Lyme disease is a vector-borne disease transmitted through the bite of a blacklegged tick (deer tick). It’s most common in the upper Midwest. Yah, I’d heard of it, but didn’t know anyone that actually HAD it until here lately.
Just in the past two weeks…
A friend’s wife died from Lyme disease; a classmate of my brother made public that she has it and doctors expect her to live around 6 months; and a colleague of mine had this to say yesterday:
As most of you know, I’m coming up on 8 years of battling Lyme disease. At my worst I could not work. I could not stand in the shower. I could not even cut my own food, literally. Any amount of distance, I had to be in my wheelchair. After years of various treatments, now I have ok days and bad days. I have ok months and bad months. Lyme reminds me several times a day that it is there. Random muscle spasms throughout every day. Random pain throughout every day. And every evening pain (still) so bad that I can’t do anything but sit with my legs up.
Check for ticks, you guys… on yourself… on your kids… no, really — check for ticks!
Not only is there not enough research for a cure, there’s not enough material out there to educate children on how to enjoy the outdoors safe from ticks and Lyme disease either.
Outside good — ticks bad.
There’s probably a bajillion of those lil’ suckers out there. I especially check in my hair every time I go outside. Of course, I make sure Coco does the same when she’s here. It’s a habit — and it should be a habit for you, too. Especially if you live in the Midwest.
Ticks live through swimming, showers and hot tub exposure.
Hot tub water is typically around 102°-104° F, and it takes 130° to kill a tick. The chemicals in the water aren’t strong enough to kill them either. BUT… taking a shower, sitting in a hot tub, and swimming in a pool makes them easier to spot. In addition, you have the chance they’ll wash off if they haven’t started to burrow.
TIL (Today I Learned): Once a tick has latched on to your skin, they can survive under water for 2-3 days. They do, however, die in a clothes dryer or washer if temps are above 130°F.