It was over a year of symptoms increasing in severity, and more disabling with time, that culminated in profoundly depleted platelets. Platelets are the elements in blood that clot to prevent bleeding uncontrollably, either in the body or on the skin when cut.

My neck was stiff, and felt like muscles were twisted around a nerve, shooting electrial pulses of pain out to my shoulder. My lower back felt as if the cartilage was disintegrating and the lowest disks would grind and snap. It was difficult to stand up straight or walk if I dared to bend my back at all to pick something up off the floor.

My knee became arthritic, as did my left thumb joint which made gripping anything impossible.

But it was the second blood test that showed my platelets were dangerously low, and increasing difficulty walking that led me to take control of my own care, and figure out what was wrong with me. My ankles became swollen and painful, my and shins, (tibia) felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them. They were covered with red, hot patches that were strangely reminiscent of the migrating rash I had after the curious black blister over a year earlier.

Iin the absence of any medical staff I diagnosed myself finally, after 10 months of multiplying symptoms. I found a picture online of a blood engorged tick- it looked identical to the black blister I had taken a heat gun to last August because of the intense (there is no word adequate to describe it) itch that was deep below that blister. I had then washed the blister off with my hand and soap down the shower drain.

After the allergic reaction thatlasted 3 weeks with intense itching and microblistering, and oozing, the site of the blister finally healed and suddenly within days, a hot red blotchy patch with clearly demarcated, boundaries appeared under my arm ( I can't remember now if it was the left or right), and then disappeared quickly, and within hours, it reappeared on my neck. It felt like I had been branded with a hot iron. I believe this was the "migrating rash" that is described on many lyme disease web sites.

When my symptoms climaxed after months of feeling like I had morphed into an arthritic and crustry old man (I'm a young 39 who has never had any symptoms of back pain or any joint pain) I had to go to an emergency room armed with research, the photo of the engorged tick I found online, and specifically ask for a Doxycyclene prescription.

Most Doctors didn't believe i had been bitten by a tick or thougt I was being delusional and 3 docotrs at the local gay clinic told me it was HIV related, and even told me the low platelets were an HIV condition and if I only went on meds it would resolve. This is ludicrous as I told these doctors about my experience with a black blister that I think may have been a tick feasting on my stomach.

Lucklily, the ER doctor knew about tick borne infections, and said he "was happy" to presecribe me what I requested. I was free of the leg and ankle symptoms and pain after 3 days of the Doxycyclene.

After 5 days, my lower back was pain free. After the full 12 days, the only symptom that persisted but was much improved nonetheless was my neck. Today it feels like the tendon or cartilage or muscle there is still a bit fragile, but most of the pain is gone.

After a couple of weeks though, I started feeling headachy and fatigued again. The platelts were exactly the same low number, 25,000, (>140 is normal) and my ankles and inner arches of my feet were starting to show the little red dots called petechiae and congealing areas of broken capillaries, the red and blue spotting known as purpura.

I went to a local hispanic clinic and after much pleading the doctor pffered to give me a bottle of doxycycline for $25 bucks plus the cost of my visit.

After 10 days of that, I am feeling better, and am hopful.

There is no sign of unusual brusing, and an accidental cut last week clotted within minutes. My head is clear, and my vision is no longer blurred. The headaches are so far absent.

I woke up this morning, and my eyes were not puffy. For the first time in over a year I feel like I'm going to be oK.

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