petmoosie: (Default)
petmoosie ([personal profile] petmoosie) wrote2009-11-09 01:37 pm
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Lyme disease

I am officially being treated for Lyme disease. I am taking pills as big as my little finger twice a day for 3 to 4 weeks, leaning on the side of 4 weeks.

My daughter is insisting on tick checks after she is outside. I need to insist for myself also. Our house may look like a zoo where the apes are grooming each other, but that's better than a tick getting by our scrutiny.

I do believe that time outdoors is important for children, and [livejournal.com profile] cvirtue 's latest post just adds to that. Ticks are a hazard, but one that we can deal with.

[identity profile] metageek.livejournal.com 2009-11-09 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Check with the pharmacist to find out what "excessive" means. If you worked outdoors, in July, you'd probably get more light than you get from your lightbox.

[identity profile] petmoosie.livejournal.com 2009-11-09 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I thought of calling my pharmacist. Now I am doing it.

[identity profile] metageek.livejournal.com 2009-11-10 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, good.

[identity profile] petmoosie.livejournal.com 2009-11-10 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
My pharmacist (my sister) recommends the use of sunscreen on my face. And to titrate the use of the lightbox (5 minutes the first day, 10 minutes the next if there is no reaction the first, 15 minutes the next if no reaction at 10 minutes, up to the prescribed dose of 20 minutes a day on the fourth day). The reaction is a skin reaction, a red and itchy reaction on the exposed skin. The lightbox needs to send its light to the eyes to have the necessary effect (the sensitive organ is the retina, not the skin) so that will work perfectly.

So that's that. Minimize the skin exposure while keeping the eye exposure as close as possible to the prescribed dosage.