I Think My Son May Have Lyme Disease

Really, I do. And the worst part is that we are in Brazil right now and I know that the doctors here wouldn't know which antibiotics to prescribe for him and how to really diagnose the disease.

Scary, huh? And why, you may ask, do I think he has Lyme disease, of all things? The answer is very simple. Three weeks ago K found a tick on Kelvin's ear at bedtime and he told us that a friend at school had removed a tick from his neck earlier that day when they were playing outside. I was scared because there Pennsylvania is known for the abundance of deer everywhere and his school is located near a large meadow where deer are often seen. I worried a bit and even considered calling the pediatrician before we traveled, but there were so many things to do and think about that I didn't do it.

Last Wednesday, however, Kelvin complained of something at the back of his head, more precisely, close to his hairline and, lo, and behold, there was a huge tick there. I shivered, thinking that the crature had been living in (and off) my son for over two weeks! My dad removed it with tweezers and it is now in a small jar full of rubbing alcohol -- it is huge and it looks precisely like the deer ticks pictured online. I kept looking at the back of his head and a few days ago I saw a small rash, similar to the one you can see pictured here, only much much smaller. He doesn't have any other symptoms, but I think that is enough, don't you think?

K is flying back home tonight and he'll call the pediatrician as soon as he gets home. Hopefully he'll be able to prescribe the antibiotics even without seeing my son, and meantime I'll take photos of the rash and bring the tick with me when we travel back on the 25th. It's all I can do. I just want him to be able to get started on the antibiotic as soon as possible, that's all.

I'm not really scared or upset, but it is unsettling and makes me feel guilty for not having checked his whole body for ticks, including his scalp. My son is becoming very independent, and at 6, he likes to take showers by himself, even washing his own hair. Had I washed his hair once during these two weeks I might have found out earlier... oh well.