‘Tis the Season of Ticks and Tags
Here we are, summertime in the Hamptons and there are thousands of people enjoying mass quantities of the great outdoors. It’s true that fresh air and sunshine are good for the body and soul, but there are also dangers like sunburn, skin cancer and tick-born diseases such as Lymes and babesiosis. Eastern Long Island is a red zone for infected ticks. In fact, although I think I’m pretty diligent about avoiding areas where ticks live and always check myself after possible exposure, I’ve had both major tick-born diseases. Not fun.
During my last pregnancy I was particularly diligent about checking my body for those pesky bloodsuckers. To have a tick-born disease during pregnancy could seriously affect the baby. Scary!
One day, after playing tennis, I did my usual body inspection. I felt a small bump under my right breast. At eight months, my boob was so huge that I couldn’t see under it, like I can now. I just move my skin sack that was once my boob, to the side. But, I digress… Anyway, I got a look at the offensive node with a hand-held mirror and was convinced it was a tick. Gah! I immediately grabbed my sharpest and pointiest tweezers and gave that bad boy a hard yank. Ouch! It was much more resistant than your regular deer tick. Maybe its head was so deeply imbedded in my flesh that I’d have to dig it out. The disease has got to be in my body by now! I thought. Oh Gawd, no! I grabbed a hold of the sucker again and yanked with all my might. Wow! That really F***ING hurt! And boy, did it bleed! It took almost 5 minutes to stop the bleeding.
When I had finally cleaned up and thoroughly disinfected the wound, I took a look at the pest to make sure I got all of it. Sometimes the head gets stuck in there. Guess what? It wasn’t a tick at all. It was a skin tag. What a relief.
Skin tags are apparently very common during pregnancy and can crop up on your neck, in your armpits and under your breasts. One friend of mine had a skin tag on her nipple. She later had it removed because it bugged the shit out of her during breastfeeding. Another friend of mine had a skin tag appear on her anus during pregnancy. She’s still too embarrassed to get it removed. Can’t say that I blame her.
Anyone out there have any unusual skin tag stories? Did you keep your tag after pregnancy and maybe name it? Or did you get it removed? BTW- I definitely recommend getting it professionally removed. They usually are connected to some major vein and can bleed a LOT.
During my last pregnancy I was particularly diligent about checking my body for those pesky bloodsuckers. To have a tick-born disease during pregnancy could seriously affect the baby. Scary!
One day, after playing tennis, I did my usual body inspection. I felt a small bump under my right breast. At eight months, my boob was so huge that I couldn’t see under it, like I can now. I just move my skin sack that was once my boob, to the side. But, I digress… Anyway, I got a look at the offensive node with a hand-held mirror and was convinced it was a tick. Gah! I immediately grabbed my sharpest and pointiest tweezers and gave that bad boy a hard yank. Ouch! It was much more resistant than your regular deer tick. Maybe its head was so deeply imbedded in my flesh that I’d have to dig it out. The disease has got to be in my body by now! I thought. Oh Gawd, no! I grabbed a hold of the sucker again and yanked with all my might. Wow! That really F***ING hurt! And boy, did it bleed! It took almost 5 minutes to stop the bleeding.
When I had finally cleaned up and thoroughly disinfected the wound, I took a look at the pest to make sure I got all of it. Sometimes the head gets stuck in there. Guess what? It wasn’t a tick at all. It was a skin tag. What a relief.
Skin tags are apparently very common during pregnancy and can crop up on your neck, in your armpits and under your breasts. One friend of mine had a skin tag on her nipple. She later had it removed because it bugged the shit out of her during breastfeeding. Another friend of mine had a skin tag appear on her anus during pregnancy. She’s still too embarrassed to get it removed. Can’t say that I blame her.Anyone out there have any unusual skin tag stories? Did you keep your tag after pregnancy and maybe name it? Or did you get it removed? BTW- I definitely recommend getting it professionally removed. They usually are connected to some major vein and can bleed a LOT.
posted by Stacy at 11:48 AM
6 Comments:
Fortunately for me, the only skin tags I had to deal with were hubby's. Ewwwww.
But the reason I brought it up is because after he went through a clinic visit to have several dozen removed, they told him he could do any subsequent ones himself. He tried it...once. It hurt so much and you're right, they bleed like a motha!
My baby has a skin tag on his ear and it freaked me out at birth but then they explained it was nuthin.
DAMN I wish I was in the East Hampton's shopping!! Better than going to Fire Island!
A wierd body thing that pregnant people develop that I DIDN'T get?
Impossible.
HAd you not mentioned this, I wouldn't have known they were something that appears during pregnancy. I have one that is right on my nipple. Small, so I can handle it, but what would it do later while breastfeeding? I wonder...
Demeter,
As long as your tag is little and isn't bothering your boobie now, it will probably be OK.
You know I have one under my breas! Never got one with my last pregnant, but I guess they say each one is different.
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