lyme disease... i might have it. been doing landscaping stuff around my parents house for the past few days, lots of raking up old leaves, some weeding, and for the past 3 days i had a wicked itch on the side of my torso. i just assumed it was an itch, i can't really see around there without a mirror and any time i ever got a tick in the past it was on my legs.

well, i learned the hard way that u have to check the entire body, because just today i checked my torso and sure enough there were 2 dead tick heads stuck in there. all the itching i did probably got the bodies but not the heads. well i took them out with tweezers but one has a rash (the other is just a lil bump but still kind of red). its not the usual "bullseye rash" or at least not yet, its like 1/2 inch in diameter.

and also today i've had a headache. which fits the symptoms.

obviously i should see a doctor about this and maybe try to get started on antibiotics. my question is... how soon should i do this? is it a matter of days before this takes hold of my nervous system and the headaches get severe? i heard fevers might come too, which sucks. i have no health insurance (23 on a year off from college, so being a non full-time student i don't qualify under my dad's company-paid health insurance plan). just how urgent is this and whats the worst case scenario if i put it off a few days? i'll probably just end up borrowing money from my dad for a doctors appointment.

thanks in advance for any advice u can offer.

Don't fuck around. Go to the doctor right away.

Burun wrote:

Don't fuck around. Go to the doctor right away.

Thirded, go to the doctor. Plus, that is not the only tick-borne disease around, and some are worse than Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is bullshit. Terrible stuff. Be sure, get rid of any doubt.

I had a case of this when I was in middle school, and I'm glad I had it treated when I did after reading some of the horror stories of prolonged exposure to untreated Lyme Disease.

Don't be bashful, go to the doctor!

A friend of mine was screwed up all last summer with this. Go to the doctor right away.

thanks all, a ton. i'm going to the doctor today. talked it over with my dad and hes cool with paying for me to go to a clinic, where i can get diagnosed and if necessary (probably the case) prescribed some antibiotics.

Worst case scenario is death. Don't fuck around. My brother had this a couple summers ago and it pretty much ruined his summer since he did not know he had it for a week or so. Don't let lack of insurance prevent you from taking care of yourself.