Tick Bite Update

Last night, after my doctor's office had closed for the day, my very low grade fever that I had throughout the holiday weekend, started rising.  Stuff like this always seems to happen on the weekends or at night.  By 8:30pm, the fever had reached 100.4 degrees so I was a bit concerned.  

I still wasn't sure where the threshold should be for being concerned or seeking more medical attention but I figured the best thing would be to call my doctor's office in the morning.  If I started feeling miserable rather than lousy, then I would have to go to the hospital emergency department.  However, before heading to the bedroom last night, I realized that I could also write my doctor an email then, if necessary, follow-up in the morning after they opened for the day.  I definitely didn't want to wait so long that I would need to go directly to the hospital.

This morning, the phone started ringing at 7:15am.  I get virtually no phone calls but now my line was ringing and it was earlier than anyone ever calls me so I immediately figured that it had to be my doctor so I jumped up out of bed.  The nurse who called asked if I could come in immediately to see one of the doctors.  Since Sheila was working from home this morning, I jumped on it so I quickly cleaned up a bit and then Sheila and I headed down to my doctor's office.

While talking with the doctor, I explained that I wasn't sure of where the threshold is for seeking more medical attention.  I didn't know if I should wait until I have a rash...  or wait until my fever hits 103 degrees...  or wait until I feel miserable...  he explained that contacting them when I did was a good thing.  He also recently had a tick bite and waited until his fever was over 103 degrees and he wished he hadn't waited so long.  So it was good that I jumped on getting in to see one of the doctors.  (On a sidenote, this doctor is good and I've seen him once or twice before but I'd prefer to see my own doctor especially since she is more familiar with my primary illness and history.  Unfortunately, she was not in the office yet this morning.  I assume this doctor who was in early this morning was the on-call doctor for the night.)

I had forgotten to mention a few problems I had been having but the doctor asked some questions to remind me.  I hadn't mentioned having a headache but I really have had a headache over the past few days.  I never get headaches so that is something I should have mentioned.  It wasn't a terrible headache but it was a headache nevertheless.  I also hadn't mentioned muscle aches, joint pain, etc, because I struggle with these things due to my primary illness but I did confirm that I am feeling quite lousy and much of that is due to muscles and joints.  I also explained that I have been a bit dizzy too.

The doctor said the site of the bite is looking good.  (Photo, at right, looks like a little eye!)  I'm still in quite a bit of pain at the site of the bite but it isn't hurting as badly today as it was through the weekend but that may be due to taking Aleve and aspirin to drop my fever.  It is pretty obvious that when I pulled the tick off me, a small chunk of flesh came off with the tick.  Then I went to town thoroughly cleaning it which may have opened it a bit more.  Anyway, the pain is more localized now.  Over the weekend, the pain radiated through my lower abdomen as a dull, warm, ache.  

So, after discussing all of this, the doctor decided that the best course of action was to assume I have picked up one of the diseases that ticks pass along.  Which one doesn't matter at this point because the treatment for all of them is the same...  a long course of Doxycycline.  I started on that about an hour ago.  

I guess I'll be laying low for a while.  This is not  how I wanted nor expected to be starting the summer.