No, I'm not up early; I never went to bed...

Okay. Just drove back from ER after thinking I had some spreading infection (have been experiencing all the symptoms of such since late Friday night), but which is actually multiple bug bites (the largest of which is 5" in diameter).

While the identity of the bug remains a mystery (which I will find, and upon whom will exact a most exquisite revenge), according to the doctor (who looked more like one of the custodial crew and spoke in monosyllabic grunts), they are bites of some kind.

Me: "What kind of bite grows after several days?"

Doctor: "I don't know."

Me: "What kind of bite leaves a mark 5" in diameter?"

Doctor: "I don't know. (beat) I'll be right back."

(Returns twenty minutes later; listens to me with doctory thing.)

Doctor: "I'd better give you an antibiotic, just in case."

(That truly inspired confidence.)

At a sum total of 19 words, I am waiting to eventually see how much per word I wind up paying this guy. $$$$$

An attendant tosses me a script. Makes me sign more paperwork than I see anywhere else in lifetime. Tells me to get out.

Walk up to the desk. Take a seat. Show ID. Sign even more paperwork.

Me: "Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost?"

Lady: "I don't know." (must be the company phrase)

Me: "Sure. I suppose you want to surprise me by mail, so I can have a heart attack and have to come back."

Lady: "I don't know."

(Okay, that last "I don't know" never actually happened. The rest is practically verbatim.)

Such is the cost of coincidentally experiencing all the symptoms of infection for nearly a week, while simultaneously having physical signs which mimic infection (but are actually bites of a yet undetermined "bug").

However, given what it might have been, I have no reason to complain.

I have slept four hours in the past 50 (or so) -- not one hour since awaking Wednesday morning, but I apparently do not have a life-threatening infection -- but was given some antibiotics by the janitor "just in case".

Isn't the world a fun place?

Maryn said:

An antihistamine like Benedryl (the pill kind) can reduce the reaction, especially if you take it early.

Click to expand...

Thank you.

I have been taking a non-drowsy antihistamine for days.

Next step: Figuring out how I'm going to find the responsible "bug", then implementing my plan of annihilation, not only on the perpetrator, but his (or her) family, friends, and/or anyone else with whom he (or she) has ever associated. Yes, my plots of retaliation tend to resemble something devised by Bond villains -- or Wile E. Coyote. (I tend to be about as successful as they usually are, too.)


Pop Quiz: What do Wile E. Coyote, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester the cat, Daffy Duck, and JimABassPlayer all have in common?

Actual diagnosis: Lyme disease. I knew it wasn't "bug bites".

As I've been saying longer than I can remember, just because someone's a pro, doesn't mean they know their job.

Thanks, both.

The marks weren't bite marks, but some sort of skin reaction thing which happens in some cases, after the fact (and not at the site of the bite, but over the body; I had a total of 16) -- I don't know how long after the fact, but doctor was under impression that the onset is fairly recent.

Started antibiotics Thursday morning.

Today, most are disappearing quickly. Two largest (the first two I noticed) are fading quickly.

Doctor has no idea how it will effect me as I have already had all of the symptoms for years (from a multitude of other afflictions). Could be, I won't notice anything new (because I already experience all of the symptoms), or it could be they could be greatly intensified (bummer).

My greatest concern (which I didn't learn from doctor, but after the fact, online) is that apparently lyme increases the IgG count, making lyme a double-edged sword for me as I already have an elevated IgG count (MGUS). That is actually the potentially far worse part of this whole deal.

Thanks again, all. Anyone want to know any more, feel free to message me privately.