Cutienapcakes!

Thank you.

She's seeing a Rheumatologist in Boston, today. I am hoping they try anti-biotics. I think all they have her on is anti-inflammatories. She was first (mis)diagnosed as having Fifth Disease (when it was just a rash).

She's since been in and out of Children's hospital and seen a rare disease specialist. Sometimes, she is unable to walk, or feed herself. I saw her (and her parents) yesterday. This is not the same child I last saw a couple of months ago. It's like she's fading away.

TAR: I always knew that EZ-Pass (or FastLane, for the Somervillains) made sense. Don't leave home without it!

I loved that the Models did the best at the couture/pinning task. They were damn good competitors.

Thanks Aimee, and everyone else.

She's since been in and out of Children's hospital and seen a rare disease specialist. Sometimes, she is unable to walk, or feed herself. I saw her (and her parents) yesterday. This is not the same child I last saw a couple of months ago. It's like she's fading away.

Grr. Considering how widespread and misleading Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses are in the Northeast, I get damned angry when I hear that doctors aren't doing an antibiotic run just to be safe.

From Postgrad Medicine Site:

What types of diseases do ticks spread?

Some types of ticks carry spiral-shaped bacteria called spirochetes (spy-reh-keets) that can infect humans and cause disease. The deer tick, which lives mainly in the northeastern and Middle Atlantic states and the Midwest, carries the spirochete that causes Lyme disease. The Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick, found in the eastern and western United States, spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ticks can also spread less common diseases, including ehrlichiosis, Colorado tick fever, tularemia, tick paralysis, and relapsing fever.

What are the signs and symptoms of tick-borne illness?

Although signs and symptoms can vary, most people have evidence of a tick bite, rash, and fever. The rash in Lyme disease spreads out from the bite in a distinctive pattern that looks like a bull's-eye (see top photo). In Rocky Mountain spotted fever, red spots show up first on the palms and soles and then spread to the chest, stomach, back, and face.

How are these illnesses treated?

Most tick-borne diseases can be treated with antibiotics. The sooner that treatment is started after infection, the faster the recovery. Oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline, cefuroxime axetil, or amoxicillin, may need to be taken for a few weeks. Be sure to continue taking the antibiotics for as long as prescribed.

Egg Bagel:

My neighbor had Rocky Mountain spotted fever a few years ago, and she had all of the symptoms you're describing. Took them six months to diagnose and treat, but she eventually did recover fully. Fwiw.

Eric Rudolph hates jail [link].

And the inventor of Jail rests easy in his grave.

NYistas,

I will be back in your fair city late next week (December 20-22 to be exact). Anyone interested in getting together that Wednesday or Thursday night? I will be staying with friends in Cobble Hill, sort of between Scola and Jess, so Brooklyn or lower Manhattan might make the most sense for me.

ETA: X-post with F2F

I am not sure, at this late age, that I want Charlie Sheen defending my borders.

I don't know, a wall of hookers might at least slow down an invading army for a while...

TAR: >I loved that the Models did the best at the couture/pinning task.

Yeah, that was great. The judge rocked it. "No. No. No."