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Ep. 14 Ticks Are Not Friends with Jamie Jones

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To sum it up, ticks are NOT friends. Jamie Jones, who had a year-long experience with Lyme disease (and has lasting impacts), shares her story…not to create fear, but to share knowledge. Jamie and her family love to get outdoors but armed with a whole lot of tick safety.

Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals giving medical advice.

Jamie Jones is a Minnesota girl with a heart full of wanderlust. She is a wife, a mother to two energetic boys, and an event/wedding planner. She loves travelling, working out, skating, and being on the water.

She grew up on a ranch, where she spent all her time outdoors, where the ticks love to roam. In college, she started getting really sore, and wondered if it was arthritis. She was often dismissed and told it was just from stress.

Jamie’s Symptoms:

  • Joints hurting – sore and swollen
  • Feet felt like walking on pins and needles
  • Fatigued
  • Headaches

Thankfully, Jamie’s story didn’t lead to chronic Lyme disease, as many do, because hers was caught early enough and she was put on antibiotics (for a year).

Becoming diagnosed is hard, as something like 20-30% of people don’t test positive.

Being Diagnosed:

  • Blood test (looking for antibody marker)
  • Visible bullseye rash
  • Usually followed with a 30-day cycle of antibiotics

Jamie’s Lasting Effects:

  • Loses voice very easily (especially when tired)
  • Gets swollen muscles
  • Joints and feet get sore (especially when it’s cold)

Deer ticks (the ticks that most often carry Lyme disease), are about the size of a sesame seed.

How to Prevent Tick Exposure:

  • Wear layers and cover up your skin (tall socks, long sleeves, etc.)
  • Wear light colours, so ticks can easily be spotted
  • Pull hair up
  • Avoid tall grass, when you can
  • Use Tick Spray (Lauren suggests 3momsorganics TickWise, and Jamie uses Deep Woods Off)
  • When inside, check hair, clothing, and dark, warm areas for ticks
  • Be cautious of your pets, as they can be exposed to ticks as well (Jamie shares that in Minnesota, there is a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs, and also a chewable fly and tick guard that they use)
  • Be mindful: Jamie cautions that she was simply running barefoot in her backyard when she was exposed

Links:

Be mindful, but still get outside!! The world was meant for exploring!

Find Jamie on IG: @jamie_m_jones

Thank you to Sawyer for supporting today’s episode! Check out Sawyer goods at https://besawyer.com

Production: @kpmediaproductions. Music: @michaelferraro_music.

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