Ticks

[KathyW]

I came home with two ticks on me after hiking along the Desert Divide Saturday. I was doing some bushwacking and even found myself crawling under some bushes, so that's probably when I picked them up. Anyway, a rash formed around one of the bites and the doctor prescribed antibiotics for 21 days just in case it's Lyme Disease. It might just be an infected bite and not Lyme Disease - either way the antibiotics will help. I've come home with ticks on me before, but I've never had any problems after I removed them - this is the first time the bites caused concern.

So, be careful out there and check your body for ticks when you come home from a hike in a brushy area.

[EnFuego]

I hope it's not Lyme Disease either. Good luck too you and thank you for the heads up.

[FIGHT ON]

KathyW, How did you remove them?
You wear shorts right? So did they get your leg?
I've never been bit but carry this on all my hikes just to be sure.
Seems like the right way to go.

[KathyW]

I found one of the ticks on the back of my neck when I got home from my hike on Saturday. When I felt it on the back of my neck I was stupid enough to think it was a small twig that got stuck in my neck so I pulled at it. It didn't want to come out, so I twisted and pulled hard and it came out. I didn't realize it was a tick until I got it out, so I did a really poor job removing it.

I didn't find the other tick until the next day and it was on the back of my thigh. I had pants on when I was hiking, but it still got on my leg. I used tweezers to get the second one out, but the area started to swell up and turn red shortly after I removed it. The rash around the bite on my leg was concerned the doctor, but both of the bites were swollen and red.

I have come home from hiking with ticks on me a couple of other times too. I didn't get the head out on one of them, but the bite didn't swell, turn red, or do anything unusual. I headed to the doctor when I couldn't remove the head and she took it out and told me that there wasn't much chance of catching Lyme Disease in this area, so there wasn't anything to be concerned about. The next time I got a tick, I just removed it (head and all) and didn't worry about it because once the tick was out I couldn't ever tell where I had been bitten.

[halhiker]

For some reason I'm feeling all itchy now.

[FIGHT ON]

I found one of the ticks on the back of my neck when I got home from my hike on Saturday. When I felt it on the back of my neck I was stupid enough to think it was a small twig that got stuck in my neck so I pulled at it. It didn't want to come out, so I twisted and pulled hard and it came out. I didn't realize it was a tick until I got it out, so I did a really poor job removing it.

Pretty gross. Those things are freaky.

I didn't find the other tick until the next day and it was on the back of my thigh. I had pants on when I was hiking, but it still got on my leg. I used tweezers to get the second one out,but the area started to swell up and turn red shortly after I removed it.

Maybe you squeezed its innards in to your body with them tweezers? That advertisement illustration shows what could happen when you squeeze their body. Like a tube of toothpaste!

The rash around the bite on my leg was concerned the doctor, but both of the bites were swollen and red.

I think you squeezed em both. YUK!

I have come home from hiking with ticks on me a couple of other times too. I didn't get the head out on one of them, but the bite didn't swell, turn red, or do anything unusual. I headed to the doctor when I couldn't remove the head and she took it out and told me that there wasn't much chance of catching Lyme Disease in this area, so there wasn't anything to be concerned about. The next time I got a tick, I just removed it (head and all) and didn't worry about it because once the tick was out I couldn't ever tell where I had been bitten.

With how often you hike I'm surprised you don't have a set of those tick twisters. They're so light and inexpensive.

[KathyW]

I guess I do need some tick twisters seeing as I'm a tick magnet.

[FIGHT ON]

we should buy an extra set for Hal. I bet he gets bit before he's done with his quest. Hiking every day you would think eventually at least once. In fact we should make a pool. If everybody put in 10 bucks and guess how many ticks bite him. The winner gets half the loot and a framed display of the actual ticks too! The other half buy tick twisters and give them to the runner ups.

[bluerail]

KathyW, How did you remove them?
You wear shorts right? So did they get your leg?
I've never been bit but carry this on all my hikes just to be sure.
Seems like the right way to go.

I have got to get some of those ! What a great Christmas present !

Might go over better than the year I gave out fire extinguishers.

[FIGHT ON]

Might go over better than the year I gave out fire extinguishers.

Ya for sure they are lighter and take up less space in a pack too.