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Tom Anderson, a Wisconsin-based friend of ours, was bitten by a deer tick while turkey hunting this past season. Soon after, he became painfully aware that deer ticks can give you more problems than just Lyme Disease. This one is called Ehrlichiosis, and it is bad.

You should know about this potential problem, because not many medical people do yet. If you get it, it may not be properly diagnosed immediately. As Tom notes, there were only eight cases of this in Wisconsin this past year. But that was then and this is now... and it can be assumed that none of the eight enjoyed it.

Here’s Tom’s summation of what he went through.

Spent most of last week (May, 2010) on the 11th floor of Meriter Hospital (Madison, WI) where I had been held captive, victim of a creature called Ixodes scapularis. Better known as a deer tick.

Started feeling bad Saturday afternoon and laid low all weekend. By Monday night was running 103-104 degree temps, sweating like I was living in a sauna, general overall aches and pains, with chills and shakes so bad I could not get a shirt buttoned. Blood in urine and a spray of red when I blow my nose. So into the ER they haul this big Norske.

With the Swine Flue panic in full swing, everybody around me was adorned in bright yellow plastic smocks with matching masks and clear face shields, making them look like aliens. I had some of the symptoms but not all. No vomiting, diarrhea or headaches. If it’s not swine flue then what is it?

Mosquitoes are present, so they look for West Nile symptoms. Nope.

Had been spraying lots of Roundup lately, so lets check that out. Nope.

Several other possibilities checked but still nothing.

Two days later I was still feeling rotten and sweating big time. Doc comes in and says, "Tom, this is something you don't want to hear from your doctor."

Am I dying? Will I have a few days to get my life in order? How long do I have? All these thoughts flashed through my mind before the next statement from the Doc.

"We don't know what you have, but we are getting close."

That second statement eased my mental anguish and offered a ray of hope, but my shakes and sweats continued. By this time I had experienced 26 vials of blood taken (14 at one time), x-rays, CT scans, echo cardiograms and who knows what else.

I kept telling them about a tick bite 10 days earlier while turkey hunting. The bite did not exhibit any typical "target" redness or rash on the skin but that seemed all that was left to check out. So off we go in that direction.

Finally, that’s it!!! Human Ehrlichiosos infected from a deer tick is the culprit. The antibiotic Doxycycline is now added to the IV drip. It's now Thursday afternoon.

I wake up Friday feeling tired but the best since this nasty episode started.

Still nurses and Docs run in and out dressed in alien gear. CDC in Atlanta has been notified. Only eight cases of this disease last year here in Wisconsin, so CDC is on board and must clear me after more blood tests. That happens later Friday, and the aliens turn out to nice looking nurses after they take off the protective gear.

Going home . . . Nope. That damn little bastard also put my heart into A-Fib. So here comes the "Shock Doc" for a zap to get the heart back in rhythm. Then something like platelet count, while building up nicely, is still too low to let me out. So, Saturday is the scheduled release day if I can get the platelet count up to 50.

Another blood draw at 6:00 am on Saturday. At 8:00 am, two nurses come in with "great news". Count is at 90 and the Doc has issued release orders. I’m going home!

However, it will be a 3-5 week process getting the body back in shape and regaining my strength. I lost nine pounds in the ordeal.

Generally speaking, if we can get the tics off our body in 24 hours, they do not have time to bury in and release their poison. However, the tic that got me was on my body for 48+ hours.

Please be extra cautious about these little buggers. They are about the size of a poppy seed but sure laid out this 6'-5" 230 pound guy like nothing ever has.  I had never even once been in a hospital overnight in my 67 years. This episode was very serious for a couple of days until they made the correct diagnosis and got the proper antibiotic into my system.

Tom Anderson