Not a terribly good day today, but I remain positive
First, visit to the doctors to discover I may potentially have lymes disease after a tick bite 7 days ago. Then down to get a blood test, and now have to wait a few days as, although general blood test results are same day, the lymes test takes a few days.
Anyway, travelling from the doctors to the laboratoire I took a left turn across a solid white, that I now know is not allowed. I would have thought a warning would suffice, but oh no, the rather smug cop handed me a 90€ fine! Annoying to say the least, for something so incredibly trivial.
On top of the 90€ fine, can I also expect to receive some points on my licence, and therefore have to change it for a French one???
In more years of tick bites that I care go count I have yet to get Lyme. However hopefully they said to you that fever and deep aches then blood test result or not head back to doctor for antibiotics, as the sooner you tackle it the better.
In relation to something else entirely I learnt today that Lyme generally spreads to ticks from birds such as robins and thrushes. Then travels up food chain to voles, assorted small mammals, and then deer. Who are able to develop antibodies to Lyme and deal with it. I always thought Robins were too chiper by far, and nasty aggressive little birds as well.
Yes the doctor already prescribed antibiotics. And just got the initial blood test result back (without lymes test) and it showed very low white cell count, so body’s obviously battling!
If the body is battling something (like an infection) you would expect a higher white blood cell count. Go back to see your MT sharpish, more vulnerable to infection.
If it’s any consolation, I was bitten by a tick with Lyme’s disease here in Normandy. I did nothing ie took no blood tests etc (having frequently been bitten by ticks) until the very distinctive bulls eye rash (evidencing Lymes disease) eventually appeared (after 2-3 months). I then made my first and only visit to a UK doctor’s in 25 years, who gave me an antibiotics prescription and it cleared up very quickly. Hopefully your tests will be negative.
That’s a tad concerning I must admit I thought it was the other way round. They’ve highlighted in big and bold and copy goes to the doctor so I’ll first see if he contacts me tmrw morning.
Before you panic the numbers are highlighted if the are even a smidgen outside the norm. And you need to be quite a way outside the norm (above or below) for anyone to really care.
That’s generally true, although some bacteria like staph aureus produce toxins that very specifically target white blood cells. Not trying to correct you, but just add a bit more info.
How did you know you might have it? I had lots of bites this year with a centre but flying insects and most of me is covered if I venture into long grass.
As I gather Lyme Dusease is sneaky would it be worth asking doc to add a test for Ĺyme as well, prophylactically, when I go for a routine blood test in the autumn?
The tick bite characteristic is a red circle that expands. And even so that doesn’t mean you have lyme. Look up whether it is common in your area, as many areas of France have hardly any. We have lots as covered with forest, with forestry long grass and deer.
Is you have no other symptoms (fever, bone ache etc) then probably not really worth it. The tests done routinely in France outside Lyme areas are not the best, so give false results. And would you want to take a course of antibiotics that stuff up your gut system on a guess?
I had the bite a week ago and was monitoring the bite area. Felt absolutely fine until a couple of days ago when O went on my pre breakfast walk and legs felt like lead. Later that day I had alot of joint ache and flu like symptoms, shivery, sweating and headache. Yesterday morning I decided to do a bit of research on lymes and after reading how nasty it can be if not treated early I decided to go to the doctor. I may not have it, but it does all seem a bit too coincidental. I always wear long trousers and boots when hiking/walking, even when it’s sweltering. My bite is on my waist, at the front so god knows how it got there. I had another tick bite on my arm the other week, with absolutely no reaction and it healed and left no trace very quickly, The current one however has expanded slightly, hence the visit to the doctor. I hate taking medicine of any kind but the way I viewed this was that the risk was not worth it, as some folks suffer for years with all sorts of complications. I would say, if you are in any doubt about a specific tick byte then go to the doctor for advice, as they can at least give a second opinion. Then up to you what you do with that.
@andyw I guess that’s inflation, or your officer was a little more sympathetic than mine. They took my email address to send the fine to but still haven’t received anything. The two police bikes had also pulled another car over when I originally passed them, so they must have been on a mission to fill the coffers yesterday!
Yes when I was pulled over they asked for my licence, the UK card licence, then asked if I lived in France, and then I wanted to head that conversation off at the pass so went through the whole ANTS wont renew unless <6 months from expiry, which they accepted.
I was v pleased with self, reckoning to have saved an hour’s labour - €45 - at the garage to get the klaxon working again, by following the instructions on a YT vid. Simple procedure to do but a bit nervy because it involved removing the airbag from the steering wheel. “… then reconnect the battery and start the car from outside”
Klaxon contacts cunningly hidden behind airbag in the Peugeot 307 … Klaxon fixed - cancelled garage RdV .
Home again and what do I find in my post box? … ‘Avis de Contravention’ 95 kph on 90 kph road. €45 s.v.p.
Yesterday, take angle grinder to collar seized onto rear wipe drive stud, to fit new wiper arm. Success. Another saving at Garage Alain.
Home again and what do I find in my post box? … ‘Avis de Contravention’ 96 kph on 90 kph road. €45 s.v.p.
I must admit I thought it was the other way round. They’ve highlighted in big and bold and copy goes to the doctor so I’ll first see if he contacts me tmrw morning.
