While in Maine this Memorial Day weekend, my family found six ticks on our bodies and clothes.

Every day, we eagerly walked through dune grass to go play on the beach. I like to call this path “Tick Alley,” and with good cause. After one particular jaunt on the beach, I skillfully removed a tick from my son’s head. I felt a little more than uneasy, as it reminded me of an earlier episode in my family.

A few summers back, after another family vacation in Maine, my husband fell ill with a high fever and chills.

Nonetheless, we flew back to California, where we were living at the time. My husband suffered through a six-hour plane ride and landed horizontally on our front porch. We never found a tick or signs of a bite, but the risk was too great. We asked our doctor to put my husband on antibiotics. Although the Center for Disease Control (CDC) doesn’t recommend this approach, it does claim that this method can treat early Lyme Disease.

Many of my family members and friends suffer from Lyme Disease. They have told me stories about taking multiple rounds of antibiotics with no relief. Most of them are on restricted diets to combat Lyme symptoms, including an extreme lack of energy. Some of them will suffer from the effects of Lyme for the rest of their lives. I’ve learned a few things from these family members and friends.

Not all cases of Lyme and other tick diseases present the same way.

You may have heard about the infamous “bull’s eye” rash. This rash appears in 80–90% of Lyme cases but doesn’t inevitably show up after you’ve been bitten by a tick. That is part of what’s so scary to me about finding ticks on those I love: Ticks don’t leave tell-tale signs that you’ve been infected with their diseases. Each case is different.

Stay in the know. Read the latest recommendations.

Check out what the CDC and Mayo Clinic have to say about preventing tick bites, proper removal of ticks, and knowing the symptoms of tick illnesses. Tick-borne illnesses cause nondescript yet very serious health problems. So, if you’re outside in the grass or in the woods, treat your shoes and clothing with permethrin, treat yourself with EPA-registered repellants, and check yourself from head to toe for ticks upon your return home. 

This summer, I donated to a fundraiser for a friend who has late-stage, neurological Lyme. Needless to say, Lyme is at the forefront of my mind right now. Have you or someone you loved been affected by a tick-borne illness?


Annie Claflin
Annie recently moved back to her hometown of Boston after a five-year stint in Los Angeles.  She returns to Boston with her husband, toddler, and dog. Having lived and breathed ‘Boston’ for most of her life, Annie is enjoying re-discovering the city through the eyes of a new parent and on-location family photographer. You can view her images here: www.annieclaflin.com. Annie holds a certificate from New England School of Photography, a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and a Master’s in Arts Administration from Boston University. Aside from the arts, Annie likes running (usually from coffee shop to coffee shop), scones, seltzer, and the beach in Maine. Despite her love of Vacationland, Annie is still not a fan of lobster.