First time in 45 years of surveying.
I was at the airport in DFW last Tuesday and the lymph nodes under my arms were a bit sore. Very unusual. Next day I felt like crap, was flying around in a helicopter all afternoon at the Grand Canyon. Thursday, another flight but we got recalled due to weather. Still didn't feel well, so i went to a clinic at Grand Canyon Village. Tested for Covid and flu, negative. No runny nose, no cough, just chills and aches. The next two days (Friday and Saturday) I worked 14 hour days (mostly driving) which really wore me out. I would wake up at night shaking uncontrollably with chills. Motrin really helped. Flew redeye home on Sunday night. Called the doctor Monday AM, they said give it a few more days. Today I went to an urgent care and she didn't even need to blood test me, I have several large rashes so it was pretty obvious along with the symptoms. They said ticks are really bad this year, but I have been to so many places (TX, ND, AR, OK, AZ, WV, MD as well as Columbia, Bolivia, Mexico, Germany) since the year began that who knows where I got bit. I found ticks this spring but none that were dug in, but there are plenty of places that I can't see.
On top of that ya gotta watch out for Alpha-gal syndrome.
In 2015 during a rather hot, muggy day in the middle of some thick cutting... I noticed my ankles itched. A little bit later I was itching very badly. Pulled up my pants legs and thought I had dirt all over my ankles. But the dirt moved. A closer inspection found hundreds of tiny, almost microscopic, ticks. I brushed some of them off but it was futile. We were an hour from the office and I had another hour commute home. By the time I made it home, they were all stuck tight. They were so small that I could not even grab them with tweezers. I bet there were 400 per ankle and lower leg. My wife brought out some vinegar and applied with a paper towel. They brushed off easily then. To this day, the skin on my lower legs and ankles is discolored. I also had some circulation issues that started the following year, that I believe are directly related to the tick bites. I don't have Lyme disease and have never had any of the symptoms but there is no telling what else those nasty little critters can pass along to us. Do whatever you got to do to keep them off of you.
Thats a lot of travelling, I remember a few threads over the years that you have made about jobs and always enjoyed them. You should do another one!
If I have been latched on by a tick I am unaware of it, they were not around in Western Washington when I was younger and since then living in Ohio and Virginia I have been a little zealous in clothing choices and use of spray. I had one get a start in my groin but brushed him off in the post outing tick check.
There have been threads here over the years with guys with heavy duty lyme and chronic lyme etc. No goodski.
I hope your symptoms clear quickly and do not return.
Wow, John. After all the places you've been that can kill you, a tick finally found you. Bummer. Hope you feel better soon and load up on those antibiotics!
I think last night was the worst night of my life! Really bad headache, nightmares, either freezing or profusely sweating. Much better today (ibuprofen). As I mentioned, I was not tested, so I wonder if it could be Lyme or maybe Ehrlichia chaffeensis
John,
I wish I'd have known you were at the GC - I live 90 miles from it, would have taken you to breakfast or dinner. Hope you are feeling better.
I have been down a long road with many thousands of tick bites. I have, or have had 4 different kinds of tick diseases.
I'll skip you the details.... you have your symptoms, and they vary some.
But, here is what worked for me.
1.) Antibiotics for about a week. They were very hot, and set my entire digestive system on fire. So, I began using Colloidal Silver as an antibiotic. This is VERY mild on my digestive system, and I probably can take it indefinitely. Any time symptoms show back up, I take about a teaspoon. I bought a colloidal silver generator, off ebay, and it works. It uses 4 - 9 volt batteries. It has silver rods. I use well water, with a tiny bit of salt in it, to make more colloidal silver. It costed my around 80 bucks 10 yrs ago. It still works, but gets new batteries every couple years. Buying pre made colloidal silver is expensive, and it does not seem as effective on my case. Use plastic or glass spoons with this stuff.
2.) I also buy Himalayan salt, and put about 5 LBS of salt in a gallon glass jug, in the window sill. It percolates, and bubbles for a week, and finally settles down, with salt in the bottom, and brine on top. I add a teaspoon of this brine to a glass of water. When my symptoms get bad, I use this in all my drinking water, adding about a tablespoon to a gallon of water, and drink it. This seems to help my nerves. Use plastic or glass spoons with this stuff. Not metal.
3.) Vitamin C. I usually take a few Vitamin C's with the salt water. An alternative to Vit C is WHOLE limes, skins and all, blended in a blender. This seems to give me sustained Vit C, along with the oil in the lime skins. Lemons work too, but limes seem better.
I still get symptoms, occasionally. But this does me a great deal of good. I could not hack the antibiotics from the doctors.
Your mileage may vary. All I am saying is this is what has worked for me.
Tick borne illnesses are a serious thing. Don't ignore symptoms.
My doctor, told me that the medical profession really does not have answers beyond antibiotics. And, to try natural remedies. I have been surviving this way. But, YMMV.
Nate the tick bait.
First time in 45 years of surveying.
I was at the airport in DFW last Tuesday and the lymph nodes under my arms were a bit sore. Very unusual. Next day I felt like crap, was flying around in a helicopter all afternoon at the Grand Canyon. Thursday, another flight but we got recalled due to weather. Still didn't feel well, so i went to a clinic at Grand Canyon Village. Tested for Covid and flu, negative. No runny nose, no cough, just chills and aches. The next two days (Friday and Saturday) I worked 14 hour days (mostly driving) which really wore me out. I would wake up at night shaking uncontrollably with chills. Motrin really helped. Flew redeye home on Sunday night. Called the doctor Monday AM, they said give it a few more days. Today I went to an urgent care and she didn't even need to blood test me, I have several large rashes so it was pretty obvious along with the symptoms. They said ticks are really bad this year, but I have been to so many places (TX, ND, AR, OK, AZ, WV, MD as well as Columbia, Bolivia, Mexico, Germany) since the year began that who knows where I got bit. I found ticks this spring but none that were dug in, but there are plenty of places that I can't see.
Wow, that sounds rough—glad you finally got some answers. Ticks can be sneaky, especially with all the travel you’ve done. Good on you for pushing through and finally getting checked out. Hope the treatment kicks in quick and you're back to feeling 100% soon. Take care out there!
yesterday was the first day since it started that I did not need to take Motrin. So apparently I am getting it out of my system.
Yeah, I have seen MANY ticks on me over the years. Lucky I guess until now. It certainly helps that I have always had thin hair and am now mainly bald on top and always do a #1 haircut all around. So not too many places for them to hide.
I can still remember the first time I found ticks on me, around 1980 or so. Working in WV, at the bar after a day in the field. I found one, the PC told me it was a tick (I had never seen one before, city boy). I then found a total of 13 on me. While sitting at the bar. We took turns burning them with cigarettes. I have had a few burrow into me, once went to the ER to get one removed. The big problem for me is that since I often travel and work alone it is difficult to check my back.
I have a total of 11 acres, mostly high grass, now I am worried about my grandson, he loves to run around outside. Gotta check the kids every time! We did find one embedded on him a few weeks ago.
Jim: thanks for the invite! I spent a few days around Grand Canyon-Flagstaff-Kingman and then a day up around Colorado City.
I know nothing about it, just read an article a couple of months ago that you may find interesting.
James
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/04/the-antibiotic-that-takes-the-bite-out-of-lyme/?fj=1
I know nothing about it, just read an article a couple of months ago that you may find interesting.
James
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/04/the-antibiotic-that-takes-the-bite-out-of-lyme/?fj=1
That is very interesting. I will say that the doxycycline seems to have worked, hopefully the good bacteria in my gut can recover!