Ticked off ....

Well this morning wasn't the one I'd envisaged earlier in the week as my first one back but it was what I was hoping for when I got home last night. 

TLDR:  Check for tick bites. monitor for symptoms of Lyme disease afterwards. 

When I was in Skye in late June I noticed and removed a tick.  I reacted to the bite but wasn't unduly concerned as I do tend to react strongly to most insect and related bites.  The rash didn't disappear but I felt OK and a check with the pharmacist suggested that it was probably a reaction to a non-Lyme disease infection. 

 I kept a eye on and it stayed much the same until earlier this week when it started to get bigger and I started to feel slightly under the weather.  I began to wonder whether it might be Lyme's disease, although the rash was slightly atypical and the "meh-nes" could be put down to not sleeping us well as usual.  My plan was to phone my own surgery on Monday but as it was still getting bigger (now 13 cm by 9cm on my left shin and blotchy looking) and following a discussion with A and T, I decided to call NHS 111 this morning. 

This was the first time I'd used the service and I was impressed. My call was answered relatively quickly and I spoke to an operator and then a nurse who referred to my health board. They said it might be a while before I got a call back but a doctor called within half an hour. I described my symptoms and sent a photo (which I will spare you on blip). She thought there was low probability that it was Lyme disease (which can take weeks to manifest itself) but decided to err on the side of caution to  prescribe doxycycline. The prescription was mailed to the local chemists and was I able to collect later this morning. This was the course of action I was hoping for, not least because I would like to get rid of the rash which is clearly a reaction to something else if nots Lyme disease. 

I am aware of at least four other people in Pitlochry with Lyme disease or suspected Lyme's disease and would encourage everyone to check for ticks, remove and check for symptoms.  I'm fortunate in that I am not too badly affected but a couple have been so.