Alis girls Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Has anyone had this or someone in their family had it? ES went on geography field trip 2 weeks ago and didnt mention he felt achey and fluey on return. Then a few days ago showed OH a spot on leg. Then whilst we were away he showed me a round lesion on thigh. Alarm bells rang either roundworm but cats are not infected and nor are we. Questioned him relentlessly re where he went - wooded areas, didnt see any bugs (wouldnt know a tick if he fell over it) he then got cross - mum being annoying etc. Today I was straight on google when we got home and found myself looking at his lesion. OH took to the drs and 2 drs agreed it looked like Lymes so hes on antibiotics and needs bloods which I will do next week. I need to let school know as it can be nasty and serious and not all people get lesions. It is a "bullseye" rash - sorry not good at linkys but know someone will prob do it for me. OH suspected I was onto somerthing as he found what I'd been looking at. I think I should let school know dont you? Thoughts please. Ta Ali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Oooh, poor boy, it's not a nice disease is it? I would let school know - they may need to alert the parents of the other children as to what to look out for so they can get early treatment. They will also need reassurance that the children cannot pass it to each other. Hope he responds well to the antibiotics ((hugs)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 Thanks Snowy - in all my yrs of nursing I have never seen it - have you? I think you are a nurse arent you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I am - and no, I've never seen it either! When I first read it I was thinking of the disease we used to call 'rat pee poison' but that's Weils disease (leptospirosis). Another rare one (only 40 cases a year in the UK), I've only seen one case of that in 25 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 never seen Weils - I can remember as a child spending loads of time in woods and never getting bitten be anything - probably just lucky - teenage boys think they are invinsible - he doesn't want me telling anyone but as I pointed out - if you ignore any symptons it can be very nasty. i spoke to friends mum who has reported her son felt under the weather yesterday and I think she may take hime to the docs for check. she had never heard of it. ES thinks I am a fusspot - cant help being a mum and a nurse - not my fault is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Hope that the blood tests all come back clear for your DS Ali. DD had a really odd looking bite the other year but the AB's seemed to do the trick. I ended up taking a series of photo's of it to take to the emergency GP with me as we'd never seen anything go so big over a short space of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 They say a little bit of knowledge is dangerous - but it is useful sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 Yup I agree - its never a cold - must be pneumonia but occ mum comes up trumps and several friends have been grateful for my er expertise in diagnosing some nasties in the past. My weakness is in the bone dept - is it broken or not is something I hate being asked normally by people who dont want to spend evening in casualty. Twice I was right with fractures and one childs dad was a Dr who said it wasnt broken - in this case - it was fairly easy to tell - but it was his child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 We heard a lot about it when we visited relatives in Minnesota but I've never come across it. There was a story line about it on Doctors recently that should have raised the profile a bit. Well done for noticing it! - I hope your son soon feels better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I don't want to be a scaremonger but I would say you are very sensible to get it checked out. My brother's girlfriend is seriously ill with Lymes. She is unfortunately allergic to the best antibiotic. Also, my ED's friend had Lymes while a teenager and she was very ill too, in hospital for weeks but better now. I hope your son responds to the treatment and gets better very quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Good that you have noticed it quickly - it can be very nasty. The ex had Weil's disease once - he used to be a white water canoeing instructor. That wasn't very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 One of the Olympic rowers died of Weils this week.....just awful as he was well known in town,and a young,fit,strong guy. Not the same as Lymes I know but you are wise to get it checked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 One of the Olympic rowers died of Weils this week.....just awful as he was well known in town,and a young,fit,strong guy. Not the same as Lymes I know but you are wise to get it checked out. The guy I nursed with it was a young, fit lad. It was touch and go for quite a while but luckily he survived. A very nasty disease - one of those cases that leaves a lasting impression Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 One of the Olympic rowers died of Weils this week.....just awful as he was well known in town,and a young,fit,strong guy. Andy Holmes, he won gold in '84 and '88 with Steve Redgrave. Shame, he was only 51. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Lymes is nasty, good for you for getting it investigated straight away. It is definitely worth alerting school as they need to get all students to check themselves for lesions. Whenever one of mine goes away I send them with a dog tick hook and they check themselves every evening. Fingers crossed that it is a false alarm and that your son is OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 I started panicking about it a few years ago when DS went on camp in a place where there were lots of deer. He came back with 27 ticks attatched to various bits of his body - some in very interesting places. Fortunately he didn't get Lymes. Hope that your son feels better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 Nasty - my son swore blind he hadnt seen any ticks - the other thing was lots of wild bunnies kept coming into their accomodation. The kids kept trying to catch them as only kids do. thanks for all the info and best wishes. Ali x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiganchooks Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Hi Yes, you did right to get that checked out, the bulls-eye ring is quite distinctive so it may well be Lymes, but the anti-bioitics should see it off, it's only really a problem if it goes unnoticed to start with, can lead to serious neurological problems later. It has a patchy distribution on the UK, some areas are hotspots, particularly w.coast scotland and new forest at the moment I think. Frustratingly a lot of average GPs over here don't know much about it. If you want to know more look at http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ . Also, you can be vaccinated against it, I have been, due to forestry field work I've done on Skye and in eastern europe/balkans. Interestingly all children in Austria are vaccinated, and adults take boosters, but they don't tell that to the tourists who go on walking holidays over there The hook shaped tick twisters ("o'tom" I think) are great for getting them out of humans and dogs etc, and worth keeping in your camping kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Goodness, you learn something new on here every day. I have never heard about the disease. I also never knew that ticks were interested in people, I thought that they were only interested in furry creatures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 30, 2010 Author Share Posted October 30, 2010 The doctor we saw initially was dubious - her colleague - who I dont know if he had trained or worked elsewhere seemed very certain of diaignosis. Top marks to her for asking for help as some Gps would not ask for 2nd opinion. Also depends on your experience. If you are a practice in Scotland or New forest its prob all in a days work. Even as a nurse I have not seen this, anaphlaxis and several other diseases except in my own children. I prefer health professionals to ask for help rather than blunder their way thro things and risk someones life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodinparts Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 A good friend had Lyme's a few years ago...was so very poorly they thought it was meningitis and her family were called.. She hadn't been aware of being bitten at all - she's in a wheelchair with reduced sensation in her legs, so may well not have noticed. She had been to a local arboretum a few weeks before, always feels pretty rubbish so didn't notice anything much til she was throwing up non stop and collapsing. VERY scary...The rash came in later, while she was actually in ITU...but all ended well, thanks to intravenous antibiotics. Do hope they sort out your son speedily - and hooray for the GP who had the sense to seek a second opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 I'm often twisting them off Ruby, but have never had a tick bite myself. I hope he gets better soon Ali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery. It is something that I am more aware of that previously - kids were told to keep trousers tucked in when walking for d of e for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 31, 2010 Author Share Posted October 31, 2010 Amazing thing is apart from first week when he was achey and shivery he is fine. But as mentioned if undetected it is bad. Bloods will be done this week - so far no friends have been effected but several were under the weather but no rashes. Their mums have decided to get med advice. Why my son is the only one so far with this lesion on his leg I dont know. Will speak to school tommorrow. thanks for good wishes.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
