Three years ago I was bit by a tick and have been on and off antibiotics ever since.  Unfortunately my MD did not know about tick bites and sent me on my way to see what happens.  Well many things happened including heart problems, vertigo, joint pain, eye pain, headaches, and many other things.  The best way to not get Lyme Disease is prevention! 

Allison at My Lyme Disease Blog has made this list to help prevent that tick from biting you.



PLEASE, PLEASE remember right now the nymph (babies) ticks are out!! So when you are outside whether you are hiking, playing in the yard, gardening, camping or even at a local park do a tick check when you come home. Here are some tips I would suggest too…these are cheap products that can help.

1. Wear some kind of hat
2. Wear light colored clothing so that you can see the ticks
3. Cover any or all exposed areas such as your ankles, arms, & legs. Ticks love the warmer spots like your Ears, armpits, groin, etc. I know it can be hot to wear long clothes in the spring/summer so if you prefer there are products that help protect from ticks such as…

A. Permethrin Spray, this is good through 6 washes of clothing-http://www.walmart.com/ip/21947774?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227022234839&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40968437432&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78911591192&veh=sem

B. Spray with DEET to apply to the skin- http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Woods-Sportsman-Insect-Repellent/dp/B000WOU414

C. Natural spray is also good for kids and if you don’t want the chemicals on your skin is- http://www.google.com/shopping/product/5192824551280969911?lsf=seller:7960,store:2059309246457266924&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KEQjwpM2pBRChsZCzm_CU0t4BEiQAxDVFmpThkCqNZ0rSyGtMxOebp_boiD5ywDO6EfLNmIB9_SYaAkTe8P8HAQ&ei=-7gzVeyCCYmegwSb7YHIDg&hl=en&lsft=gclid:Cj0KEQjwpM2pBRChsZCzm_CU0t4BEiQAxDVFmpThkCqNZ0rSyGtMxOebp_boiD5ywDO6EfLNmIB9_SYaAkTe8P8HAQ,gclsrc:aw.ds&prds=oid:3487776867837259213;

D. For your lawn there are many different things you can do. Remember ticks love the to hang by the edges of your yard and walking paths. They HATE the Sun but LOVE the shade so putting things like your kids swing set in the shade isn’t the best idea. Here are a few products to help- http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/protect_your_yard

E. Don’t forget about your pets! Use a pet product on them to help prevent ticks as well. Remember to check them when they come inside and one of the best things I can tell you as well. Do not allow them to sleep in bed with you at night. I’ve had many people with stories of ticks transferring from their pets onto them- http://www.1800petmeds.com/Flea+++Tick+Prevention-cat50.html

F. When Hunting there is a Tick prevention suit and clothing you can wear. In fact my Father In-law uses one and says it works great!- http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=Tick+prevention+clothes&x=10&y=6&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

Reputable Lyme Disease Info-
http://www.ilads.org
http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/ticks/about_ticks.html

Warm hugs,
 

Looking Backward and Foreward

 Looking back at 2013 some of it was not very good.  Not sure why I have a hard time blogging about difficult times in my life...but I do.  Thinking about it now it may have something to do with wanting to have people accept and like me.  Good grief I think I'm in a therapy session!  

In January 2013 I started a new eating plan to lose weight by March I'd lost 15 pounds.  One day towards the end of March I told my husband that I felt better then I had for a long time.  Then that very same night an ambulance had to come and take me to the hospital with vertigo so bad I could not stand or move.  Doc's could not find why I had vertigo...I asked could it be my Lyme Disease and they said no.  Well I finally went to a doctor who specializes in Lyme Disease and have been on antibiotics since April.  I think it has helped me but still have some symptoms.  Needless to say I gained the 15 pounds back...plus more!

In June the non-profit I work for (from home) told me they would have to lower the amount they paid me they just did not have the funds to continue with the original amount and they would let me know in November.  My contract was up in December and they decided to make changes to my job description some of  which I was not willing to do so now I have no part-time job.

I did post last year about all the bins I have full of treasures to sell on Ebay  (see post)   That is the only bin I got listed so there are many more to list that can help make up some of the money I've lost from the part-time job. Plus I'm going to sell some crafts I make.

In August my husband went to the emergency room and had congestive heart failure and a-fib.  He had been on medication for this for about 4 years but for some reason he went back into a-fib and his heart was not pumping like it should and that's why he had congestive heart failure. He is doing better now but the doc's are waiting to see if his heart starts to pump better...if not they will give him a defibrillator and maybe a pacemaker.  It's not easy getting old!  Now on to

Some of my thought for this year.

Get on an eating plan and stick to it! 

 If I lost weight I'd have more energy. 

 Lyme Disease feeds on sugar so I must stop feeding it!

Keep listing items on Ebay must make some money

 to supplement our retirement.

Blog more....and be more open about my life!

Warm hugs,

The "TICK" Got Me!

Two days after my last post in August I was in the emergency room with heart problems..afib and heart block two caused by Lyme Disease. In March a tick bit me but I never imagined that something so serious would come from that bite.

Heart block two can be caused by Lyme Disease and since I had seen my doc in March about the tick bite they tested my blood and it came back positive. So I've been on antibiotics for about six weeks now and I'm really scared the treatment won't take care of the Lyme Disease. My cardiologist has me on blood thinner (warfarin) since afib can cause a stroke. Also there was some talk about giving me a pace maker but decided not now. Next Wednesday I have an appointment with a infectious disease doc so he can decide if I'm getting the correct treatment or if other drugs should be added. Then in early October back to the heart doc.

 I hate this!!! I've seen more docs in the last two months than in the previous two years. I'm hardly ever sick and don't have any major illnesses. What's really scary is the doctors don't seem to know much about Lyme Disease guess they don't see much of it here in Pittsburgh it's mostly in the wooded areas not in the city (which is where I live). If my original doctor had put me on antibiotics last March when I saw her I would not be having this problem. Needless to say I have switch docs because I might have punched her in the nose if I saw her again!!

Lyme Disease is a horrid disease it can cause problems for every part of a persons body, been doing too much research on the internet and it has really frightened me.  Has anyone else had any problems with Lyme Disease?  I could really use some positive reinforcement.

This is what will happen to future intruders ticks in my garden 

Source: pxleyes.com via Shabby on Pinterest

Garden Hazards!

Seems recently I have only been blogging about my garden which

is really one of my favorite topics!

This year appears to be my year of garden injuries

and three trips to the doctors office.

Early this spring when the weather was unusually warm I took

advantage and did lots of clean up.  

Well one morning I saw something growing on my upper thigh

I tried to pull it off put it was very attached so I just watched it for about 4 days.

Finally my leg seemed to be infected and very warm...

so again I tried to pull it off...and it came off!!

I pushed on it with my finger nail and blood came squirting out

OMG it was a tick!

Now how could I get to be 67 years old and not know what a tick was but I had never seen one.

Yes my doctor saw me right away and we are waiting to see if I get any symptoms of Lyme Disease.

I don't live in a high Lyme Disease area but this year is so unusual and 

there are lots more ticks being seen.

So time goes on and I just keep working in the garden.  The Friday

before Memorial Day about 6:00 in the evening decided do some mulching.

Unfortunately I did not put on my garden shoes but started spreading 

mulch in my flip flops.  I came down on a rusty metal post sticking out of the ground. 

I didn't even realize it was there..... here I go again off the docs office.

Thanks goodness no stitches just bandages, tetanus shot, shot of antibiotics, 

and they prescribed antibiotics for 10 days.

No working in the garden until it's healed!

So now it's the end of June and only been playing in the garden for

about a week...took awhile for my foot to heal.

We had a couple beautiful days cooler with nice breeze and I enjoyed

working ... planting, digging, weeding, mulching whatever needed done..

it felt so good getting everything finished.

Well seems I over did it because a few days latter there was awful pain running

down my right leg..OMG it really hurt!

Yes here we go again to the doctors

Sciatica was the diagnosis taking pain killers, muscle relaxer, using ice...

not sleeping all night, hurts when I lay, sit or if I stand too long!

It's been a little over 3 weeks and the pain is a lot better.

Been to the chiropractor  2 times and that helps.

My husband has been watering the garden but not like me...

and there are weeds everywhere...

oh well I can't bend over very well so they will have to wait.

Thanks for listening to me I really needed to share.

Linking to
Fertilizer Friday

Warm hugs,