Trails & Ticks

One thing we love about living in this area is that we conservation trails are everywhere. We are constantly running into new areas that we had no idea about. Today we explored at Oxbow Wildlife area at Still River in Harvard. It is a lovely walk that goes along the Nashua River.

These hikers were prepared with their socks and hats etc. However, the ticks were also prepared! Between the 3 of us we had 19 ticks from our brief time there!

Ticks are nothing so new. We are used to checking ourselves after being in Mimi & Pops woods and any hiking trails. This year has something different in that Alice acquired a tickborne illness at the end of last month. Anaplasmosis is similar to lyme, but less common and less familiar. We pulled 1 tick from her head the last week of April. Shortly thereafter she developed:

* fever * body aches & pains * fatigue * nausea * swollen lymph node

The fever would last 2 days, then dissapear. Then it came again the following week. It was hard to know if it was tick related or just a virus. So glad to we went in for a blood test! About the same time that we pulled out that first tick she also discovered a sore lump on the back of her neck. I thought it was an unrelated cyst. Turned out to be a lymph node, which makes great sense, thanks Dr. Harder! Also so thankful for blood tests and medicine!

Since that first tick we have pulled 2 more from Alice’s scalp. Why to they like the head so much? I don’t know. But even today, after our hike, and after washing the hair, we found another new one. It did not come off in the bath & wash, so do remember to give a good check to the scalp for any…visitors. Yuck.

I still love hiking with these guys though! Happy me. 🙂