Tick! (Weird balance between action and anxiety.)

[oak]

Friends, this morning I, as I so often do, cut through a small strand of trees to get to the grocery store next door.

Arriving home, I saw a tick crawling along my cargo shorts.

!

1. I tried squashing him but he got away, so I vacuumed, checked my body, showered, and checked again.

2. Having consulted Dr. Reddit, I will daily check for ticks and the tell-tale rash common with Lyme disease.

3. This I don't need.

4. More pertinent to this mental health forum, I want to balance taking action (checking self) with avoiding anxiety spirals.

5. Also, I find myself drawn to eating for comfort.

[manuel_moe_g]

take care, Oak.

Lyme disease vaccine - https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/vaccine.html

when the Lyme disease vaccine is available again, i am going to take it

[Mental Fairy]

I need a shower reading this, I’ve never seen one.

[Mental Fairy]

I’ve just been thinking about your reaction Oak.

Go back in time to a situation as a child that may of made you feel similar feelings, what did you do then? Situation, action, reaction from caregiver?

[snoringdog]

About two years ago, I got the start of the bull's eye rash.

I'm usually pretty careful but I found a tick in my armpit a couple of days after birdwatching in a local park (Really pissed at myself...). I'd cut thru the tall grass. Lots of deer there too.

Went to the doc and got what they consider the standard prophylactic dose of antibiotic. No residual effects.

Are you sure it was a deer tick, and not a dog tick?
Deer ticks are poppy seed in size, dog ticks are much bigger.

[Mental Fairy]

Ticks sounds so horrid! So cuddling my ducks is not advisable!!!

[oak]

Thank you Manuel Moe, Mental Fairy, and Snoring Dog!

Mental Fairy, sorry I haven’t responded to your excellent question. I’ve been busy with CPAP and life’s sorrows, but yes, playing those scripts from my childhood has risked my life (eg feelings of unworthiness leads to my obesity leads to sleep apnea).

As far as fear of ticks from your duck friends, my main source of fear from ticks, Lyme disease (Wikipedia at your own risk!) is not present in NZ.

Not that you can’t catch totally downer diseases from ticks in NZ, but you just won’t catch Lyme disease.

[snoringdog]

Hello Oak,

If there aren't deer around, if it wasn't a deer tick, and if it wasn't actually attached for a day or so, the chances of Lyme are really pretty low....

(It is disturbing to find a parasite crawling around on you though... )

[oak]

Thank you, Snoring Dog!

I took your advice and checked myself daily.

I found a rash, not a bullseye but certainly a rash, on Friday. I'll call my doctor Monday.

[oak]

Friends!

I have an appointment today with my primary care physician, and dermatologist tomorrow.

Happily, having the plan to do so prevented a weekend-long anxiety spiral when I noticed the troubling rash (you know what is coming next!) ... Friday night!

I'll update tomorrow. Thanks for listening!