rjv0807
03-21-2016, 10:53 AM
Hi All,
I just signed up as part of a proactive approach I'm trying to take with my anxiety. For the past 2 years, ever since I was bitten by a tick while on a hike, I've had an obsession with lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses. Part of this stems from the fact that my neighbor, who was bit by a tick and contracted some rare virus, is now in a wheel chair.
I've pretty much avoided hikes since, with the exception of one I took in the fall where I sprayed my clothes with a repellent beforehand as to forego any worry I might have. However this weekend I decided to go on an impromptu hike with friends and didn't have time to spray my clothes with the repellent and let them dry. So, I just grabbed my cargo pants, tucked them into my socks and went anyway.
During the hike, we stayed on the trail, though it was covered with leaves mostly which I know ticks can hide in. I check myself periodically and found nothing on my socks, shoes or pants that I could see. When I arrived home, I through my clothes in the dryer with the exception of the shoes, and did a full body check, grazing over some areas like my butt and checking the arms and legs more thoroughly. I didn't find anything, so I just took a shower and went on with my weekend.
When I woke up this morning, I felt the fear creeping in. Had I not checked my body well enough? Was there a tick to small to see? These thoughts began to swarm, I started looking online about tick life cycles, comparing sizes of the different stages of ticks and whether I'd be able to notice them on my body, deciding when I should go to my doc for a blood test, etc. etc.
Now I should mention my anxiety manifests in different ways as it does for most, but mostly related to health. The catch-22 of this all, you might call it, is the fact that I actually have an unspecified, diagnosed auto immune disease that sprang up about 5 years ago, first in the form of carpal tunnel. I've since been diagnosed as being symptomatic of every other tunnel syndrome there is, as well inflammation of my spine. I also am on prilosec 40 mg for GERD and should mention that I'm 25.
I guess the concern now is trying to gauge how irrational I'm being, and if I have a flare up of my autoimmune symptoms soon, am I going to freak out and automatically assume I have lyme.
This is mostly just a vent, but an thought/insights/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot, guys.
I just signed up as part of a proactive approach I'm trying to take with my anxiety. For the past 2 years, ever since I was bitten by a tick while on a hike, I've had an obsession with lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses. Part of this stems from the fact that my neighbor, who was bit by a tick and contracted some rare virus, is now in a wheel chair.
I've pretty much avoided hikes since, with the exception of one I took in the fall where I sprayed my clothes with a repellent beforehand as to forego any worry I might have. However this weekend I decided to go on an impromptu hike with friends and didn't have time to spray my clothes with the repellent and let them dry. So, I just grabbed my cargo pants, tucked them into my socks and went anyway.
During the hike, we stayed on the trail, though it was covered with leaves mostly which I know ticks can hide in. I check myself periodically and found nothing on my socks, shoes or pants that I could see. When I arrived home, I through my clothes in the dryer with the exception of the shoes, and did a full body check, grazing over some areas like my butt and checking the arms and legs more thoroughly. I didn't find anything, so I just took a shower and went on with my weekend.
When I woke up this morning, I felt the fear creeping in. Had I not checked my body well enough? Was there a tick to small to see? These thoughts began to swarm, I started looking online about tick life cycles, comparing sizes of the different stages of ticks and whether I'd be able to notice them on my body, deciding when I should go to my doc for a blood test, etc. etc.
Now I should mention my anxiety manifests in different ways as it does for most, but mostly related to health. The catch-22 of this all, you might call it, is the fact that I actually have an unspecified, diagnosed auto immune disease that sprang up about 5 years ago, first in the form of carpal tunnel. I've since been diagnosed as being symptomatic of every other tunnel syndrome there is, as well inflammation of my spine. I also am on prilosec 40 mg for GERD and should mention that I'm 25.
I guess the concern now is trying to gauge how irrational I'm being, and if I have a flare up of my autoimmune symptoms soon, am I going to freak out and automatically assume I have lyme.
This is mostly just a vent, but an thought/insights/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot, guys.