Topic: Safest state/city to avoid lyme reinfection?
tick battler
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Hi all,
I have not posted in several months but used to visit this site daily. I live with my husband and three young children in the suburbs near Philadelphia, PA and have found that this year we are being reinfected with lyme/coinfections more than any other year. I strongly believe that most of our reinfections now are from flying insects (mosquitos and flies) which have been particularly bad this year.
We are trying to figure out where we can live where we will not get reinfected by sitting on our deck or playing in the yard. I want to be able to send my kids on playdates and not worry that they will get reinfected by mosquito bites at their friends' houses. I want to not have to spray permethrin on my kids sports uniforms and and load them up with bug spray when my kids play soccer or baseball. I want to not fear that they will be reinfected from the school playground because deer graze on it after hours.
Of course cities are the best but ideally I want to be in a place where we won't get reinfected right outside of the city. And I would prefer to have a house and a small yard for the kids if possible, but I am not ruling our city life. I was looking over US maps for reported cases of lyme and it seems that Colorado may be one of the safest places right now. I know lyme is in every state but we happen to be in the worst so it can only get better if we move.
Are any of you from Colorado or have family there? Do you have much of a mosquito problem there? I think the dry heat is much better than the humid temps in terms of avoiding flying insects - would you agree?
We have to do something drastic at this point. Of course we would have to find a job in our new location but I want to have a few places in mind in case we come across a good opportunity.
Please share your thoughts on safe areas to avoid lyme, flying insects and ticks.
Thanks!
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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We have family in the Highlands Ranch area that is south of Denver. I have seen one ant during the time that I visited with them. That was a month ago for 2 weeks. I only saw animals at the zoo. And if you go to the foothills of the Rockies you may see some animals. I saw kids playing softball or soccer every where. That's a good sign. The air is much drier and ticks like a more moist and shrubby area. I would put Colorado on your list of places to consider.
-------------------- If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed. David Visott ~ Posts: 56 | From VT | Registered: Jun 2012
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AuntyLynn
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As far as I know, mosquitoes and flies do NOT transmit Lyme! Coinfections? Which ones do you suspect?
You can get bitten by a tick nymph (size of a poppy seed) and never even notice it.
If it's true you are getting lyme and coinfections, I would say it could be a relapse... not a new infection from a fly!
Posts: 1432 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2012
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I know there is plenty of Lyme in CO. Definitely avoid Estes Park... they are overrun with elk.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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tick battler
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Aunty Lynn- I am very sure we are getting reinfected from flying insects. There is much information on this if you look for it. Look up the New England Journal of Medicine article from June 1990 that is titled "Lyme Disease Transmitted by a Biting Fly". That was 22 years ago when lyme was less common than today.
When my son was bitten in the forehead by one mosquito last spring, it turned red and swelled to a red spot the diameter of a baseball. Two days later his symptoms dramatically worsened. Testing through alternative means showed a new lyme infection.
If mosquitos can transmit west nile, malaria, etc...why not lyme?
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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Keebler
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- A LLMD once told me he SAW a mosquito bite an acquaintance at a picnic in Wisconsin. Within 20 minutes of the mosquito bite, a classic lyme "bulls eye rash" developed, it was unmistakeable.
Definitely not as plentiful as in the woods, but ticks are in the desert, too. They ride on the critters there, burrow during high sun but come out for early morning dew - we just may not notice it but there is moisture in the desert, too.
Borrelia has been found in penguins in the antarctic. There are few places on earth that are tick or tick-borne infection free. Much depends on management of ourselves & our/their environment. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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tick battler
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Thanks for the input about Colorado. My main fear is the flying insects at this point, which are much harder to avoid than ticks. So if there are fewer flying insects, that would be good for us.
Lymetoo - I see you are in Texas - do you get to CO much? What do you think about the insects? I know there is no state without lyme but I think there are definitely different levels - CO has to be better than PA!!! So many people are sick here in PA. Pretty much everyone you talk to knows someone who is sick with lyme. And many of the kids are hyperactive and have learning disabilities. Maybe that is nationwide but I do think lyme is a factor contributing to this in PA.
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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We have two homes in Colorado. One is outside Denver about 30 minutes and there are deer EVERYWHERE. If I were to sit outside in the evening you would see about 30 or so deer, literally in packs.
Our other home in Steamboat-- in the moutains also has deer, and TONS of misquitos . When i was little my mom had to douse us with repellant just to go outside to play...
Posts: 844 | From CA | Registered: Apr 2010
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tick battler
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Whitney, Thanks for the info. The home outside of Denver - do you get ticks on you often when you are there? What about flying insects? Can you sit outside on a deck without getting bitten? Where do you think you contracted lyme? CA or CO or somewhere else?
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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tick battler
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Maryinvt2 - thanks for the input - did the subject of lyme come up at all during your visit to CO? I wonder if everyone knows someone with lyme there like we do here? Thanks, tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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Lymedin2010
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Glad to see that people are suspicious and concerned about other biting insects. Who knows what else they can carry including parasites and critters we have not imagined yet.
I think insects bites in general are something to be even more concerned about once you are Lyme'd. It may add to your overall load and issues.
Lymetoo - I see you are in Texas - do you get to CO much? What do you think about the insects? I know there is no state without lyme but I think there are definitely different levels - CO has to be better than PA!!!
- I've been to CO a few times but not in quite a few years. I'm actually in Southern Missouri. I have seen maybe 5 mosquitoes in the past 16 yrs. Of course, they are HERE, and I don't go out that much.. but we have hills and so when it rains it runs off. Very little standing water, ever.
We even have a big lake... I don't think it's bad there either.
We do have ticks here. People are quite aware of what Lyme disease is. I don't walk on grass, so pretty safe there too. I've seen 2 ticks here in 16 yrs. Gee, maybe I'm inside a bit too much!!
You have to be careful about colonies of deer as someone stated. At least in Texas they thin the herds. They are planning to thin the herd in our town, which I thought was strange since I've only seen a few deer here. My husband hit one about 3 yrs ago, however! Thankfully, he won... whew. (He was driving 65 mph on the hwy.)
How about San Antonio? It's HOT though! It's fairly arid there. Rarely saw mosquitoes. There are a few places there that have deer in their neighborhoods... or at least they used to. One in town and one at the nearby lake.
OH!! or Austin. Very arid there and they have a huge bat colony that keeps the flying insects taken care of. Actually, San Antonio does too. The bats are not a danger.
Don't go to East Texas. That's where I was Lymed.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Kudzuslipper
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I was shocked when we visited San Fran Cisco that there were no screens on the house windows... But the two weeks we were there in July I didn't see one bug in the house and all the windows were open. Now I know there is lots of Lyme in CA but we didn't see many skeeters or biting bugs.
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momintexas
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Tutu.....I have been hearing that Austin, San Antonio, San Marcos areas are a hot bed for ticks.
Dallas is having a bad year for West Nile cases. Very scary year here for West Nile.
Posts: 1408 | From Tx | Registered: Nov 2009
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Keebler
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- Also keep in mind that you'd want to find a state where you could get treatment, where doctors are allowed to assess and treat as they deem necessary.
Oregon is not one such state. Not one LLMD allowed.
However, I would also not want to live in a state where naturopathic doctors or acupuncturists could not practice. Only 15 states license NDs and just a few more allow them to practice under MDs with limitations.
Fortunately, Oregon has a good environment for NDs and LAcs (with a college of naturopathy & an acupuncture college). Oregon has a few LL NDs but if other medical care is needed, those with lyme are discounted, big time.
Washington state is similar and they also have a few LLMDs. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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momintexas
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Neither is Texas......
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sparkle7
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CO has Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever if I recall correctly...
It's hard to find a place free of pathogens these days. If it's not mosquitos, it's fleas, ticks, mold or fungus, radon, EPA superfund sites, fracking, nuclear power, coal power, other pollutants...
Brooklyn didn't have many mosquitos when I lived there. I think it depends where you live. Probably not alot in the Upper East Side in NYC if you can deal with that - it's expensive, really expensive. I remember when they first had West Nile they used to spray alot in NYC. You'd have to watch out for the parks, though.
I believe that mosquitos could spread FL1953. According to Dr. F - it's a good possibility. I don't know about Lyme but I'm sure they could spread alot of things - just like fleas.
I was reading that this guy got boubonic plague recently in OR. He was trying to help a feral cat who had a mouse stuck in it's throat & the cat bit him. He contracted the plague....
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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This gentleman will be speaking at the ILADS conference in Boston on vector transmission:
Carl W. Tuttle is a veteran sales consultant and chronic Lyme patient. He has been working on a research study with the UMASS Zoology Lab in a pilot study to test black flies and mosquitoes for the Borrelia spirochete through DNA testing. He expects to be able to report his results in Boston.
Posts: 749 | From State full of ticks | Registered: Dec 2008
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I used to live in Austin and there were NO mosquitoes. The bat population takes care of the flying insects amazingly well! The air is very hot and dry and mosquitoes don't thrive in that kind of weather. The city is a wonderful place to live - very family friendly, affordable and kind people!
We saw scorpions, 1 tarantula, and centipedes while living there and in all the 4 years, not one tick. We were always hiking outside. However, we were surrounded by deer in the hill country. But, if you live closer to the actual city, I think you'd be fine.
Since moving to Raleigh, NC, we have had hundreds of mosquito bites, have been bitten by ticks at least 10 - 15 times. Dogs have had at least 5-10 ticks every spring. every neighbor pulls ticks off like no big deal.
So don't move to NC or even SC or GA for that matter! And I hear FL is really bad too.
We were just in CA for 10 days and it was wonderful! My Lyme symptoms subsided substantially and the air and weather was consistently dry and pleasant. We were not bothered by bugs, but I do know that the area we were in (Santa Cruz mtns and San Francisco, Yosemite areas) are infested with Lyme carrying ticks.
Posts: 618 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2009
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quote:Originally posted by momintexas: Tutu.....I have been hearing that Austin, San Antonio, San Marcos areas are a hot bed for ticks.
Dallas is having a bad year for West Nile cases. Very scary year here for West Nile.
- Could be, but I never saw a single tick while living in San Antonio or New Braunfels. And like jwall said.. virtually NO mosquitoes. (Lived in that area for about 12 years.)
But yes, there is only one LLMD in TX and that's not even good coverage.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Keebler
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- While some locales seem virtually mosquito free naturally due to elevation, wind currents, water bodies (it matters whether moving or stagnant) . . . you might consider how the (warming) changes in the environment might play out.
Regarding vector control: a double edged sword.
Some spraying methods are still very toxic. Some are not quite so. Some are even safe.
Inquire at all local governing bodies regarding who will spray and what exactly will be sprayed (and then do homework on that). And when.
There may not be money to do this, though. So you might also ask how secure the funding is. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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surprise
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I am in northern CA, and the weather is dry and sunny- no mosquito's.
I would say as long as you stick to concrete (no mountains, no hiking)
and don't have animals (please don't bash me for that)
and don't touch, ever, any stray animals, it is pretty safe here. Never have pulled off or seen a tick on my kids.
Also, watch out for new construction homes- land that has been unused, new house, problem with mice infestation bringing in the nymphs.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
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tick battler
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Wow- this is great information - thank you all for sharing. I have been spinning my wheels for the past 4 years. Just when I have my kids (and husband) almost healed and feeling good, we get reinfected and are back at square one. I can manage ticks with fencing and spraying and avoiding infested areas, but mosquitos and gnats? That's a new ball game, particularly because I will not put deet on my family and the bugs seem to love us.
Surprise - I am curious - do you live in a city or in the suburbs with a yard? If you are in the suburbs, do you feel comfortable letting the kids play in the neighbor's yards? That's great you don't have mosquitos - do you have any other flying insects that bite?
Thanks so much - this info is very helpful!
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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surprise
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Hi- I live in a suburb. Closest 'major' city is 30-40 minute drive.
Yes, I feel 'okay' with my kids in my yard, teenage son out and about- We use NO bug or tick repellant here- just sunscreen.
As for REALLY feeling 'okay' that will probably never happen for me personally- because Lyme and co. has taken from me, and I passed gestationaly to 1 child.
I won't let the younger ones (if you asked me today) to take field trips, overnight camping- I am done forever hiking, etc.
Honestly tho, just me and my anxiety, if I lived in CT or something, saw ticks all the time,
I'd probably have to stay medically sedated.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
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tick battler
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Surprise - thanks for the info. Which major city are you close to? Glad you are not worried about reinfections - are your kids lyme free? Where did you get infected? Did you live somewhere else before CA?
I don't know your situation with regard to treatment but we have tried both antibiotics (kids did 2 years and husband did 3) and herbs and have found that the herbs work better. Alternative testing has been a large part of our healing. It really does work! You might look into practitioners that follow Dr. K's protocols. The lyme cocktail he created really does work better than any antibiotic we have found!
surprise
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Tickbattler- pm-ing you.
1 of 3 of my kids is Lyme infected. Passed at birth and breast feeding - I was untreated - had no clue about Lyme.
1 child born before I was infected, last child I never breast fed for personal reasons-
My child with Lyme is in full on treatment again after a 2 month break, then significant relapse. It has been a very hard road for her-thank you for your suggestions--
Honestly, where we live, I am not worried about re-infection. But, as stated previously, they will not go to certain 'trips' our school does in wooded, risky areas.
I am the one who has never remembered seeing a tick, and full on believe/can see symptoms going back to 15-16 years ago when I was scratched/bit trying to tame and feed feral cats. Was not in this area.
I won't have pets, either.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
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surprise
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Sorry, tried to PM, your box is full.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
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sparkle7
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The other thing you have to look out for is fleas. I read about alot of people here from the West Coast with illness. We can't really tell 100% what these illnesses are - really. Babsia & Bart can be worse than Lyme & I believe that they can be spread through fleas, as well as, other vectors such as ticks.
I've heard of bad flea problems in places that may not have mosquitos. I'm sorry this is not easy - I can't imagine what it must be like for people with children.
Those days of long walks in the woods are over for those who are aware... I'm very careful now.
I heard about a case or 2 of Dengue in Florida. They want to release GM mosquitos... Don't know where that's going to lead.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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map1131
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It's world wide and growing more and more epidemic. You can run, but I don't believe you can truly hide.
That's what's so scary? Why? What has happened? Ticks have been around for ages. Nympth/deer ticks seem to have exploded? Where did the real story begin?
I just want to know the rest of the story. Where Paul Harvey? He could get to the bottom of it.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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sparkle7
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We lived in Austin. I couldn't walk to the mailbox without bug spray. Also, they have red ants that bite.
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tick battler
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faithful777 - are you moving there to get away from the lyme or was this a job change or other reason?
Thanks!
baileypup - wow - I guess it really depends where you live in Austin because others say they had no problems. Thanks for sharing.
sparkle - yes I would agree that fleas could be a problem too. They certainly were for the bubonic plague!
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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I am in CA too, and I have heard about possible infection also from sand fleas here. Have not heard reports about flying insects infecting folks here.
Mostly ticks. Spreading all over this state too. We are up to 8 reported tick infections contracted in SF, one when a dog brought the tick inside the home.
I think it also matters about the percentage of infected ticks in an area. We sometimes get tick-dragged, and those percentages get reported.
Mendocino County had the highest rate of infected ticks reported in CA, with around 40% ticks infected in some areas. Then it drops off from there, to like 10-20% infected ticks.
I think at this point, you better think tick and bug protection wherever you go.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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Moving away to get away from ticks. VA is so bad. Husband who also has Lyme has been bitten 7 times this year and it is only August. He is looking for a job there now.
We leave Tuesday to take a two week vacation heading out there. We are taking a camper with the dogs and it is 3 1/2 days driving out and back. We will stay a week at a campsite and look at real estate.
One of my doctors lives out there and works in VA one week a month and he has been trying to get me out there for two years.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
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tick battler
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Wow - faithful - thank you so much for the info. You are doing what I dream of doing!!!! This confirms my hunch that Colorado is the safest place right now! So this doctor tells you that it is much safer there? Where in CO is he telling you to move? Are there safer parts than others within CO?
It means a lot to hear from a doctor who treats lyme and has lived both there and on the east coast. He can see the differences. What reasons does he tell you to move there? Is the climate the reason why it is safer or does he think that lyme has not yet made it way there?
I feel that my family has been reinfected about 7 times this year as well!!! Is your husband getting reinfected by mosquito bites or are you finding ticks on him? Does he get infected as part of his job or do you think it is some other way?
Thanks so much! I would love to hear about your trip out there. How exciting to start a new life...hopefully without lyme!!! I believe that we can heal as long as we don't get reinfected!!
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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We herx all the time on different meds but some of the bites have caused more symptoms. Not sure why you asked how we know he has been bitten. When you pull a tick out of your skin that is attached, you have been bitten.
We are trying to live at the higher elevations. The link I put on this thread shows that some states are worse for ticks than others. I read somewhere that ticks don't like it above 8000 ft above sea level. That may not be true, but it is a less endemic state and I can't take the hot VA summers anymore. Colorado is a drier climate and sunny 300 days out of the year.
Everyone I speak to has said they love it there. Wish the drive wasn't so long but I can't travel alone so we are doing the camper thing. I won't board my dogs so all 4 of them are coming on the trip.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
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I just read part of an article in the July/August Reader's Digest about an old nuclear facility 16 miles from Denver and 8 from Boulder.
It's now a wildlife area, but I would not want to live near it, nor downstream from it.
The plant was called Rocky Flats. I don't know if the land around it is now called something else but the article said, "The wildlife refuge is still closed to the public. Extensive home construction continues in the area."
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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tick battler
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We know when we have been reinfected by an increase in symptoms following a bite which sometimes gets red in a large area. We normally are able to confirm this through electrodermal screening which shows our lyme/coinfection levels have increased since the last visit. When we are not reinfected, our levels slowly decrease over time, which coincides with a decrease in symptoms. We always get much better in the winter when we are not exposed to biting insects, but then backslide once the warm weather begins.
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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Good luck to you tick battler in your quest for a safe home to live.
While I was in CO I did not hear of any people who had lyme. But if you live in the foothills of the mts you may have problems. We did see deer in Red Rock when there also 3 yrs ago. But CO is devirsified. (SP)
One thing Southern Denver CO has is some great health food stores. I loved Whole Foods. That was an asset in treating my VT lyme while visiting family.
Here are 5 states with limited reports of lyme. Lyme disease information for Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Utah is very limited. The disease has been reported in all of these states but the numbers of cases have been few, either because the disease is indeed rare or reporting procedures are flawed.
-------------------- If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed. David Visott ~ Posts: 56 | From VT | Registered: Jun 2012
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quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: I just read part of an article in the July/August Reader's Digest about an old nuclear facility 16 miles from Denver and 8 from Boulder.
It's now a wildlife area, but I would not want to live near it, nor downstream from it.
The plant was called Rocky Flats. I don't know if the land around it is now called something else but the article said, "The wildlife refuge is still closed to the public. Extensive home construction continues in the area."
Yikes!!! We are heading for the Hartsel area 2 hours from Denver.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
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sammy
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If you live within a couple blocks from the ocean in florida the constant winds keep the mosquitoes and biting flies away. They also have lizards that will eat most bugs.
My grandparents live near Ft. Lauderdale FL and I've never seen hardly any bugs at all there. I've spent several weeks at a time there in all seasons. The weather is perfect!
Wish I could move there. Or Hawaii.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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faithful... maybe that would be north or above the nuclear plant? It's closed but there is contamination.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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tick battler
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Maryinv2- thanks for your input. I am so glad to hear it. Everyone in PA knows someone with lyme. Even even if there are deer and ticks in CO, as long as they are not infected, you are safe.
I'm curious, did you notice many biting insects when you were there? Did you stay in southern Denver?
Thanks, tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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nefferdun
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There are places where there are no deer ticks like here where I live in Montana. I was bitten by a wood tick which is big so much easier to notice. Just my luck as it was my first bite in my whole life. I would never live where there are deer ticks.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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Dogsandcats
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I had a dingo dog that was bit by a tick about 25+ years ago. Didn't know what it was. Big blood sac hanging off dogs neck. Went running to the vet. The blob dropped off in the waiting room and rolled out on the floor. We cleared the waiting room. So much for the no ticks in California....
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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Melanie Reber
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I lived in southern Co for 19 years at an elevation of 7,200'. I was constantly pulling ticks off of myself, my dog and my husband. My first diagnosis was CO Tick Fever in 1987. I have since been diagnosed with 7 distinct TBDs.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Hi tick battler. We stayed in Highland Ranch. South of Denver. We were in a new development there. Things were new. Who knows what it will be like 5 years from now. I don't think there are many safe places any more. But no matter where you go I am sure that it won't be as bad as PA or NJ. You can't even go into a park any more on the east coast. I mostly stay indoors. Or I go for a walk at the plaza. Keep your chin up. There has to be a place for you and your family.
-------------------- If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed. David Visott ~ Posts: 56 | From VT | Registered: Jun 2012
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Hey, thank you for starting this post! I have been silently asking this question ever since my Lyme symptoms appeared.
I lived upstate NY in the Catskills for 21 years and was bit 1000s of times by everything. Lyme was never even a thought(stupidly)..
I moved in with my father in NJ at the shore and got Lyme disease within 3 months, even though bug spray has been my best friend for years.
I'm sure Everyone already knows what I learned the hard way. Jersey is crazy infested. Stay outa the parks!
I'm moving to Brooklyn. None of my fiends there have problems with Lyme.
Posts: 17 | From NJ | Registered: Jun 2012
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tick battler
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 21113
posted
Thanks everyone for responding. Here is an interesting chart from the CDC....just multiply everything by 10 to get closer to the real number of cases per state!
While I agree that no place is safe...you can see that there are different levels of safety. It is just so hard with kids...I'm totally stressing about my boys playing soccer in the fall. Just found out last night that we have yet another reinfection in one of my boys. That is probably the sixth reinfection for him this year, all from mosquitos. Of course, he is not doing as well as his brother and sister...you can see the difference. He used to be the healthiest of them all.
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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tick battler
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posted
Jolteon - I'm sure Brooklyn will be a good move for you - it's got to be better than NJ, which I believe is as bad as PA. Did you have lyme before you moved to NJ from all of those bites in the Catskills?
tickbattler
Posts: 1763 | From Malvern, PA | Registered: Jul 2009
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I would not be surprised if I have had it all my life. Especially after learning how easy and common it is to get in certain areas. Being in jersey was the first time I have ever pulled off a tick, got a crazy rash and then became extremely ill.
I've always lived in deer country and I have never been scared to go off the beaten path. Until getting Lyme. It has really taken away a lot of who I was proud to be.
I think 24/7 now abut preventing things from happening instead of just living. Always thinking about stupid bugs. That is why I cannot wait to be in an area where I don't have to worry so much and can just enjoy.
I hope you find that too. Good luck!
Posts: 17 | From NJ | Registered: Jun 2012
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tick battler.. that list is way off for Missouri! Texas is ahead of MO on that one. Some of the numbers also have to do with the total population of the state.
Wish they had better tests and better reporting!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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