Check yourself for ticks!
I know I've been out of the loop for a long while now. And this is a muy importante update...so keep reading!
Guess what? I got lyme disease out in this dumb, old state of Connecticut! That's freaking right...lyme disease...and it is so not fun. And apparently lyme disease originated in Lyme, CT...so I figure I was doomed when I came here.
Here's what happened...I had a tick on my neck on the 11th of this month (I got it at work, for sure). I noticed it on the 12th after my shower. I removed it and thought nothing of it, like usual. I work outside every day...I've had them before, no big deal. Well, eight days after I removed the tick, I started getting this circular rash/hive on the side of my neck. It expanded to the size of the whole side of my neck in like 24 hours and just felt like it was on fire. I went to work on the 21st and asked my boss what he thought of the rash...he doesn't know what a lyme disease rash should look like, but we immediately filled out accident reports and called it in to the office and they hooked me up with worker's comp...I got a free doctor visit and free prescription.
So I go to the doctor, and he takes one look at my neck and says, "Yep, that's a classic lyme disease rash." Ok. Luckily I caught it early...if you don't, it is much harer to treat and cure. So I've got these big horse pills to take for three weeks. And my mom sent me two kinds of herbs for this also.
Anyways, the second day after I was diagonsed, Lyme disease became a nightmare. Up to then, I didn't feel any different, I just had a rash. But in the last 3 days, I developed more symptoms like vomiting, I couldn't turn my neck in either direction, all my joints were stiff as hell, my rash was on fire, and I'm really tired all the time but it hurts to lay down so I don't sleep much. It's been a real drag.
And of course, all it does is make me want to go home.
Speaking of...I've decided that's what I want to do after this six months is over. I don't like it enough out here. And being away from my parents is something I don't want to regret later. I don't want to miss out on the time I could be spending with them now. I've started looking at jobs in Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska. Somewhere where I can be close to home or at least only 3-4 hours away so I can drive home on weekends or something. And because this is how I feel, I broke up with Dan. And he hasn't been happy since. Luckily for both of us, he is on the road for work a lot...but on weekends when we are both home, we argue a lot. It's not a happy living environment. But at the same time, I couldn't continue this relationship when I don't have those feelings of passion and desire I'm supposed to have for him. I just don't see that anymore...I see friend. I still care about him, just not like that. I know what I want from life and where I need to go to do what I want to do, and unfortunately I don't see Dan in that picture. I needed to come out here to find that out. So I am happy with my decision and won't change it.
That's most all for now. Work is still awesome. I've learned a ton about atlantic salmon and also about how hydroelectric dams work. It's been more fun working on the dam than I thought it would be.
Sounds like everyone is still chugging away at life and jobs on here. I'm right with you! I just wish I wasn't so far out on this coast...it's a crazy, new world out here and I'd be much more at home in a field of corn. Oh, corn...mmm...
Guess what? I got lyme disease out in this dumb, old state of Connecticut! That's freaking right...lyme disease...and it is so not fun. And apparently lyme disease originated in Lyme, CT...so I figure I was doomed when I came here.
Here's what happened...I had a tick on my neck on the 11th of this month (I got it at work, for sure). I noticed it on the 12th after my shower. I removed it and thought nothing of it, like usual. I work outside every day...I've had them before, no big deal. Well, eight days after I removed the tick, I started getting this circular rash/hive on the side of my neck. It expanded to the size of the whole side of my neck in like 24 hours and just felt like it was on fire. I went to work on the 21st and asked my boss what he thought of the rash...he doesn't know what a lyme disease rash should look like, but we immediately filled out accident reports and called it in to the office and they hooked me up with worker's comp...I got a free doctor visit and free prescription.
So I go to the doctor, and he takes one look at my neck and says, "Yep, that's a classic lyme disease rash." Ok. Luckily I caught it early...if you don't, it is much harer to treat and cure. So I've got these big horse pills to take for three weeks. And my mom sent me two kinds of herbs for this also.
Anyways, the second day after I was diagonsed, Lyme disease became a nightmare. Up to then, I didn't feel any different, I just had a rash. But in the last 3 days, I developed more symptoms like vomiting, I couldn't turn my neck in either direction, all my joints were stiff as hell, my rash was on fire, and I'm really tired all the time but it hurts to lay down so I don't sleep much. It's been a real drag.
And of course, all it does is make me want to go home.
Speaking of...I've decided that's what I want to do after this six months is over. I don't like it enough out here. And being away from my parents is something I don't want to regret later. I don't want to miss out on the time I could be spending with them now. I've started looking at jobs in Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska. Somewhere where I can be close to home or at least only 3-4 hours away so I can drive home on weekends or something. And because this is how I feel, I broke up with Dan. And he hasn't been happy since. Luckily for both of us, he is on the road for work a lot...but on weekends when we are both home, we argue a lot. It's not a happy living environment. But at the same time, I couldn't continue this relationship when I don't have those feelings of passion and desire I'm supposed to have for him. I just don't see that anymore...I see friend. I still care about him, just not like that. I know what I want from life and where I need to go to do what I want to do, and unfortunately I don't see Dan in that picture. I needed to come out here to find that out. So I am happy with my decision and won't change it.
That's most all for now. Work is still awesome. I've learned a ton about atlantic salmon and also about how hydroelectric dams work. It's been more fun working on the dam than I thought it would be.
Sounds like everyone is still chugging away at life and jobs on here. I'm right with you! I just wish I wasn't so far out on this coast...it's a crazy, new world out here and I'd be much more at home in a field of corn. Oh, corn...mmm...