It really doesn't help being a natural worrier. So I'm trying not to FREAK THE HELL OUT but yesterday evening in the shower I felt something tiny stuck to me when washing my legs. I pulled it off thinking it was a tiny bit of mud(?) stuck just above my ankle. No, it was a TICK! :( (As confirmed by my cousin who's a vet and the iMidwife I can contact on Facebook). The tick is presently in a plastic bag in the bin since those fuckers don't die when you try to kill them!

My cousin asked where I'd been. Yesterday I was off work (it's our half term and therefore quiet) and went to Lakeside by train, principally to shop for maternity clothes. I also went in my garden to move a potted sunflower seedling as far away as humanly possible from our patio as a fox had shat in it.

Tuesday and Wednesday I worked. On Monday I went for a walk in the local country park, in sandals and bare legs and frequently choosing the grassy areas to walk on over gravelled path since the grass always looks so tempting and soft to walk on (and I saw an adder gliding around the very long grass the last time I'd been, which was great).

So maybe I'd had the tick since Monday, which is fecking gross enough as it is, but according to Dr Google is also long enough for Lyme disease to be transmitted, if it had it. EEK.

I'm off again today so plan to phone or swing by my doctors to bother them, although I suspect they won't do anything yet since currently my only symptom is a small bite mark. I worry for my baby, though.

It's also my birthday today so I'm going to bake myself a lemon drizzle cake. Ollie's working from home this morning then we'll go out for lunch. My mum and stepdad are coming over tomorrow then it's down to London on Sunday with pals for some all-you-can-eat dim sum. I have no doubt at all that my previous - and somewhat mayhem filled - experiences of said all-you-can-eat dim sum are precisely the reason why there is now a strict two-hour time limit in force. Should be good though.

*** Back to the present day ***

Everything seems fine Tick-wise. The doctor had a cancellation on Friday morning so I had an appointment less than an hour after I phoned up. He told me I don't need to worry (and the bite mark is tiny now, no bullseye rash in sight).

The cake I baked was delicious and lemony. I had a glorious day in Southend on Saturday and even went on a speedboat in the sea with my mum (stepdad and Ollie retreated to a seafront pub instead). On Sunday the dim sum was great but my friends predictably ordered far too much! At least we didn't end up saddled with multiple leftover bamboo steamers full of broccoli and soft shell crabs this time.

My mum made me chuckle on Saturday too. Some of my sunflower seedlings (many of which have been obliterated by slugs and snails, grr) are in pots going up the steps to our patio doors. She looked at the plastic label in one and exclaimed, "Oh how nice, you've given them all names!" I quickly pointed out that that was the name of the species, not some bizarre quirk on my part. Who on earth would name their pet sunflower "Teddy Bear"!? Hahahaha.

previous | next