Back from the hospital this afternoon. Malaria-like symptoms from Babesiosis. It is a cousin of Lyme Disease, which I will not link, as that is more well-known. My second son complained "Why can't you just get Lyme, like normal people in New England?" And then it turned out that I had that too. As these ticks usually carry parasites, I likely have others as well, but most of this don't rise to the level of noticeable symptoms.
Originally confined to Nantucket, it has spread to nearby islands, and eventually to the Cape and all New England. However, it remains much more common on the Cape and Islands. I got a whopping does of one anti-parasitic, then continuing treatment with another anti-parasitic and some antibiotics.
When you are admitted to an ER they ask you if you have traveled to specific places. Texas and Florida are mentioned because of malaria. Well, I was in Texas in January, so that didn't sound likely. An older ER doctor suggested on the first night that it looked like Babesiosis and explained to me what it was. I had only ever heard of it at the Red Cross, as it is a rule-out for donating blood. "It used to be that it only occurred in Nantucket..." I interrupted. "I was in Nantucket two months ago." He thought that was a little long for symptoms to emerge until I pointed out I had been admitted for dehydration a month earlier. He then thought that babesiosis was the way to bet.
Yet somehow Texas stayed stuck in people's mind (as malaria is now up here with rising incidence, they may all be on hair-trigger to look for it) and I had to keep inserting Nantucket into some conversations. "How recently were you in Texas?" "January! I'm beginning to wish I'd never brought it up!" Eventually everyone settled into the theory Dr. King had proposed right off the bat.
So people live their whole lives on the Cape and Islands and never get it, but I take the ferry out for six hours and get New England's own personal regional variety of malaria. A few people were intent on correcting me that this was not malaria, because that was mosquito-borne and this was tick-borne. To me that's like saying "You got this in Indiana, so it must be cluckitis. If you had gotten in in Illinois it would be chickenosis."
Ben decide this was too weird, and reminded him of James Thurber's fictional great-great uncle, who died of Dutch Elm disease in 1912.
7 comments:
Very glad you found a doc who went with the simpler explanation. All too often there’s a desire for the zebra diagnosis, with a resulting case report. A bit unfortunate to pick up both Lyme and Babesia, glad it’s treated.
Amen. I hope Babesia isn't like malaria in its ability to linger and recur. I got sick with malaria twice, both times 6 months after exposure.
Welcome back!
Ef'n ticks.
I have a friend who has long been a hiker who went on an absolute rant about doctors and refusal to accept tick-related diagnoses when he heard my story. Tell me what you really think, Larry.
I guess that my not having been to the Cape in 50+ years has been a good decision. A childhood friend lives on the Cape. I'll stay in TX.
Adopted from Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin’
Dust Bowl travelin':
I've been havin' some hard travelin', I thought you knowed
I've been havin' some hard travelin', way down the road
I've been havin' some hard travelin', hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I've been havin' some hard travelin', lord
21st Century Pandemic Travelin':
I've been havin’ some hard travelin’, I thought you knowed
Been picking up them BAC-TEE-REE-AH VIRUSES way down the road
Whether it’s the Cape or the Astrodome, all that come to those who roam
I’m stoppin’ all that hard travelin’, Lord.
Get well soon, AVI. At least you don't have Dutch Elm Disease.
Post a Comment