[cowgirlup]

Are they making you pay for the blood test up front? If not then you can negotiate it down after you get the bill. You do need a blood to rule out or confirm Lymes disease as far as ai know.

[Erickmo]

They're gonna bill me for it which still sucks

[kevin]

Originally Posted by Erickmo

As some of you may know, i recently did a weekend at the Shenandoah National Park northern district of the AT. The trip was amazing and i had the chance to see some amazing things. The problem is that on the first night, i noticed a deer tick in my stomache at about 12am that night.

I've heard that if you get them off in 24hrs or less should be fine. Problem is that if you get lyme and don't get on a course of antibiotics you could have chronic problems. go to emergency like the illegals do and see if you can get a course of antibiotics; pay out of pocket if you can affort to. better safe than sorry.

[kevin]

Originally Posted by cowgirlup

Yeah, You don't want to take a chance. a lady I used to work with was feeling achy and rundown for at least 3 weeks before she got diagnosed with LD.
It took her a long She didn't even know she had been bitten but they found the faded bullseye pattern high up on the back of her leg where she couldn't see it. It took her a long time to recover.

BTW, my wife got it this summer and never knew she was bitten either. she was feeling aweful for a week and thought she had a "bug". next week she developed spots all over, large red ones (not raised spots though). doc said this is the type they have been seeing around here. got on antibiotics and spots went away very quickly. seems ok now, but she's often tired (that's what three little kids can do to you anyway so hard to tell)

she's not even the outdoors person that I am, go figure. she is much more reluctant than me to spray up w/ deet however.

[Erickmo]

keV I'm srry to hear about your wife. It's a pretty terrible thing from what I have read. Either way I was lucky enough to notice the little bugger ( no pun intended lol) and get him off quickly. I'm sure that once the blood testing is done the money will seem worth it. To me 400 is worth knowing that I don't have it or being able to catch it early. I hope you wife makes a full recovery ( they can take up to a year I've heard)

[cowgirlup]

Originally Posted by Erickmo

They're gonna bill me for it which still sucks

It does but all bills are jacked up to cover for the uninsured...which you are.
Call them after you get the bill and explain that you have no insurance. Ask them if they could negotiate a reduced amount. If they say not then wait for the second notice and try it again. It usually works. My friends mom was in medical claims and told my mom how to do it. It svaed her a good bit of money. What have you got to lose?

[Erickmo]

wouldnt that mess up my credit?

[cowgirlup]

Originally Posted by Erickmo

wouldnt that mess up my credit?

Which? Negotiating a lower rate or waiting to pay it?

Insurance companies never pay the full rate of a bill, even after you pay the co-pay. They have a negotiated rate. The hospital should be able to work something out.

And waiting just a little while to pay won't get reported to anyone. Maybe if it went on for a year or so but you should be fine. As far as I'm aware medical bills are not counted the same as a credit card or other bill.

[PeakSurvival]

Info on lymes disease and videos on what hikers and people in the outdoors should do.

[Mephistopheles]

I've had lots of deer ticks...never had those symptoms.

DO NOT PULL TICKS OFF WITH YOUR FINGERS !!!! Doing so causes the blood in its body to be injected into your body along with diseases they carry !!!!

I've used motor oil from my suction dredge engine (I get them alot gold dredging and prospecting around streams) I hear vaseline, grease and such can work. Blocks their spiracles they use to "breathe" and they can self release because they are suffocating.

I've even just sliced them off using my knife.

I've found the best way is using fine tweezers right at or below their head, gripping the tweezers INTO your skin.....kinda feels like pinching yourself and then pull upward and sometimes they actually let go and fall off but 90% of the time you are tearing them off with a tiny bit of your skin.

Doctor time I would say....never had them leave a red circle like in the photo or make me sick.