Lyme disease, what is it?

- I saw that video of Avril Lavigne being sad about the doctor that laughed in her face instead of taking her serious. I've seen that kind of crying before so I know it was real tears and it hurts one to not be understood, to be overwhelmed by feelings when one has been stepped on. One feel sadness whenever one self has been used without consent. Now I wonder about why it had to become public.

- But of course it had to become public! Now it is possible to move forward in the struggle of lyme disease!

- What is lyme disease? (google translate lyme disease is : borrelia in swedish) Aha! Well of course that is true it is a worrysome time every summer as the ticks(fästingar) awake from their winter slumber. It's all over the news every spring, beware of the ticks and remember to get ur vaccination.

- You can get vaccinated against borrelia?

- NO, there is no protection against it, Borrelia is a germ or bacteria that has been on earth for millions of years, its one of the old diseases. But you can protect yourself against TBE which some ticks also carry around thats what the vaccine is for. And if you got Borrelia you can get medicine like antibiotics to stop it some what but be careful with getting not antibiotic unnecessary because them bacteria is starting to get multiresistent because of the overuse of it.

- Oh we're doomed. Nothing new under the sun. I think that's a saying from the bible. Ticks, how many ticks are there? Where are they?

- Do you remember the program "Mitt i Naturen" (in the middle of nature great swedish television show that explores nature) That handsome man walked in the woods with a white sheet and was deliriously happy over getting so many ticks on that white sheet to show you - the viewers - how the extraordinary ticks is hiding in the wide open in the woods.

- But my brother got borrelia (lyme- disease) just from a run around the lake?

- Yes the little fästing (tick) sit and wait on a grass straw for years until an animal or human passes by for it to jump on. So that is why you put on clothes when we're going to the forrest to pick chanterelles and blueberries. Socks on. Long legged trousers, long sleeves.

- And mosquito salva (cream) It hurts when the mosquito bites.

- Yes, when you're little it hurts more but as you get older you won´t feel it as much.

- I hate mosquitos, whatever are they good for? Whatever are the ticks good for?

- They have their place in nature for sure. Imagine a world without worries for the little things...

- I can't. I'm glad I don't have a cat anymore for the ticks did get into the bed then, from the cat being outdoors and then sleeping in my bed. Can you imagine what it's like for the dogs? Picking ticks of 'em all.

- Yes, poor animals. Have you seen the mango worms? Don't, it gives you nightmares.

So theres no cure for Borrelia(lyme) yet and it's older than most bacteria in nature. So basically nothing to worry about. I get maybe one or two ticks crawling on me every summer from walking in the woods or tall grass in Roslagen, Sweden. It has become a ritual to take the tick of carefully by its head with tweezers(pincett) and then burn it with a match into an ashtray of some sort(while laughing death in the face). Be cautious and notice if there is a red mark around the bite place on the skin couple of days later then it might be lyme disease.

Chill out it's summer! Go out pick blueberries with proper clothes on, walk the dog, do whatever.