I really appreciate all the support that I've gotten here so far. It's been about 2 weeks now since I originally discovered the bite on my leg and watched it grow and become really scary and gross looking. This is how it looked yesterday morning:
It has been a difficult time for me because one, my doctor(who is not even my regular doctor--and I've only seen my regular doctor once since I got new insurance) didn't seem to know much about tick bites or lyme, went to a text book to read about them and how much antibiotic he should give me. After the bite turned purple and gray and was a bubble of puss, he started looking in another book about spider bites but ultimately stayed with a tick bite. He had other doctors come in to look at it and they all were shocked. I guess my type of reaction to the tick was rare.
This was hard to accept as that meant lyme. I've been doing a lot of reading and read that Brown Recluse Spiders can also bite and leave a bull's eye rash. So many people have told me they have never seen a tick bite look like mine before. My bite was also EXTREMELY painful. and most of the reading I did said that tick bites generally are not painful. I'm talking the worst burning pain one might imagine, like my flesh was being lit on fire.
The nurses at my job (I work with special needs kids) were shocked by how my leg looked and really don't think a tick bit me. I live in MA, brown recluses are rare but they are around sometimes.
So I have a lot of doubts in my mind. When I saw my doctor last, he was finally talked into giving me a lyme test right then and there because the other doctors were concerned that perhaps my reaction was so strong because I already had lyme disease?
I have yet to find out the results but I will be calling the lab tomorrow to see if I can find out. I'm scared because I have no idea how to read the results and I've seen people post their numbers in here and it all seems so confusing. I've had lyme tests done before but never saw the results, never knew what type of test was done as I was a kid and that was up to my mom who also didn't know very much about lyme and ultimately I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at a fairly young age.
Phew.
My other main issue is that I don't feel I have total support from my boyfriend. We've been dating over 8 years and he's been there to help me with my wound and the horrible flu symptoms I had last week on one night. but when I mentioned seeing an LLMD, he seemed to think I didn't need it since I was already on antibiotics for 3 weeks. I tried explaining what others have told me, that I am not on enough antibiotics, that Im not on them for long enough, that I should see an LLMD, etc. I love him very much and it is frustrating for me to feel like I don't have all of his support.
On top of that, I have been not feeling much different than usual. I feel like my leg hurts a lot more than normal, obviously because of the bite. but I am so used to being generally achy and kind of tired anyway, that it's hard to tell if it's lyme or fibro or maybe it's been lyme all this time for over 10 years. TEN years. If it is lyme, well...then I feel kind of screwed over if you know what I mean.
I haven't noticed feeling any better in general. I mean, I feel better than I did shortly after the bite grew and got really painful. but in general I feel like I always have with fibro. Maybe a bit more tired but maybe it's nothing.
I just feel kind of lost right now. Its so hard for me to do what I need to do. I emailed my mother with everything that's gone on and she hasn't replied or called me or anything. I just feel like maybe I am making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. I know what others have said, have urged me to do.
Anyway, Im going to try and get my results on paper so I can look at them and then post about them here. I am anxious to see what they say but at the same time, will they really be able to tell me anything? What will happen if I already have lyme antibodies in me? Will that mean I've had lyme all these years? If it's been 10 years or whatever, what does that mean for me? and if I don't, then do I have lyme? I know I am going to get another test in like 6 weeks or something but I just feel like these tests tell us nothing or aren't accurate.
Well, thanks for reading this and being patient with me. I appreciate it.
~Becky
Posts: 16 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Sep 2008
| IP: Logged |
I know that I had a very painful bite as well although mine did not look like that! Looks very painful. A LLMD might not be a bad idea after all. There are some very insightful folk on here who should be able to help you figure out the numbers and everything else from your test... Did you get a test done with Igenx? It's in CA. That's where we go to get our testing done and it's the better of the Lyme testing! Best of luck to you!
Victoria
Posts: 82 | From New York | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
You might research wolf spider bites. They give a bite very similar to recluse's. Same symptoms, etc. They are quite prevalent in MA. Some good pics on the net of wolf bites that resemble yours. Also, there is the remote possibility of overlapping bites. That is, a tick and spider bit you in the same place.
Posts: 76 | From tolland county, ct | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
adamm
Unregistered
posted
You can very easily have Lyme for decades without exhibiting
any symptoms; it many ways, it's a lot like syphilis.
Please don't be dissuaded from investigating treatment--
even with the best Lyme tests (the ones from IGenex), they can only detect about 50% of
posted
spiders scare the crap out of me. Especially brown recluse spiders because of what they can do to you.
I have no idea if that is a tick or spider bite. I hope it gets better for you regardless of what it is.
When I moved from Baltimore to Georgia, I figured I'd have to deal with some snakes and alligators, but my main problem here is spiders! I've only seen 2 alligators in 3 years and 1 snake.
On the other hand, I've killed hundreds of brown widow spiders and egg sacs. The sad part is they are mainly in my screened in patio!!!
Posts: 123 | From Georgia | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
oh man, that doesn't look good. we have a lot of recluse spiders down here and that's exactly what they look like.
but if you have lyme, it would really stir things up.
i'd get to a llmd real quick just to make sure.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
posted
Yikes! That looks sore and scary!
I might have missed this in your original post, but did you see the tick attached to you?
Either way, I would definitely keep taking photos and documenting its progression. I would also keep a journal of any symptoms you experience.
As others have suggested, I would make an appt. with a LLMD. He or she will be in the best position to determine if it's Lyme or not. Because they are good detectives, too, they will help you find out what else it is, if not Lyme.
As for your boyfriend, that really hurts. Not having the support of the most important person in your life is beyond hurtful. I've been there with my husband. Married 29 years this May and he still doubts my Lyme. Even with Igenex tests and a clinical diagnosis.
I am sorry I don't have any advice for you, but it is helpful to come back to Lymenet often. We are all here for you.
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic