My husband still insists on taking our daughters on the yearly camping trip. All 3 are being treated for TBDs. He insists that they are protected b/c they and clothes are treated. Unlike our yard, the campground is not treated.
I hate this, I am outnumbered too. My girls absolutely love camping (really roughing it).
I have not gone in years. I can't for many reasons (all health related). I also hate camping, and b/c everyone knows this I am made out to be the "party pooper"!!!
I dread August every year b/c of this "tradition" of theirs.
Is anyone here crazy enough to still camp?
Posted by s0ngbird1962 (Member # 16395) on :
We camp all the time.... I believe my 5 yr old son picked up his tick/lyme disease right in our own yard, or at least in our town.
He's been dealing with this now since Sept. '06, having new neurological issues now. In the process of getting my ducks in a row to have him see a LLMD. (I want to bring him to Dr. J in New Have), hubby not quite convinced we need to go that far for help. He wants our insurance to pay for treatment, I have little hope that will be possible. I live near Boston and am shocked how few resources there are for pedi lyme disease, and how little understanding there is for late stage/chronic lyme. 80 children from my area are being treated by Dr. J...
Oh yeah, back to camping. Will never stop camping. IMO, you can't stop living life because of fear. We are just more watchful now of ticks...
Posted by lymemommy (Member # 12495) on :
njlymemom,
My husband was hanging on to the camping thing pretty hard too. He normally goes once or twice a year with his old frat brothers.
They drink large quantities of alcohol, and my husband plays your classic bar songs on his guitar for them. I'm assuming that at some point they pass out, hopefully in their tents.
I suggested earlier this year that he might want to hold off on this activity, since it is not something that either one of us want our son doing (not after what we have all been through over the past year+!!!)
the idea of our son getting bit again and getting even sicker is just too much for us to bare!!
Now that my husband knows that he has lyme, and that he almost definately caught it camping, I'm pretty sure that we won't be having the discussion again!!!
I definately feel for you on this one!!!I'm not sure how to get it through to your hubby, the only thing that really got through to mine was finding out that he's sick too.
Treating your kids, their cloths, the tent, sleeping bags ect is a start, but I feel the same way you do. Why risk it.
I know that you have to keep on living, but then again, there's lots of things that I enjoy doing that don't involve sleeping in the woods.
Take care, if you need to chat I'm always here! kp
Posted by njlymemom (Member # 15088) on :
Thank you both for your replies.
I don't want to live in fear, and I mostly don't. Neither do I want my girls living in fear. I have been their healthcare advocate and want them well, not to hide away but to live their lives. I know too well what chronic illness takes away from us. It took away most of their childhood. I want them to enjoy and love their life.
It has taken the last 5+ years to get my daughters to where they are now.
I am the one that deals with this 24/7.
I am the one that handles everything when they are too sick for school.
The calls to the school counselors.
The emails to the teachers.
The 504's.
The llmd appts.
The bloodwork.
The meds.
I am on the frontlines fighting for them. For what?, certainly not to be reinfected.
This is their health. I am considering having the 18 and 16 year olds read "Cure Unknown". Not to scare them, I want them to make a more educated decision about where to spend their time.
Am I being selfish? I wonder if I enjoyed camping if I would be willing to risk it.
This is really roughing it. We are not talking about a camper or campground. This is in the woods, no running water, just them and their tent.
Thanks again for your kind responses.
I really needed to vent, and now I am done.
Posted by Parisa (Member # 10526) on :
Until they have a quick, definitive cure or prevention of Lyme, I won't be able to enjoy the great outdoors again except from a paved path.
Posted by Pammy (Member # 15695) on :
I live in WI and my Mom and inlaws live in the most tick infested part of the state. We also camp in Door County, WI and when I looked on a map of tick hotspots they are totally clear. So, I know it's not fullproof but I feel ok about camping there. I don't think we've ever seen a tick on us or our dog after camping there. We avoid camping in Western WI...can't avoid the parents though..
Maybe you could check the areas they are camping in and find some that aren't as bad as others. May ease everyone's minds if they find an area that hasn't been found to have as many of the bad guys.
Posted by soonermom (Member # 14494) on :
I can totally understand where you are coming from! I am recently diagnosed and caught lyme in my own backyard (17 acres) and really have been wanting to MOVE. I feel like I can't go out and enjoy our land anymore, my orchard, veg garden and numerous flower beds look terrible. I just can't make myself go out. I am just starting to feel normal, and don't want to be reinfected.
We were always tick aware and careful before. I think there is always a risk(no matter how careful you are) going into tick infested areas and I am just not willing to take it at this point.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
i understand how you feel because hubbie hunts and fishes a lot.
we have a camper and don't do tent camping -- too hot in texas, so i'm in an enclosed camper, but we still walk around the park.
i got lyme trooping through the grass going fishing....
Posted by AmyInMI (Member # 9506) on :
I was diagnosed with LD in June of 2006 and still camp. I guess for me, I feel that Lyme has took enough of my life from me and it is not going to keep me from doing something I really enjoy. Then again, I live in Michigan and according to our state government, we don't have LD here.... LMAO!!!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Nope, nope, nope!!! Only way would be in an RV and then I would not venture out very far!!! [like 10 feet maybe... ]
Posted by Aniko (Member # 16695) on :
As soon as I was healthy enough to camp again, you bet! It took 7 years of treatment to get to that point.
My first time back was for a 3-day river trip. My friend invited me to be a volunteer for a group of highschoolers. Other than feeling a little lost I did great.
We slept on the ground, on tarps. And we ran about 20 miles of river each day.
I definitely do tick checks now, very thoroughly, and I warned everyone of what to watch for...symptom wise.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Couldn't read what was posted. But, yes I am looking forward to the day when I am strong enough to pack my camping gear and set up my tent.
I believe I was bitten at work!! In a classroom.
This does not mean I will not work either once I am well!
I think my odds of getting in a car accident or greater than getting bit by a tick camping.
This does not stop me from getting in a car either.
Posted by AP (Member # 8430) on :
I've been extremely sick for majority of my 20s. I firmly believe that Lyme has taken so much from me physically and mentally, that I absolutely will not allow it to run my life anymore.
I do not live in fear. I refuse. It's hard being younger and having a debilitating disease. Much to the doctor's dismay, I do live. I make mistakes, I venture out of my comfort zone, and I regret nothing.
So yes, I still go camping. I just bring along extra repellent for everyone.
Posted by madge (Member # 13704) on :
I would not call it camping but we do have a Park Model at the jersey shore...got it 12 years ago...6 years ago hubby got bit, didn't know what it was, Dr said must be a spider bite....two years later hubby got real sick and has been since...2 years ago finally got a pos for Lyme....on treatment he has been to sick and last summer only went down 2 times...now he is getting just alittle relief and already has been down 6 times....like i said its not really camping but it is in the woods and now we are so careful and don't need any more sickness from this damn disease...he really enjoyed it more than me but now i enjoy...it is so peaceful and you can just lay back and relax Posted by tickedoffjan (Member # 15944) on :
My friends and family still go. I will admit I was a bit nervous on the first trip since being diagnosed. I bought Repel with permanone that you spray on clothing and all your gear, tent included. Of course I also use an insect spray on my body as well.
I absolutely refuse to stop being outside. This horrid disease has taken so much from me. I refuse to let it take away my joy with camping and hiking. So yes, I will continue to camp, but I will do it with more caution.
Jan
Posted by aklnwlf (Member # 5960) on :
Still outdoorsy. I pulled off a tick about a month ago just from berry picking on the side of the road by my house.
I live in the country and ticks are just a way of life out here.
I guess if I never went outside again, I could avoid them. I've got 4 acres so I have to do yard work.
One thing I do is check for ticks when I'm out in the brush.
I absolutely hate them! Can't stand it when I get one on me either.
So camping is not an issue for me because I get ticks on my own property.
Really, I don't know of a way to avoid them completely.
Posted by njlymemom (Member # 15088) on :
Well, they did go camping. As usual they had a great time. My husband and 3 teenage daughters.
Not many teens would still want to spend all that time with their dad, especially camping. So we feel lucky that our kids still love to be around us and do things as a family.
This has been a tradition for over 10 years now. The 4 of them go off, and as far as I am concerned "rough it". No plumbing, in tents, sleepng on the ground.
I only went the first 2 years until the girls were old enough to manage themselves. I cannot camp. I need to rest all day on and off and the tents are not comfortable. I also have a terrible time with heat and humidity (bad - really bad things happen). Mold around the campsite sets off the migraines. So the years I did go, I was completely miserable.
I did the right thing in not putting an end to it. They came back with their stories and memories.
Of course they found no ticks on themselves or equipment. But that does not mean anything. My oldest and youngest are having minor symptoms, bad dreams and not sleeping. Rash on oldest legs, one that I have seen before. Dr. already has a picture of it.
Is it from the trip? or playing in the yard w/ the dogs? I don't know. I don't want to be afraid of living, but I don't want them to have the "non - life" that their mom has had. Want so badly for this to be over for them.
But then again, will it ever be over for any of us since we live in such an endemic area.
Our yard is sprayed, dogs are treated. Camping and gardening clothes and equipment are sprayed with Repel. Spray our bodies with chemicals - yuck. School field hockey uniform and gym clothes are also treated. I know that I cannot wrap them in a bubble, but I try
They are all being treated for lyme and coinfections, still I am well aware of what a new infection can do to them.
Thanks for listening and all your input Posted by summer23 (Member # 16193) on :
everytime i go camping i would get reinfected.. im a tick magnet.. hehe. but i never liked camping unless there was a 4 star hotel nearby that i could stay at... so if you love it just go for it but you will just have to take extra precautions. im way too paranoid to do it too.
Posted by Meg (Member # 22) on :
Mom, You said it all for me in your first post:
My girls absolutely love camping (really roughing it)
Life is too short to spend worrying about all of this....you may stay at home for years and get bit by a tick in your front yard. --Like I did! or rebitten in my yard --Like I did.
I plan to go camping again soon in a very well groomed site. I prefer to stay towards the mountain areas with higher elevations, as I heard there are lesser amounts of problems with it. (Catskills, Adirondacks) I know this can't be counted on, but it makes some sense since it stays below freezing much longer into the spring
I also plan on spraying my pants with permethrin or the like to help prevent any bugs from tagging on.
Posted by CapriceMom (Member # 4942) on :
I feel for you and your fear that your children will be reinfected.
I cannot imagine how difficult it is to take care of and protect sick children.
I can barely take cae of myself, my husband has to take me to my LLMD appointments out of state.
I don't enjoy camping. But I got Lyme from running around in the woods with our dogs and gardening.
I have picked countless ticks off my horses.
I pray for the day I can go hiking in the woods again. I dream of the day I am strong enough to get back in the saddle.
I wish I had the energy to garden.
And the day I have the strength and enrgy to do those things, I will.
Is there no way you and your husband can compromise?
Let them go camping in Florida. My fami;y doctor assured me there is no Lyme Disease here.
Sorry, bad joke.
But protective clothing. Tick checks.
The things we love to do. Your children like camping with their Dad. I wish I had had a father who woyld take us camping (and with whom would have wanted to go camping... Whole different topic).
Camping, riding, gardening, hiking... for some of us, those are the things that make life worth living.
Otherwise, why are we trying to get well?
Just a thought. Posted by adamm (Member # 11910) on :
Sure--if you feel well enough, I'd go. However, I think that if
you're gong to do this you should bring some doxy along just
incase (this is common practice for a lot of hunters.)
My tick got me while I was asleep in my bed, btw.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
I was just browsing through the book, "Healing Lyme."
I was surprised to read about taking a product to help prevent lyme disease.
It is a product my lyme doc has me on. A supplement.
Hopefully, I will be able to browse through the book again and find that info.
[ 20. August 2008, 06:21 AM: Message edited by: kam ]
Posted by shellbabe (Member # 6948) on :
I went camping over memorial weekend.
On the first night I got bit by a tick,even though I had used repellent repeatedly all day.
I started getting really sick.Tick tested pos Lyme.
Started back on doxy and have been on it since.
Previous to this i had been doing better w/ alot of my Lyme symptoms. Now it's like starting all over again
Needless to say I will NOT be going camping again.
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Of course they found no ticks on themselves or equipment. But that does not mean anything. My oldest and youngest are having minor symptoms, bad dreams and not sleeping. ![[dizzy]](graemlins/dizzy.gif)
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