You can add me to the list of people who have contracted Lyme disease.
This happened about four years ago. I became extremely sick. This was in
contrast to my 60+ year life experience where I seldom have been sick,
and if I did get sick, I recovered very quickly. (I owe this DNA to my
mother, 89 and still going strong!)
Dick, K9OM, describes the condition well. I would add to his "tremendous
fatigue" that I didn't care whether I ever got out of bed again. I was
ready to order the headstone. Add disorientation, dizziness, can't focus
your eyes. I had to crawl on hands and knees to the bathroom.
The next day I went to the regional hospital, told the doctor of my
symptoms, and when I lifted my shirt he had an instant visual diagnosis
"Lyme Disease". It was the common "red bullseye" on my chest. He ordered
a blood test which confirmed it. I was put on a two-month antibiotic.
Since then I have had several milder recurrences of the symptoms. Last
summer I wandered into some poison ivy which flared up the Lyme Disease
symptoms again. That slowly cleared up.
More recently I've had issues with my fingers breaking out in a rash.
Can you say "quickly going to hell in a hand-basket"? I'm not used to
these kinds of medical issues. Fortunately I went to the hospital
quickly (probably within the week of being bitten) so there hasn't been
the severe damage that can happen if left untreated.
By the way, I can "usually" feel things crawling on me, even in my
sleep. But this rascal, obviously, went undetected and I never found the
actual tick on me. Oh, and last year, our dog became lethargic and
couldn't stand up to walk. We had him tested and it came back positive
for Lyme disease too. He was put on medication and has recovered since then.
Sorry for the long message, but I did wanted to add FIRST-PERSON
knowledge about this problem. It's a REAL problem. It's debilitating,
even in a mild case that is diagnosed and treated quickly.
73 de Bob - KØRC in MN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On 4/26/2012 11:14 PM, rlvz@aol.com wrote:
> Hi Guys,
>
>
> While Lyme disease may seem "off topic"... our ham friends need to be
> informed about Lyme as it's becoming more and more common and can totally end
> one's tower and antenna work.
>
>
> 7 years ago I got Lyme disease and was in complete misery due to intense
> headaches, tremendous fatigue, extreme sensitivity to light, and aches and
> pains all over. Unfortunately, I had to visit several different doctors over
> a 12-month period of time before I got diagnosed with Lyme. By then,
> long-term damage had been done to my joints and central nervous system. Lyme
> has seriously changed my life making antenna and tower work which I once
> loved... now to be extremely difficult. Getting quick treatment for Lyme is
> very important!
>
>
> If anyone would like more information about Lyme they are welcome to contact
> me direct.
>
>
> 73,
> Dick- K9OM
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Andy<ai.egrps@gmail.com>
> To: towertalk<towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Thu, Apr 26, 2012 7:31 am
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Antenna/Tower work safety - Lyme Disease safety
>
>
>> ... The state and
>> most Doctors were denying it was even present. ...
> There remains much controversy in the medical community over Lyme
> disease. Most if not all doctors now know it exists, but the debate
> is over its treatment and whether it goes away when treated or may
> sometimes become chronic. IIRC, the doctor to first recognize Lyme
> disease, believes it lasts in some patients and treats a number of
> them on an ongoing basis.
>
> Earlier I brought up DEET vs. Picardin. You probably want to keep any
> DEET-based product away from your climbing gear. I have seen it
> dissolve things readily, when touched by someone who used a DEET-based
> repellent (a lower concentration consumer-grade product, not the
> high-octane DEET the Military uses). You are supposed to keep DEET
> away from clothing, so don't risk it on anything designed to save your
> life.
>
> Andy
> kb1nxm
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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>
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