The One With The Antibiotics

Doxycycline

Originally uploaded by Leviathan/Steven

So when we brought CJ home from Soul Survivor it looks like I gained some friends. I came up with bites but I just thought I’d been bitten by some ants or something after all I was sat in the dark on the grass taking down CJ’s tent. My bites were getting better, I had caught them but they had scabbed over and were healing or at least I thought they were .

I got up earlier this week and they were really really itchy – like burning itchy. I’d taken to using a can of Diet Coke or Dr Pepper as an ice pack (then when I’d had enough or it was too warm I’d drink it). I decided that as my ankle was swelling up I really ought to seek medical advice. I tried to get an appointment with my GP but he’s on holiday at the moment. If I wanted an appointment with the prescribing nurse I would need to call back this morning. I was trying to squeeze in the Doctor and Dentist in the same morning ideally I didn’t want to leave it to this morning just to be told that they were no spaces or that I’d have to come at a stupid time.

So I visited the drop in clinic – Mr C said that the last time he went he had to wait ages to be seen so I was prepared that I might have to leave at 7 without being seen.

I signed in then nipped to the loo. I had been sat down for about two minutes and was called into the treatment room. The doctor asked what was up and explained that there were the bites and that I think they are infected but obviously I don’t have a medical degree so I sought medical advice. He took one look at them and decided he needed a second opinion. So he nipped out and came back with this nurse, they had a conversation without really stopping to explain to me what was going on. (Thankfully, I think House M.D. had something to do with this I was able to decipher that my self diagnosis was correct. I have Lyme’s disease. So now I have to take a course of antibiotics that are darker green than the ones in the picture but are called the same thing.

Because of that I’m having to wear trousers and long sleeve tops where possible because a side effect of Doxycycline is photosensitivity – thats allergy to the sun. This evening I’ve taken to wearing my flip flops because my socks keep squeezing the area of my foot that is swollen – I tried different shoes for work but again my socks were squeezing – I know they aren’t the best attire for work but I think my flip flops are going to the footwear of choice.

I’ve been reading online about Lyme’s Disease and what it can do to you but so many of the posts are about Chronic Lyme’s rather than this version – I do hope this is temporary and not permanent. I’m also trying to find out if I can still give blood if I’ve had Lyme’s.