I have personal experience with ticks, as I was bit on the upper thigh in 2007. The next year, one of my good hiking friends was nailed by a tick in the upper left arm (bicep). That bite left the dreaded "bull-s eye" infection. That same year I pulled 5 ticks off my clothing after an equipment rescue in the forest below Indian Point.
Ticks are dangerous, and there are millions of them in the Columbia River Gorge and futher east. If you get bit, there is potential for contracting Lyme's Disease.
To make this interesting and informative, I'm including an email discussion that followed the "bulls-eye" infection mentioned above. It follows:
Dennis: Hello my friends; Well, while I was hiking and photographing this year's newest crop of wildflowers last Saturday, I managed to pick up a tiny little critter that hitched a ride with me until he bit me.... then I slammed on the brakes of my jeep, pulled to the side of the road, and rolled up my sleeve, only to find this little hitchiker firmly embedded in my left bicept. My hiking companion, Terry, used some tweezers to pull it off me and discard it out the car window.... but attached are a couple of photographs showing what this unlikely pest left behind. And, NO, that is not any part of his body.... just a scab of my blood. Be Careful Around Ticks. I saw the doctor today and was given a 1 time perscription of Doxycycline. (February 25, 2008)
Terry: Wow, once again! That little fellow really nailed you. Your prescription is the same one I was given, although I never had a bulls-eye like this. This tick left the classic mark for lyme's. (February 25, 2008)
Dennis: Hey Omar and Terry.... check out this response from a dear friend of mine I've know since she was just a kid. Her folks are precious friends of mine (he is an MD). (February 25, 2008)
Shannon: This subject is personal for me. Don't mess around with the tick. It's too bad you didn't get the tick tested just to be sure. I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in December. I most likely picked it up when I was bit by two ticks as a kid in Montana. My first major symptoms were 16 years ago and it was missed. It is now chronic and I have passed it to Dan. The kids have to be tested too because it crosses the placenta. It is a nasty, nasty disease. Keep a close eye on any weird symptoms. I have 7 friends who have had severe, chronic Lyme and it ruined their lives. Check out this website www.chronicneurotoxins.comfor more info. I just completed 6 weeks of Doxy, but that only kills the bacteria.....and if you're lucky it might get all of it. It does nothing about the toxins that are produced by the bacteria before it is killed and the toxins are what causes long term problems if they are not dealt with. Tomorrow I am starting Dr. Lee Cowden's natural protocol as recommended by my Lyme specialist. The only reason that I have done so well for the last 10 years is because of the Mannatech products that I take. The reason that I started having symptoms again is because I did 3 triathlons last summer and it was too stressful on my body. Something had to give. I'm not trying to scare you, just caution you about the ramifications of not being diligent and to tell you how uneducated the traditional medical establishment is about this issue. This is a very controversial subject in the medical field and you have to be your own advocate and do your own research if you want to make sure that you don't end up with a chronic disease. Some other places to check are: http://www.autoimmunityresearch.org/lyme-disease and there is an interesting article on Dr. Mercola's website. Personally, if I or one of my kids were bitten by another tick, I would do 3 weeks of Doxy as a preventive measure. (And if you knew me, you would know that I don't take medications at all. I haven't for years. I am totally on the diet and supplement wagon. But I know too much about Lyme to mess around with it.) Good luck and let me know if you start having any problems. I am becoming an expert on this subject........unfortunately. (February 25, 2008)