I think I became over confident...

[Thiltzy]

I am very cautious about ticks in my neck of the woods as they are everywhere when we hunt. I am constantly pulling them off me and burning them till they pop like a popcorn kernel. I always make sure my pants are tucked into my socks and all layers of shirts are tucked into my pants. When I get home I usually strip down and check for those annoying parasites and then check again when I get out of the shower. I have pulled many off my naked body following all these steps.

Welp, one finally got passed me because I think I got over confident. After hunting this weekend I forgot to throw my hunting clothes into the wash and left them on my bedroom floor. When I woke up for work today and got into the shower, I felt a bump just below my naval and there was a tick burrowed really tight into my stomach. I took this picture just before I entered the clinic.
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I knew he was in there good and after a few attempts to remove it, I decided to head to the walk in clinic and get it removed. The nurse had to shoot me with novacaine and surgically remove it with a knife. I now have to take two forms of antibiotics for two weeks and then get tested for Lyme Disease. I knew this day was going to come at some point but I think I could have taken more precautions to avoid such a situation.

I believe that the tick came home with me on my clothes and made it's way into my bed because I was in the woods on Saturday and I know there is no way I could have missed this one for 3 days. Don't forget to immediately take your hunting clothes off and get them into the wash!

[Lodge Scent]

Bummer Todd! I had one latched onto the top of my leg after this weekend's hunt. I'm not screwing around any more. I went and ordered bug suit underwear.

My doctor said if its been latched on more than 48 hours there is a good chance it transfered the Lymes spirochete into your blood. Glad you got the antibiotics !

Thanks for sharing that. You may save someone from getting Lymes.

[del]

very good advice Todd , a regiment that i've been doing for years now ...

I come home go down stairs and strip in front of the washing machine , clothes immediately go into the washer . i then go take a very hot shower and check myself out , because of the suit i wear the really only unprotected area is my scalp but its extremely rare for a tick to get up that high up on me with the treated (permethrin) pants and shirt.

be careful out there !

[coinnut]

I think it's a great idea that you went to the clinic.....but the removal was a bit prehistoric :confused: With all the different ways to remove a tick, you would think they would have the least intrusive method. I would take them antibiotics diligently, for the Lyme Disease and for their removal technique :shocked04: Hope the meds gets in your system fast and take effect Todd. Lucky you found it. I do the same method everyone mentioned except I add a hot tub soak after the shower. Ticks seem to hate the Bromide we use in it.

[Timewarpdigger]

Did the same thing last year but luckily it wasn't a deer tick, and I was able to remove it myself. Good luck hope you will be ok.

[Thiltzy]

I am ok with her cutting it out. It embedded in me so tight I am confident she got every bit out of my skin. I also learned not to use heat or grab it by it's body. Both these methods risk the tick regurgitating anything in its abdomen into your blood and that is the highest risk of transmitting the lyme disease. Now the dreadful two week wait to see if I test positive or negative:ticked:

[KCFindIt]

All I can say is ouch, ouch, ouch. Funny you posted this. I just posted a thread on everyone's advice on tick repellent. I went to wal-mart tonite for the repellents, and will look into the bug suit. I've already found 1 tick crawling on my leg, kneehigh, but he bit before I found him, just didn't latch on. I will now suffer his agony for 4-5 months. Hope you don't suffer too much from that nasty bite, and more importantly, that your Lymes test is favorable.

[Tom]

I hate bugs! :devilish:

[BTV Digger]

Yeah, do something similar to Dan. Immediately strip down, shower and wash the clothes. Do a once over body check and have the wife take a look at my back/shoulders to make sure I didn't miss anything. That keeps most of them at bay, but a few have still gotten by. Those smaller star ticks are the more troublesome kind.

BTV Digger

[giant056]

I hate them nasty parasites and ticks are the worst!! I had a tick on my back with just his head buried and pulled him out, put antibiotics on the wound and called it good. At the time I wasn't with the VA benefit program and didn't have insurance otherwise I would have gone to the VA and got checked.

[The Rebel]

Hey Todd smart idea going to the walk in, better safe than sorry. Take care buddy.