25 June, 2008

Aack!

I just spoke to my German teacher and guess what? She's just been diagnosed with Lyme disease. AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

8 comments:

anno said...

Long pants. Seriously. And brush the dog after every outing. Do you give him anti-tick medications?

christina said...

Noooooo! I can't believe it. It must be a bad, bad tick year. Would it be worth it to get the rest of the family vaccinated? I think it's a couple of shots over the course of two weeks or so.

Betsy said...

I wish! I've had the kids vaccinated for meningitis, which can also be tick-bourne. Tried to have myself vaccinated as well, but there's been a panicked rush on the meds and they won't give adults more than a single dose (out of three) just to make sure they have enough to go around.

The problem is that you can't vaccinate for Lyme. Which is annoying, since statistics say that 500 people per year in Germany get tick-bourne meningitis, whereas 30,000+ get Lyme.

Anno's right-- we're definitely going to break out the long pants when we go hiking despite the 30+ degree weather!

I've put Frontline flea / tick meds on the dog and cat, but D has still come home with ticks on her a couple of times. I am at my wit's end!

G in Berlin said...

Have you been finding Lyme (deer mouse) ticks on the dog? I have only ever found dog ticks on my cat (not here on the 5th floor!). There is no vaccine for Lyme- I have a friend in the States who has been working on it for 12 years. I also have a girlfriend who had an undiagnosed case 20 years ago and was permanently damaged healthwise.

Goofball said...

yikes it's really getting creepy. Come and hang out in Leuven, you are safe here :). At least I hope so.

Betsy said...

Man, I wish I could! M was in Zaventem yesterday and I was so jealous! Would love to be able to take advantage of the summer weather and sit out on a terrace in the center of Leuven and watch the world go by! :-)

Jen said...

Okay, Betsy, time to come home to MI where we only have to worry about the occasional tic. (Of course, we won't mention the West Nile-carrying mosquitoes)

africakidandtheworld said...

See my post today for more lovely tick stories! It seems the ticks are everywhere...