Last Friday, I went to WalMart. Luckily, I only needed a few things and I was soon in line. While we waited, another patron commented on M's red hair. Since GQ was near me - in the cart - I played with his hair. It is a little red, and I am always wondering what color it will eventually be.
It was then that I noticed it.
At first, I did not know what it was, but after a few attempts to brush it out of GQ's hair - I realized...
This was a tick. And it was attached.
I would like to tell you that as a calm and collected mother of four, I went and bought some tweezers (I was at WalMart) and removed the tick with competence and finesse. This, however, is not what happened. Because:
THERE WAS A LIVING, WIGGLING, BUG ATTACHED TO MY TWO YEAR OLD'S HEAD!!!!! AND IT WAS SUCKING HIS BLOOD!!!!!
I do throw up. I do poop. I do lip gloss, and fingernail polish, and fuschia crayons in dryers. I do not do bugs attached to heads.
I am not a social butterfly, but I quickly began polling my fellow-shoppers on tick removal. I think I hoped that one would magically whip out his personal tick-removing tweezers and take care of this for me.
I have exactly 4 people programmed into my phone on speed dial.
I called them all. Only one of them answered.
Meanwhile, I tried not to look at GQ's head. Then, I felt guilty for being scared to look at GQ's head. Then, I called and made an appointment at the pediatrician to have the tick removed.
This may seem pathetic, but I don't care. I just wanted the tick out. And I never wanted to look at it again.
Unfortunately they did not have an appointment available for another hour and a half at the pediatrician. I was already grossed out that GQ had slept and napped with what he now happily called "my tick." This was unacceptable.
So, I called Justin again and told him he would have to leave work, come buy tweezers, and remove the tick himself.
Because frankly, I was pretty much flipping out.
And this is what he did. Because he is nice and loves me like that. And because I was hysterical, you know?
I did manage to watch him take the tick out since I knew I couldn't make him leave work all summer. Which is good, since E had one yesterday morning that I did manage to remove on my own.
I don't know. Between the mice and the ticks, I may be leaving Iowa tomorrow.
9 comments:
Oh that's creepy! I would have been really upset by that too. I hate ticks, especially when they're attached to my children. :) They're all over the place back East but I didn't think they were as bad here. I'm going to have to be careful about checking the kids, the dogs, and myself from now on. Thanks for the warning!
eeek!I would have panicked and made a scene in the store, hoping someone else would remove it. I guess I need to go check my children's scalps now...
You can just get tics from ordinary life in Iowa? WOW! I'm so glad we really only have them in the mountains! And I remember being told never to remove a tic with tweezers because the head can become detached and then you leave the head in the skin. They say to put some petroleum jelly on the tic so it can't breathe and it will come out on it's own. But either way, it just seems gross. I'd probably do the exact same thing.
The CDC actually says to use tweezers. The other ways are considered "old wives tales" but you do have to do it really slow so the mouth detaches, and it pulls this long piece of skin out too. Gross!
I love your posts - I'm laughing with you on this...the entire thing is a great story and your title was entirely appropriate :) You have an incredible husband - I don't think mine would do that, he'd probably suggest I go to Urgent Care - either way, glad Mr. Tick was removed and sounds like you'll get more experience removing them this summer!
Oh, that's gross! I don't blame you for not wanting to take it out. I didn't realize Ticks were such a problem there. I refused to take a tick out of my brother-in-law while we were in Wisconsin. Everybody was amazed that I was a nurse and wouldn't even take out a tick. That is not what I do and bugs creep me out!!
we have a story like that--unfort., in our case--the thing stuck to my kids head was lice and not a tick. after our experience with lice--i think i may take a tick or two any day.
good luck w/that though jamie--i would've freaked out too and i would have MOST def!!! made kyle come home from work to get the thing off my kids head.
thank goodness for husbands, right?
you didn't overract at all. i would have died. i don't do bugs.
I know that it is a little late, but Shelley was concerned that perhaps your family members who have been "sucked" by those little critters should have antibiotics.....?
Love,
Grandma Paula
Post a Comment