yard. Luckily she's never been bit.
I ran for 40 years until chronic hip issues forced me to the bike and the elliptical. For years I preferred to run trails and miraculously I've never been bitten.
An old friend of mine has chronic Lyme Disease. She had been ill for over a year and her doctors were unable to find out what was wrong. She didn't develop the bulls eye rash that most get. Ironic thing about her story is that she is an M.D. as well.
Once again, glad to hear you are feeling better.
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ButchA
Veteran Member


Joined: 09 Dec 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Richmond, VA

PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks...

I have an appt Tue 9/26 @ 10:45 with my wife's PCP. I decided to go to him, since he's been really good to her. My last PCP retired years ago and I haven't gone to a doc in years (well, I mean, just an annual DOT physical for my county school bus CDL requirements).

Technically, yes, as a retired veteran, I DO have a PCP, but I refuse to go. Say what you want, call me a wuss, call me anything you'd like... It's the main VA hospital/clinic here in town, and I have only been there once to register, get all the 9,813 forms filled out and processed, etc.. and meet the PCP at McGuire VA hospital here in Richmond, VA. Sorry... I saw way too many horrible things at the VA. I have heard way too many horrible stories too. I won't go... Ain't gonna go... I wouldn't bring MY DOG to the VA clinic!!!

So I will use my wife's doc and get everything rolling from there. My main hospital of choice is Henrico Doctors also here in Richmond, VA as that's the main hospital where we school bus drivers go for our physicals.

Summary:
As crazy as all of this sounds, I got bit by a tick on 9/10 when I was out jogging. But yet no sign of a bite or rash or anything. Here we are 2 weeks later and I am just NOW starting to feel better. I woke up this morning with no fever, no nighttime sweats, no anything but minor aches that we all have in the morning.

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU GO OUTSIDE NEAR THE WOODS AND GRASSY AREAS! TICKS ARE NASTY LITTLE BUGGERS!!
_________________
1967 Holton Collegiate Trumpet --> my grade school band trumpet. I just can't part with it!
1975 Olds Ambassador Cornet --> my new/used eBay special. Sounds great!
2018 Regiment WI-800 Bugle --> my inexpensive Chinese made bugle from Amazon.
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Crazy Finn
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Joined: 27 Dec 2001
Posts: 8331
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ticks suck. Lyme disease really stinks.

Hope things improve for you.

And yes, be careful. I'm glad they weren't plentiful when I was young.
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