Since we got back from our cabin earlier this week, I've kind of let my kids go around with the "natural" look. I've brushed their hair everyday but that's about it. Yesterday we went swimming and so I thought I'd better pull the girls' hair back. As I went to part Hailey's hair, I noticed this huge thing that looked like a tan colored pinto bean. I thought it was really odd that she'd have a bean just sitting on her head. Then, I noticed a ton of dark dried up blood all around this object. At this point it dawned on me that chances were very good this was one of those disgusting creatures they call a tick. Gross. I yelled up to Baylen and he came down and confirmed my fear. At this point, I was so distraught about it that I started dry heaving. Stupid, I know. Baylen tried burning the back of the tick. It wiggled around but didn't come out. He then looked up on the Internet that you are supposed to use tweezers to pull it out. So, I held Hailey's head still while he used a pair of his nursing hemostats to pull on it. I didn't think it was wise to watch, but I could feel that he was pulling HARD. He tried several times and the dumb thing wouldn't come out. Finally he got it but it wasn't because the tick gave up. It was because the skin surrounding the tick pulled off. Baylen put the tick down on the table to make sure he got the head, too. It was so disgusting. It was huge. We assume it had been on Hailey's head for about a week and had been feasting on her blood that whole time. Hailey did incredibly well with it. The only time she got upset was after it was out and I tried to clean all the blood off her head. But, I think I will forever be scarred. I cannot get the picture of the tick stuck in her scalp out of my head. I have been itching non stop since then. I know I'm dumb, but YUCK!
After this was all over, Baylen asked why I didn't take a picture. Honestly, that was the last thing on my mind at the time. However, I did find one on the Internet.
This picture shows what Hailey's tick looked like. It looked exactly like the picture of the tick at the fourth stage.
Note: I always thought that ticks were bugs. However, I learned that they are actually arachnids. Even worse.
2 comments:
Oh my sickness!! I am kinda glad you didn't get a picture. After you told me about it I went right over and checked Rayley, and then I checked Corey and made him check me. We didn't find anything, but I am still so paranoid!
That is gross. I wouldn't feel bad about being grossed out about spiders, I grew up on a farm with all sorts of bugs, and I still will not get near them.
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