We’ve been making good use of the past week of good weather, cutting and splitting firewood. Will had quite a pile of dry ash cut up and while he chucked wood onto the splitter (mounted on the 3 point of our tractor) I ran the splitter. After about an hour we had a truckload, piled high. He backed the truck near the wood shed door and I spent the next two hours stacking wood as high as I could reach.
Right now we have about three cords nice and dry in the shed, with another truckload waiting at the door. We’ve got plenty of dry wood cut up and ready to split but they’re calling for rain so we’ll see how much more we get in before that happens.
Yesterday I noticed a dark “thing” on my shoulder. I thought it was a scabbed over small skin tag but when I had Will look at it, the “skin tag” had legs! It was a deer tick. They’re only about the size of a coarse ground speck of pepper but often carry Lyme’s Disease. That little potlicker was REALLY buried. Will soaked him several times with rubbing alcohol until he came most of the way out. After pulling him loose and saving the body for identification, he then had to dig out the pinchers with a hypodermic needle. NOT fun!
Today I went in to the clinic and the Nurse Practitioner took a look. Yep, better go on antibiotics for two weeks, just to be safe. Lymes is nothing to fool around with as it can not only cripple you, but can kill, too.
So back to the wood pile, keeping an eye on the shoulder from time to time. Hey, it could have been worse. — Jackie
Hi, Jackie,
I was sorry to hear your encounter with the tick. I am a traditional Naturopath and Homeopath and thought I’d put my two cents in. A respected Herbalist (who contracted Lyme disease) taught me about the herb Teasel, which can put lymes into remission. It, unfortunately, needs to be taken forever, but you can also use it as a test of sorts for lyme. Dr. Fritchey uses it with his clients whom he suspects of lyme which causes a herxheimer reaction when you take the herb. You can make your own tincture or get it from http://www.Hisgoodherbs.com Here is a link for yourself or others that may wish to read it: http://hisgoodherbs.com/HGH-Lyme01.html
There is a great test for lyme called MyLyme by neuroscience, but it is pricey. Western Blot isn’t very accurate.
I don’t mean to be doom and gloom here, I just know quite a few people that have had a miserable time and seen many docs and spent tons of money with Lyme “specialists” that I thought I’d give you a bit of info! Regardless of long term antibiotic use, I have seen lyme thrive and if I can offer a bit of info on what others have tried, hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do, it’s nice to know there are options out there.
Best of luck…and thanks for all you do.
Becky Rupert, ND, CNC, BCIM, CCH
I was talking to my neighbor two doors down, seems that her Lymes disease was dormant for almost 10 years, and then, WHAM, she is in such terrible shape. She has had several rounds of antibiotics, and she goes 3 or 4 times a year to a specialist, about 9 hours drive from here. PLEASE DO get a second round of the antibiotics.
I think I can speak for all of us, we DON’T want anything bad to happen to you!
Jackie, just had to tell you, I am Sooooo glad you moved back to MN! Was born and raise in the Cities and now live in NW MN. I really feel the need to come and see you sometime. Have been reading your articles for so long, feel like you are the sister I never had. I am such an idiot compared to your experience with canning etc, but always have room left to learn.
Jackie, so sorry and so happy to hear about your tick. I had the exact same thing two days ago. Had stopped looking for the buggers and woke up with a pain in my left side, had my husband look at it and there is a deertick dug in really good. He took it out and I also got to go on antibiotics for 2 weeks. I hears that deer ticks do not go dormant as do regular tics in cold weather, so beware!
Jackie, we’ve had many cases of Lyme in this house unfortunately. I caught mine quickly like you did (with the ring) so after taking the one round I’ve been fine. My husband caught his later & again & again. His immune system always seems to be fighting something. It mimics things so you think you have something else.
Debbie
John,
I will talk to the doctor about a refill on the antibiotic; thanks for your experience. I know it’s a nasty disease!
gen,
I get bitten by many ticks a year, but they are wood ticks and don’t carry Lymes disease. Only the deer tick, a tiny black tick, does and when you get a bull’s eye mark around a bite, its a real heads up to get on antibiotics. For the others, I just pick the tick off and burn it.
Betsey,
Amen! I’ve been cold, and broke, and hungry and the animals could have used more feed. That’s one reason I always work hard toward never getting that way again. (Well, maybe not broke….lol)
Agree that pile of wood is so comforting! Our past Saturday was spent splitting and stacking (some more) and we’re ready for the cold Michigan winter! Too bad about the tick bite but glad your docs/clinic take it seriously.
Jackie, I’m praying for you that the antibiotics put an end to any possibility of illness from that tick bite…..I hate those little critters….may the guinea fowl get em all!!! Rick
Jackie,
My ex wife was bitten by a tick and got Lyme disease. We became experts at it unfortunately as she was stuck with the difficult type. It is not well known in the medical community except by Lyme experts but two weeks is not sufficient to guarantee to kill Lyme. As much as it sucks, get them to give you a full month. If it ever sets in deep it’s impossible to get rid of. My ex has had her Lyme for around eight years now. There’s nothing that can be done. And she did take the two weeks of antibiotics the doctors recommended. Three levels of experts later we finally found the whole story. Lyme is just severely underestimated.
John
wow, hope you feel better soon! You are right, Lymes is nothing to fool with!
So sorry to hear of your run-in with a deer tick. You did the right thing getting on antibiotics ASAP as the tick bite is nothing to take lightly.
Thanks for all you share. Take care.
John
I’m amazed they put you on antibiotics so quickly! When I got bit by a dozen ticks in one week, I had to fight tooth and nail to get taken seriously.
If you put any kind of oil on a tick, they will come out on their own. Well, this is what I read. I don’t remember how my mother removed ticks when she found them on us with head buried.
I’ve been bit many times in the past by ticks/seed ticks. Never have I seen a ring around a bite like yours. Is it because that particular tick was carrying the lyme disease? Is that something we should watch for?
Congrats on your woodpile, I don’t know about your neighborhood beavers, but the Almanac is calling for a cold winter.
TY
your stack of winter wood sure looks conferting take your meds and you will be feeling better soon Lymes is nothing to fool with I have acouple family members that are dealing with this now It seems that winter is in a hurry this year
Jackie, I remember reading a local homesteader’s diary at the county museum. In October, she made a large entry (for her) about having wood, food, enough warm clothing, hay for the livestock, a barn etc. for the often harsh winters here in the plains. She was feeling so blessed after remembering the hunger and cold of her first two years homesteading. That’s exactly what you and I are feeling now a hundred fifty years later. When I visit the local cemetery and see how many people, born before the Civil War, I bless them for their tenacity and bravery. And these folks did it all without electricity!
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