Posted 7/11/2013 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
I am a 31 yr old mother with 3 kids. Last year we lived in a very Lyme populated wooded area in Westchester County, NY. Within a month of living there, my husband got Lyme's disease with the classic rash. My boys spent every day outdoors in our acre yard, and most days in the summer I would find about 10 nymph deer tick on them. I was vigilant about checking and giving lots of bathes, but we all know how hard those are to see. Not so easy to check myself. I told my husband we would all get tested again in a year, once we moved away from there (to another Lyme populated community in MA, of course...)
In the meantime, I got pregnant and had the typical aches and pains of pregnancy. Sore knees were a definite symptom I had, even after she was born. And the fatigue and foggy brain has always been attributed to having a baby and 2 crazy boys.
This summer I started having a sore neck, headaches, random mild aches and pains like a sore wrist for a day or aching feet. I decided to get a Lyme test, mostly out of concern of the sore neck, as all the other symptoms seemed understandable. Negative test, although MD also checked for ehrlichea and I have positive antigens from a past infection. My b12 levels are also low, which could explain some symptoms.
Still feeling unsure and having an nagging feeling about it, I did a thorough check for bullseye rashes as I did recall picking off 2 nymphs back in May, although not imbedded. I thought I was imagining things but I found an odd circular mark on my stomach, where one of the ticks had been attached. It's only about an inch wide, the color of dark skin, and doesn't have a red center. I went back to the MD and she said not to worry, that if she were me with my test results, she would feel confident I don't have Lymes, and played up the low b12.
I honestly feel like a hypochondriac, but I want to be sure I am ok.
Now to my second question...
Last year my toddler developed a bullseye when we were out of state visiting family. It had a bite in the center, we had not noticed the bite the day before. We called his DR scared about Lyme and he assured us that it was not Lyme because the bite was not there previously, he said it was a bug bite. The rash went away in 2 days, and when we followed up with the DR he said that if it were Lymes it would still be there.
I REALLY appreciate any input. I am totally overwhelmed fearing that we all have Lymes disease with no idea where to go next.