Dear Dr. Rynne,
My husband and I live on the north shore of Long Island, NY, in Suffolk County…where there is a population of deer. How do I remove a small deer tick on my ankle safely without separating the head from the body? Would putting Olive oil, tea tree oil, or alcohol on it make it pull it's head out? Or do I just carefully lift the body and pull out with a tweezers? I have a magnifying glass and tweezers. I am very concerned about getting Lyme from this tick. I've done my best to avoid grass where my husband and I rent a tiny cottage, but the grass is not cut much or kept short. About mid May my husband removed a deer tick on my knee and I asked friend of mine who's an RN, she said I could take a blood test in about 2weeks. If I take the Titer (spelling?) test can I take it again in another few weeks? What do I do? Also what can I say to my mother-in-law who thinks maybe I should be in quarantine. What can I say to her to ease her mind. She does not realize from my words alone that I'm not contagious. Please help me.
Thank you. Sincerely, Adele