Okay, this is the most bizarre thing ever. Earlier today I went and pulled a bunch of weeds to get them out of the way so I could take a photo of something while the light was just right.

Later after watching a movie, I noticed a freaking tick burrowed in and sucking blood out of my left hand. I haven't encountered a tick since living in Montana, but with limited options, heated up a paper clip to the point of being red hot, burnt around the tick, however it refused to come out. Very painful.

Finally I got so pissed, I just gave it to the ticks ass (kinda hoping it would back out) -- it didn't -- I think I killed it.

So then what? I squeezed the location and my significant other did the ugly deed that I was told never to do, that being taking tweezers and yanking it out. It yanked out all right. Its head is probably still there and a bunch of blood oozed from the hole it left.

Not really looking forward to the possibility of Lyme disease during the next 30 days.

Hope you are spared the Lyme Disease, Larry. Statistics say you only have a 1-to-3% chance of having it: http://kidshealth.org/par.../lyme.html

In my younger days, I was taught to pour some very-warm-to-hot water over the tick to get it to retract. Obviously that won't do you any good now but should it happen again, you could try that.

Other info at first web browser's glance suggests you may want to go to the doctor and, if it's not too late, bring the dead tick along so it can be examined for the lyme disease.

Best wishes.

...I just gave it to the ticks ass...

It's like a tick prison scene in a movie starring Ned Beatty.


Go see the doctor, get that little tick-noggin removed. It could happen but you probably aren't going to get Lyme disease. I'd be more worried about a nuisance infection from that portion left behind. So, try to relax.

Lyme disease can be prevented if you get to the doctor quickly.

When I was a young lad out in Stacey, a cousin of mine (who shall remain nameless) came out to visit for the summer. He was a few years older and far more cosmopolitan than I was, and so I learned many amazing things from him that year (most of it turned out to be absolute bullpoop, but the profanity stuck).

Anyways, one day, I happened to walk into the bathroom and found him applying matches to his penis. Now, my first thought was to file it under "Thing people do in the big city that I will never do", a file that had expanded exponentially that summer under my cousin's tutelage, but then he explained that at some point earlier in the day, while we were running wild through the sagebrush, he'd managed to pick up a tick. On his penis. Where he was now endeavoring to burn it loose. I wished him the best of luck, and made myself scarce just in case he wanted some help in removing the tick.

So... It could have been worse Larry, it could have been worse.

LOL
A couple years ago, I had one (first & last) embedded in the back of my knee! My husband had to come yank it out (with a pair of needle nose pliers), and along with it, the tick had a good bit of my skin! But everything turned out fine--no Lyme disease and no scar! LOL

From experience, I can report that Lyme's disease is something you will want to avoid.

Check the bite site regularly for the next couple weeks, if you get a big cherry red bull's eye and if it itches like crazy, it's not looking too good.

IF you do get Lyme's disease, it likely won't show up in a titer (blood test) for several months either. You will have several weeks of antibiotics to endure, and if your foolish like me, and let it go without treatment for a couple months, you'll also need extensive doses of anti inflammatories.

Fortunately it is a disease not often found in the northwest, you'll likely be fine.

Watch for the cherry red bull's eye though, it's the primary way to diagnose initially.

Good luck.

Lyme disease can be prevented if you get to the doctor quickly.

That is great news. What do they do to prevent it? We've had many tick bites this summer. No circular rashes or symptoms yet. Our doctor said it can take several weeks before symptoms appear. What is it your doctor did?

What are symptoms and signs of Lyme disease?

Lyme disease affects different areas of the body in varying degrees as it progresses. The site where the tick bites the body is where the bacteria enter through the skin. As the bacteria spread in the skin away from the initial tick bite, the infection causes an expanding reddish rash that is often associated with "flu-like" symptoms. Later, it can produce abnormalities in the joints, heart, and nervous system.

Lyme disease is medically described in three phases as: (1) early localized disease with skin inflammation; (2) early disseminated disease with heart and nervous system involvement, including palsies and meningitis; and (3) late disease featuring motor and sensory nerve damage and brain inflammation as well as arthritis.

In the early phase of the illness, within days to weeks of the tick bite, the skin around the bite develops an expanding ring of unraised redness. There may be an outer ring of brighter redness and a central area of clearing, leading to a "bull's-eye" appearance. This classic initial rash is called "erythema migrans" (formerly called erythema chronicum migrans). Patients often can't recall the tick bite (the ticks can be as small as the periods in this paragraph). Also, they may not have the identifying rash to signal the doctor. More than one in four patients never get a rash. The redness of the skin is often accompanied by generalized fatigue, muscle and joint stiffness, swollen lymph nodes ("swollen glands"), and headache resembling symptoms of a virus infection.

The redness resolves, without treatment, in about a month. Weeks to months after the initial redness of the skin, the bacteria and their effects spread throughout the body. Subsequently, disease in the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur.

The later phases of Lyme disease can affect the heart, causing inflammation of the heart muscle. This can result in abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. The nervous system can develop facial muscle paralysis (Bell's palsy), abnormal sensation due to disease of peripheral nerves (peripheral neuropathy), meningitis, and confusion. Arthritis, or inflammation in the joints, begins with swelling, stiffness, and pain. Usually, only one or a few joints become affected, most commonly the knees. The arthritis of Lyme disease can look like many other types of inflammatory arthritis and can become chronic.

Researchers have also found that anxiety and depression occur with an increased rate in people with Lyme disease. This is another important aspect of the evaluation and management of this condition.

This was also a fun read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ne_disease

From the Mayo Clinic.
How to safely remove a tick
If you find a tick crawling on your skin, carefully remove it. Don't crush it between your fingers. Instead, burn it, bury it or flush it. Be sure to wash your hands afterward.

If a tick has already bitten you and is holding on to your skin, follow these steps:

Remove the tick by gently grasping it near its head or mouth, preferably with a tweezers.
Don't squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily.
Save the tick by sealing it in a plastic bag and storing it in the freezer. This allows the tick to be tested for specific bacteria by your doctor if you become sick from the bite. If no signs or symptoms of infection occur within two weeks after the bite, dispose of the tick by burning it, burying it or flushing it.
Disinfect the tweezers with alcohol or antibacterial soap and water.
Wash that area of your skin thoroughly and apply antiseptic to the bite area after the tick has been removed.
Wash your hands thoroughly.Hope this helps.

I thought that the ticks we had around Miles City were not the deer ticks that typically carry lyme disease but their larger cousin the wood tick which can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever but not Lyme disease. They do have deer ticks on the west coast however.

When I pull them off the dogs they almost always come off with a "skin tag" so they don't often lose their heads.

You might be right levi so just in case. Also from the mayo clinic
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a potentially serious bacterial infection transmitted to humans by tick bites. The illness is named after the Rocky Mountain region, where the disease was first identified. Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurs when an infected tick attaches to your skin and feeds on your blood. The infection then has the potential to spread to your bloodstream and other areas of your body.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever doesn't spread directly from person to person. If treated promptly, a case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever is usually fairly mild. In a small number of people, the disease can be serious, even fatal, especially in older adults. Because Rocky Mountain spotted fever can progress rapidly, prompt treatment is important.

Symptoms
Click to enlarge

Rocky Mountain spotted fever may cause a rash of small red spots or blotches that begin on the wrists, ankles, palms of the hands or soles of the feet. The rash often spreads to the arms, legs and torso. As the infection progresses, the red spots may appear more like bruises or bloody patches under the skin.
Rash caused by Rocky Mountain spotted feverInitial signs and symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever often are nonspecific and can mimic those of other illnesses:

High fever - body temperature reaching 102 F (38.9 C) or greater
Chills
Severe headache
Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal pain
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Later on, these signs and symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever can develop:

Red-spotted or blotchy rash on your wrists or ankles
Widespread aches and pains
Diarrhea
Restlessness
Delirium
Although many people experience symptoms within the first week after being bitten by an infected tick, the illness could incubate for up to 14 days after the tick bite.

The "skin tag" as you call it usually comes off when we pull them off our horses, too. Dog's had one, once (and some skin came off with hers too). My biggest deal was feeling "creepy crawly" and "buggy" afterwards!!! LOL

I haven't tried this yet, but have heard it works great with "hard to reach" places. Take a cotton ball and either put a generous amount of dish soap and place it on the tick. The soap smothers the tick and it will back out. I have heard that petroleum jelly works great too.

Back in the 1930's, folks died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever around here fairly regularly. There was a nasty outbreak 75 years ago. Ironically, today it is much more common in the southeast.

I learned a lot about ticks after nearly croaking from a tick bite. I can even identify their sex!!!At any rate, I learned that they "inject" a glue like substance into their victim, which is why there is the skin tag you all have been describing. That's why it is so important to get the tweezers as close as possible to their "mouth". Otherwise, the head can stay glued on.

I had Rocky Mountain Spotted fever when I was 6 years old in the early 60's. I passed out one night after being sick for a few days, my folks took me to Miles City, in a rain storm, over very muddy roads to the Dr. After the 1st Dr. could'nt figure out what was wrong with me, they called in old Dr. Winter and he knew right away and they put me in the hospital for a week. The only thing I remember them doing was taking blood one morning, it took 5 people, they earned every drop, none of my family was there at the time. Anyway when I got home I had to stay very quiet for 10 days, cuz the chance of rhuematic fever was very high. I have not had any after effects, I do remember being very sick and a tick was never found on me. A tick that carries Rocky Mountain fever will have a white spot on his belly, thats what I've been told anyway. I've pulled lots of ticks off me over the years, with very little problems except itching. I think I've only met one other person in my life that had tick fever.

From the CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod...emoval.htm

also: http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/...moval.html

One of the big things to remember is the longer you let a tick stay attached, the greater the chance of disease transmittal. In Montana we see more Colorado Tick Fever and Rocky Mtn Spotted fever than Lyme disease. They can also be pretty nasty. The CDC is loaded with info on these diseases.

[This message has been edited by Bob Netherton II (7/21/2010)]

Stop it already ! My skin has creepy crawlies all over..and yet I keep checking this thread...

Check your pets, too, Karla.

Last I knew ticks in Montana did not carry Lymes disease. To remove
ticks flip them on their back and then gently pull them out. That's
how it's done in ERs.

I prefer to avoid frequenting places infested with ticks, including the Bison, the Range Riders, and Walmart.

The best way to get rid of a tick is to take a cotton ball and put vaseline on it. Put this on the tick and secure it with a bandage. The vaseline will cut off air to the tick and it will back out into the cotton ball becoming trapped. Then just discard. This will occur within a couple of hours.

Like I said above, Judd: the longer you leave a tick attached, the greater the chance of contracting a disease. The best thing to do is carefully remove it immediately.

I was killing some time in Cabela's in Billings today, and found a tick crawling on my neck. I took him outside and burned his ass. Not sure where I picked him up, but I checked myself very close when I got home. And thankfully no more. One time many years ago, I was fishing with a buddy in central Washington, and we found what looked like a sure fire honey hole. We fished for an hour or so, caught nothing but carp, and headed for the car. I spotted a tick on my buddies arm, and we then proceeded to find over 100 between us. Luckily none of them had dug in yet, but when I got home, I took a shower that lasted for nearly an hour, and still didn't feel "clean" for days. Absolutely gross little buggers.