Okay, you know how Fall season comes along and people almost subconsciously shift into all things typical of Fall? Sweaters, Bushels of Cider, Hayrides, probably some random desire for cinnamon in everything- and, pumpkin patches! I mean, we have been attending pumpkin patches since we were little. And now I take my own children to pumpkin patches because it’s one of those “memories” you just do every year. It’s almost required. But here is one thing no one tells you about all that Fall fun- amidst all the photo ops and corn mazes, there is a hidden and very real danger. And one mom learned about that danger the hard way.
So this woman, Jennifer Hernandez, went to a pumpkin patch with her family. This happened two years ago. It was a completely normal day. Cute Fall outfits, probably took some pictures, probably got some cider and a ridiculously overpriced gourd. Somewhere in the midst of all this, just one tiny tick bit her. Just one, and that tick bite changed her life forever.
What she contracted was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which, in case you have never heard of it, is one of those tick-borne illnesses that sounds old-fashioned, but is here and… aggressive. Not just flu-like symptoms. Jennifer ended up losing the ability to walk. She lost her hair. She was in pain all over her body. Like, full body pain, not just a bad back or sore knees, but everything! She almost died! By a tick. At a pumpkin patch.
Yeah. That surprised me also.
She is still recovering, which is honestly kind of crazy when you think about how long it has been. Two years. It is not a rough week or two from which to recover – it is an entire life restructuring in slow-motion. And danger doesn’t just disappear the moment she “got better” and moved on. These types of maladies can stick, or fundamentally change the way your body works. Her story is not finished—and that is just why she is talking about it.
Now here is the kicker: most of us kind of stop thinking about ticks once the summer ends. Like it gets a little cooler and we just assume they are kind of gone like mosquitoes. But not. In many places, the ticks are still crawling around well into fall – basically until it freezes or snows. And even then, that doesn’t mean they are dead or hibernating. That is why her warning is hitting people harder now. Because it is a not just a summertime issue.
Everyone assumes as long as you are not hiking through the woods or trudging through tall grass in shorts, you are safe. But ticks do not care if you are partaking in wholesome fall family activities on a chilly October afternoon. They inhabit the same spaces as us – grassy fields, wooded areas by farms, and around the occasional pile of leaves and hay bales. You know, the usual things that make the pumpkin patch authentic and fun.
The other thing is how small and sneaky they are. Other people sometimes think they are gonna feel it or see it immediately when a tick bites them. But that’s not always the case. They can be really small, like really small, and they are pros at going undetected. Plus, a lot of those illnesses don’t happen immediately, so if you did have a few symptoms, it may not even register that it could be a tick bite. That isn’t even considering how you may not even remember being bit.
So, Jennifer isn’t sharing her story to scare people – she is trying to get people to pay attention. Because this kind of thing is not just rare. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is just one of several possibilities ticks can have illness-wise. Lyme Disease gets a lot of attention most likely because people have heard of it, but they are both serious. And to a level they are both preventable if you can pay attention and know what to look for.
I don’t know, but, I think that is what gets me – the idea that one tiny bug could derail your entire life and you don’t realize it until it is too late to undo it. It doesn’t feel right. Multiply this knowledge by the fact that there are ways to avoid it. Don’t skip on checking yourself or your kids after being in the outdoors, even during times that may feel safe. Pay attention to the hairline, behind your knees, and under your arms, where the little buggers are sneaky. And just because it is fall doesn’t mean there are not ticks about. If anything, fall is when so many of us inhabit environments riddled with ticks without even thinking about it.
Jennifer’s story is a harrowing reminder that not all elements of those cute fall outings are harmless. Sometimes the things that kill you are the things you literally cannot see until it is too late.
And apparently because this wasn’t enough, tick eggs can hang out in some surprisingly common places too. Like leaf piles or on pet fur. That’s fun. Personally I can’t even imagine to see the pile of tick eggs, ewww!!!
I’m not saying don’t go to the pumpkin patch. Just maybe check your ankles later.
