I just found out, after a recent bite and EM rash, that what I had for the last 14 years was not FMS, IBS, CTS, TOS, CFS, CPS, rheumatoid arthritis, eye problems, dyslexia, etc. etc. but Lyme!
I even got the fever and sweats (like someone poured a cup of water over my head) from the co-infections after going off the 3 week doxy dose prescribed by my non-Lyme doc.
What I wanted to ask you in this thread: how do you all deal with it if you got bitten in your own yard (with EM rash) and know the Lyme ticks are abundently out there?
Since we don't feel the bite and some go unnoticed, does that mean I have to move now to protect myself?
I love my house and 7 acres! I have a horse in the back yard, my dream come true. Now I feel the horror of - well, knowing that I am expsoing myself everytime I step outside.
The logical conclusion would be to move to a city appartment and never step on grass again...
When you are as sick as I am that is no joke.
I found ticks yesterday on a tree right over my car in my driveway. We have deer and rabbits and groudhogs and squirrels, possum, skunk, racoons, mice(even in the house sometimes), etc. around here that I have spotted myself.
I saw the Tick-free-zone feeding stations for deer somewhere, I think it was on lymenet, where the amazon ad is now. Does anyone know where to find information on those deer feeding stations to eliminate ticks?
I love it here but I am pretty sure I got the EM rash from a tick from my own home and the neighbor's dog had Lyme last year, so I think it is here and we got plenty of ticks.
Any thoughts?
Thank you so much!
-------------------- Persistence, persistence, persistence!!! "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence... Persistence and determination are omnipotent." attributed to Calvin Coolidge Posts: 599 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2011
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jackie51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14233
posted
I wouldn't personally leave my home, i.e. move, because of ticks. I have certainly changed my ways and have learned a lot.
I never lean on trees. I don't walk on grass unless it's absolutely necessary. If outside for a while, first thing inside I take a shower. We are nuts about getting the 2 dogs and the cat their frontline on a 30 day schedule, year round. Cat no longer goes outside.
We put Daminix tubes under the porches and in the woods. My husband sprays the conservation area (we have a few acres). I do not go out the last hour of sunlight during mosquito feeding time unless absolutely necessary, i.e. July 4th fireworks were an exception. I had plenty of Deet on for that.
I also have incorporated many supplements into my daily regimen and try to eat anti-parasitic foods, i.e. coconut oil, pumpkin seeds, cayenne pepper, pineapple. You get the picture.
Posts: 1374 | From Crazy Town | Registered: Dec 2007
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scorpiogirl
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Member # 31907
posted
Personally, I'm PETRIFIED of the ticks!!
The way I see it... I lost 2.5 YEARS of my life. At a time when we should be trying for another baby to complete our family, instead I was in bed sick. I'm still mourning that loss, not one day that goes by I don't think about my baby that I could have had.
I can no longer be the attentive wife to my wonderful husband and mother to my sweet children. I became their burden. I drained every pennies he made trying to figure out what was wrong with me! This Lyme has robbed me of who I am (I am not longer the same person as I was before Lyme). I have lesions in my brain, I lost my right leg... but the impact goes beyond my physical and mental illness. My husband doesn't have a partner, my children don't have a mom that can attend any school events, take them to any extra curriculum activities after school, etc... ALL of our lives are on hold while I fight this insidious disease.
So for me no dream house is worth risking the quality of my life and the impact it has on my family. I would move in a heart beat!!
-------------------- Posts: 1391 | From Lyme Land | Registered: May 2011
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posted
Yes, it is hard on outdoors types. And some people have moved to be surrounded by concrete. Can't really make the decision for anyone.
Try everything you can to feel safer, and then if that doesn't work.....
They have that shield clothing now with permithrin impregnated so it doesn't wash out so fast. But of course, all those things are not really suited for hot summer weather. I would spray shoes and not go barefooted anywhere and stay out of tall grass. Can use your intelligence to plot strategies.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
My large yard backs to a woods and the deer ticks and wild animals (all those you named) are abundant. I got ticks on me often before I was diagnosed with lyme. My lyme doctor got rid of lyme for me over 6 years ago now. But, he also told me to sell my house and move to an area that has far fewer cases of lyme disease so that I don't get lyme again.
Those of us who get lyme are often tick and mosquito magnets. We are not like the average person. The ticks come after us.
So, if that is you, you are certainly courting danger by touching a horse. We removed all our bird feeders to lessen the number of animals coming onto the property. (Not only birds, but squirrels are attracted to the feeders.) Birds carry ticks too.
These are the rules the lyme doctor gave me: no more going in woods, no more walking in grass along the side of the road, use insect repellant if doing ANY yard work (even pulling weeds for 1 minute), and always do a complete tick check after each contact with outdoors. He said to take a shower immediately after being outdoors and scrub with a brush to remove any possible ticks on the body.
Other things you can do, that we do: treat the yard with granular insect killer that kills deer ticks. Be sure to put this stuff everywhere--in flower beds, shrubs, etc. You can also spray a number of times during warm weather with a spray that kills ticks. These measures will reduce the number of ticks on your property.
Never sit on a log, or lean against a tree or rock wall, never walk in leaves or sit in them, never sit on the ground. These are all very high risk activities.
Before lyme stole 5 years of my life, I loved looking into my backyard and seeing the animals and nature. Now, I look at it totally differently.
If I ever break the rules, I get ticks on me. If we fail to immediately treat the yard in the early spring, I get ticks on me. I have found 3 attached deer ticks on me so far this year. Believe me, it is terrible each time you find one. If you are a tick magnet, you are like a ticking time bomb and you should certainly consider getting out of your current environment to lessen your chance of getting lyme disease again.
People who are tick magnets often attract mosquitoes also. It is because we produce pheromones that attract these insects. Lyme doctors know this. Such people have to take extreme measures to avoid getting lyme over and over again.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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"So for me no dream house is worth risking the quality of my life and the impact it has on my family. I would move in a heart beat!!"
DITTO!
-------------------- You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'
---Eleanor Roosevelt Posts: 748 | From somewhere | Registered: May 2010
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kam
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 3410
posted
I wonder about that myself.
Like were I currently live but don't have access to a lyme doc and don't have the health or funds to travel.
If I had the funds to move closer to a LLMD that that would be able to help...it would mean moving back into an area where ticks might be able to infect me again.
Getting help would be my priority.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
spray or put on bug killer.
we have a very small yard so i'd nuk the suckers.
we haven't had a problem in our yard but we travel so much. we go all over.
i worry more about bed bugs than i do ticks. but then i stopped going hunting with him too.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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penguingirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 28688
posted
I live in the middle of the city - in a concrete jungle. But I still got bit. But who knows WHERE and when- been living in cities my whole life - maybe the few times I went to Cape Cod or the Catskills or camp in Michigan when I was in 8th grade..
So it's not only where you live but also where you go for vacations/occasions that you have to be careful. I spray bug killer even if I am going to a friend's BBQ and not really sitting on grass. Just being outside freaks me out now. Like TF said, I am also a mosquito magnet - my whole life I get huge welts from mosquitoes all the time. So aggravating. I prob got lyme from an infected mosquito.
But it does help to live in the city - at least no yard and no deer anywhere near me. I will always be a city girl so I don't get sad about not being among nature.
-------------------- Posts: 1204 | From USA | Registered: Oct 2010
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posted
I am a caregiver, not a Lymie myself---it's my son that's got Lyme & Co.---but I am PETRIFIED of ticks! I would say that I have reached the point where I could be called phobic. I don't like to be outside at all. I don't even like to walk two feet on cropped lawn to bring out the garbage. I won't touch vegetation outside, and I used to be gardener. My temple is holding a service this Friday at a wooded lakeside, a beautiful event of worhip under the stars. I am too frightened of ticks to go... (((
I entertain fantasies of moving to NYC all the time now. I even look up rental/real estate ads.
Susie
Posts: 234 | From albany, ny | Registered: Mar 2011
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posted
Harmony, it's funny you brought that up. When I was at my first appt with the lyme dr on Monday, he asked what activities I do and where we live.
I told him I USED to kayak, bike, swim in backyard pool, hike and garden. I said but no more because I am so petrified of getting another tick on me. (I saw the last one)
I also love my home-big beautiful home w/inground pool on 3 acres and everything just as I want it. We have all those animals too. I want to stay but I also want to move!
My dr told me "oh don't withdraw from everything you enjoy, you must go on living" He said the damage is already done, you were already bitten.
He is right, but that didn't help me with the tick phobia tho. I would say just protect yourself with preventative measures and stay and enjoy your home.
I will probably stay because I don't want those dang ticks to win and ruin my life even further.
PS Altho my large flower garden is where I got bitten so it is definitely getting plowed over. LOL
Posts: 33 | From PA | Registered: Jul 2011
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I totally understand what you are going through. I live on 20 acres, 4 horses in my backyard. It is my dream come true as well.
I am petrified of picking up ticks from the yard, and have taken some precautions, but I refuse to give up my horses. They are my life, my career, my solace.
I no longer go in the woods, I don't trail ride my horses in long grass or the woods (don't want to risk any more exposure for them than they already have) and I do tick checks frequently. We mow our grass weekly and the horse paddocks every other week to keep it short. Our property gets a lot of sun and the areas I am in are pretty dry. I do not garden anymore. I also run around with my socks pulled up over my pants, looking like a fashion disaster, but thats OK.
I have had lyme for 14+ years, treating since 2009. Lyme has already stolen so much from me, I refuse to let it take my horses and my farm.
Posts: 233 | From Hudson Valley | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
This is exactly where I am. I live on 19 acres, have horses, dogs, chickens. My husband can go out and rarely picks up a tick. I go out and I am a magnet!!!
I am just starting treatment in Sept. Looking to retire somewhere other than where we are now. I am paranoid of a bite, but I would die in the city.
Not sure what we are going to do. At least live on smaller amount of land that is more manageable. 12 acres are for the horses and that is a lot of mowing to do.
Lyme has already taken a lot of years and I don't want to give any more back to it. Haven't been able to ride my horses in 5 years. I won't get rid of them, but when they are gone, no more horses.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
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My husband and I took a drastic move from a hot spot Dutchess County, NY to Phoenix, AZ.
I was a tick and mosquito magnet. I could drag a towel on my lawn any day and pick up ticks. I kept on getting re-bitten. I kept on getting sicker with each new strain. I had to get out.
We are also hoping the drier weather will help with the arthritis. We have been here for 8 months. So far I can say Az is having their monsoon season right now. Lots of humidity and I'm really hurting and flaring. This lasts a month and them at least it gets drier again.
It might be desert, but at least I can rest knowing I have very little chance of getting bitten - no mosquitos either.
I felt if we continued on the same path we surely would have died.
Posts: 140 | From Phoenix AZ | Registered: Jan 2011
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penguingirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 28688
posted
Concrete is my friend too!
-------------------- Posts: 1204 | From USA | Registered: Oct 2010
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quote:Originally posted by darwinsdream: Yes and i did move away!
My husband and I took a drastic move from a hot spot Dutchess County, NY to Phoenix, AZ.
I was a tick and mosquito magnet. I could drag a towel on my lawn any day and pick up ticks. I kept on getting re-bitten. I kept on getting sicker with each new strain. I had to get out.
We are also hoping the drier weather will help with the arthritis. We have been here for 8 months. So far I can say Az is having their monsoon season right now. Lots of humidity and I'm really hurting and flaring. This lasts a month and them at least it gets drier again.
It might be desert, but at least I can rest knowing I have very little chance of getting bitten - no mosquitos either.
I felt if we continued on the same path we surely would have died.
What are the seasons like there? How cold is winter? You have one rough summer month and then it gets better? We are trying to figure out where to retire. Can't stand hot and humid for months but hate cold and wintry snow too. I am originally from upstate NY. Do you like it in Arizona?
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
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Rumigirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15091
posted
It's sad that this is all so, but it sure is. I'm a tick magnet, too : - ( I used to spend so much time at the beach, in the woods, etc. and love it. Not anymore. No energy to anyway! But also not worth another bite.
As it is, I got another bite two years ago, just visiting friends for 24 hours in the "country suburbs" of NJ!! Got 2 ticks on me that time. And relapsed badly, even though I was in treatment already. No way am I going to do that again.
I live in a city. People get it here, too, although not as often.
Posts: 3792 | From around | Registered: Mar 2008
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2roads
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
I DID.
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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