Tell you what, 9 days in the hospital, all sorts of blood draws, CTscan, MRI and lumbar puncture and all they could tell me is that I have a cyst in my brain that has probably always been there and not a problem (scary enough) . That and I did in my life's dose of narcotics and lost 25#. It is now nearly two full years later and I am back to my before weight. My digestion is still not the same and I can't eat like I used to. Took just over a year for my liver functions to be normal and some months to get my platelets up.

My doctor originally spent all sorts of time trying to find something from one of my exotic pets. I have worked in the pet trade all my life and owned reptiles of all sorts, birds including rescues and a parrot that Cornell never found a cause of death for three years ago, sugar gliders, ferrets, hedgehogs ...She had in a bunch of specialists (albeit, fancy for here in Elmira) The infectious disease guy says I have a virus that will run it's course in 10 days....I said it is going on 15 and I am getting worse not better. He based it on a rash. Left stumped and didn't come back.

So finally she treats me for a 'simple' dog tick disease and I got better. I still tease her about that one. Especially since I told her I had just groomed three or four dogs from down south so even if RMSF wasn't likely in NY it was possible.

Great thing is is that the test for RMSF goes out to California and didn't come back til 10 days after I got home from the hospital and is a negative anyway. I'd have been dead if she had waited. My sis had a freind that was in the ICU saying goodbye to his family before they started treating for RMSF. Practicing medicine.....

Biggest thing I learned from this....dogs are WAY tougher than people.

 Quote: Sonya Gilmore

Biggest thing I learned from this....dogs are WAY tougher than people.

Isn't that the truth.

Man what an ordeal you described, though, Sonya. Glad to have you around typing at your keyboard after all that.

My daughter lives in Connecticut. She said that she really wants to get out and hike and explore, but the forested areas are so thick with vegetation that she is scared of the ticks (and I haven't even shown her your story).