Guess My Disease!!

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:22 pm

Honorary medical degree from Harvard if you are the first to correctly guess my malady, seen here just above my left ankle:

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:24 pm

Hickey a la Deb?

Izzo · Post by **Izzo** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:24 pm

shingles

tHE_0ne · Post by **tHE_0ne** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:25 pm

you had contact with genital warts?

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:25 pm

Jim wrote:Hickey a la Deb?

An excellent guess, but no.

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:26 pm

Izzo wrote:shingles

No dice.

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:27 pm

tHE_0ne wrote:you had contact with genital warts?

Not in this lifetime!

Next!

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:37 pm

You were attacked by an industrial vacuum cleaner?

EDIT: That’s what my leg looked like when it got infected after walking through dirty water, during the aftermath of Katrina.

Izzo · Post by **Izzo** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:39 pm

eczema

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:42 pm

Spider bite

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:43 pm

RoundEye wrote:You were attacked by an industrial vacuum cleaner?

EDIT: That’s what my leg looked like when it got infected after walking through dirty water, during the aftermath of Katrina.

Nope!

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:44 pm

Izzo wrote:eczema

Nope!

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:44 pm

Humboldt wrote:Spider bite

Not a spider bite.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:48 pm

ghost wrote:Not a spider bite.

Insect of sorts bite?

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:49 pm

Jim wrote:Hickey a la Deb?

Lyme disease?

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:50 pm

Humboldt wrote:Insect of sorts bite?

No hints. Guess my disease.

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:51 pm

Debbie wrote:

Lyme disease?

WINNER!!!

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:53 pm

ghost wrote:WINNER!!!

Dam........how did you get bit by a tick?

Oh yeah, what did I win?

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:54 pm

ghost wrote:An excellent guess, but no.

Hey, you calling me a tick man?

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:56 pm

ghost wrote:Not a spider bite.

Spider is the common name for about 34,000 species including spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks. Spiders have eight walking legs, anterior appendages bearing fangs and poison glands, specialized reproductive organs, and commonly make extensive use of the silk that they spin.

http://www.thebugfolks.com/spiders.html

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:57 pm

Humboldt wrote:http://www.thebugfolks.com/spiders.html

Hey you...............he said GUESS MY DISEASE, NOT GUESS WHAT BIT ME!

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:01 am

Debbie wrote:Dam........how did you get bit by a tick?

Oh yeah, what did I win?

Apparently I offered my leg and it accepted.

On Memorial Day, Barbara and I were out birding at the edge of a field where it meets some woods. Tick check that night during my shower - negative.

Two days later, sitting on the couch, I noticed something on my leg. It was attached. Carefully removed it. Wound never healed, in fact, it got bigger and bigger.

Saw the doctor today, she consulted with an NIH colleague, then said she was going to bypass the testing and put me directly on 3-weeks of Doxycycline.

MadDoctor · Post by **MadDoctor** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:03 am

*saves picture of HOT leg for later*

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:03 am

Debbie wrote:...Oh yeah, what did I win?....

ghost wrote:.....Honorary medical degree from Harvard.....

You are now known as Dr.Debbie

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:04 am

Debbie wrote:Hey you...............he said GUESS MY DISEASE, NOT GUESS WHAT BIT ME!

That's right!

But I stand corrected if Humboldt is pointing out that a tick is a spider. I didn't know that.

That said, I know of no one who references a tick by calling it a spider. When we talk of ticks we say so. The ruling stands and Debbie is the winner.

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:06 am

RoundEye wrote:You are now known as Dr.Debbie

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:07 am

RoundEye wrote:You are now known as Dr.Debbie

I second the Motion!

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:17 am

ghost wrote:Apparently I offered my leg and it accepted.

On Memorial Day, Barbara and I were out birding at the edge of a field where it meets some woods. Tick check that night during my shower - negative.

Two days later, sitting on the couch, I noticed something on my leg. It was attached. Carefully removed it. Wound never healed, in fact, it got bigger and bigger.

Saw the doctor today, she consulted with an NIH colleage, then said she was going to bypass the testing and put me directly on 3-weeks of Doxycycline.

That is a strong antibiotic. I am hoping it works to knock it out of your system. I am sure they will want to test your blood for Lyme from time to time to see if it renders a need for more antibiotic treatment.

Heal fast Ghost!

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:23 am

Debbie wrote:That is a strong antibiotic. I am hoping it works to knock it out of your system. I am sure they will want to test your blood for Lyme from time to time to see if it renders a need for more antibiotic treatment.

Heal fast Ghost!

Thanks!

Looks like I'll be okay if there's an anthrax attack around me the next few weeks too. Plus, I'm offered some protection against malaria, it seems.

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:23 am

ghost wrote:Thanks!

Looks like I'll be okay if there's an anthrax attack around me the next few weeks too. Plus, I'm offered some protection against malaria, it seems.

MadDoctor · Post by **MadDoctor** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:29 am

ghost wrote:Plus, I'm offered some protection against malaria, it seems.

Wasn't she in that biology class we had? Oh wait. You said malaria.

My bad.....

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:30 am

MissTynker2 · Post by **MissTynker2** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:36 am

Geez

My guess would have been chigger bites...that would have been a whole lot simpler.

Get to work antibiotics!

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:51 am

A rather atypical looking bite for Lyme disease...first guess would have been something like poison ivy. A bite zone that results from Lyme disease is often more of a red halo around a red bulls eye bite.

Catching it early and treating with ABs has a high rate of success these days. Back when Lyme disease was first coming out...my father was one of the first of several hundred patients in an eruption of cases in this area....that were puzzling doctors as to what it was. Back then....it had just been given the name...and doctors didn't know much about it.

Popular stories go...It was given the name "Lyme disease" because it first surfaced right near where I live, if I look out my windows here in my home office...I'm on the south western edge of Waterford CT...I look west...and see Niantic. Just west of Niantic is East Lyme...Lyme, Old Lyme, etc. This disease erupted in this area with many cases in the early 70's. Many people say it most likely came from a government bio research lab...which is on an island out in Long Island Sound..called "Plum Island". So stories go...though there were documented cases before that, and way earlier in Europe. If it weren't summertime with foliage on trees...I look out my windows in a south east direction and see Plum Island..and Orient Point Long Island...out in the sound. And that the ticks traveled..airborn or floating...came to mainland.

My dad had been bitten on his lower back. The typical halo ring 'n bullseye. Bad bad arthritis like symptoms in his lower back and hip. Fevers, flu like symptoms. After a few months...went away. The following year...the symptoms returned on the anniversary month...almost as severe. For several more years...on the anniversary month of the bite (think it was September)...the arthritis and flu symptoms returned...each year with less severity..but this pattern seemed to last for near 8 years.

ghost · Post by **ghost** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:50 am

YeOldeStonecat wrote:A rather atypical looking bite for Lyme disease...first guess would have been something like poison ivy. A bite zone that results from Lyme disease is often more of a red halo around a red bulls eye bite.

Catching it early and treating with ABs has a high rate of success these days. Back when Lyme disease was first coming out...my father was one of the first of several hundred patients in an eruption of cases in this area....that were puzzling doctors as to what it was. Back then....it had just been given the name...and doctors didn't know much about it.

Popular stories go...It was given the name "Lyme disease" because it first surfaced right near where I live, if I look out my windows here in my home office...I'm on the south western edge of Waterford CT...I look west...and see Niantic. Just west of Niantic is East Lyme...Lyme, Old Lyme, etc. This disease erupted in this area with many cases in the early 70's. Many people say it most likely came from a government bio research lab...which is on an island out in Long Island Sound..called "Plum Island". So stories go...though there were documented cases before that, and way earlier in Europe. If it weren't summertime with foliage on trees...I look out my windows in a south east direction and see Plum Island..and Orient Point Long Island...out in the sound. And that the ticks traveled..airborn or floating...came to mainland.

My dad had been bitten on his lower back. The typical halo ring 'n bullseye. Bad bad arthritis like symptoms in his lower back and hip. Fevers, flu like symptoms. After a few months...went away. The following year...the symptoms returned on the anniversary month...almost as severe. For several more years...on the anniversary month of the bite (think it was September)...the arthritis and flu symptoms returned...each year with less severity..but this pattern seemed to last for near 8 years.

If you look closely you can see the bullseye. Researching online, before seeing the doctor, I discovered that the bullseye shape is not the only rash shape associated with the disease.

It's my understanding that the symptoms are more likely to reoccur months (or longer) down the road if not treated promptly. (Some are treated promptly with the current medication and still have problems later.) What treatment did your father receive?

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:00 am

ghost wrote:What treatment did your father receive?

I can't remember...this was back quite a ways in the early days of it (probably over 25 years ago) when doctors were still trying to get a handle on it. Can't remember what AB he was using....I recall combined with some anti inflams.

Did a quick Google and yeah I see other types of rashes are on the increase now...a few pics similar to yours. Guess it's manifesting itself in quite a few different ways now as far as the rash goes..with about a quarter of the rashes looking like yours.

Good luck with yours...I hope it disappears on the first round.

David · Post by **David** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:21 am

Penis envy.... Kidding aside, my first guess would have been an localized allergic reaction.

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:16 am

ghost wrote:

cybotron r_9 · Post by **cybotron r_9** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:29 am

RoundEye wrote:You are now known as Dr.Debbie

Debbie, should I turn my head and cough now?

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:01 am

cybotron r_9 wrote:

Debbie, should I turn my head and cough now?