The runaway suitcase and a hitchhiking tick

By Nicole Bell

Last year, I went to DC to attend a CDC event. I stayed at a Westin in Virginia right outside the city. I was getting ready to leave and stood behind my minivan searching for my keys. 

As I rummaged through my bag, my suitcase started rolling down the sloped parking lot. I didn’t move quite fast enough, and it rolled across the lot, hitting the curb and falling into uncut grass.

I laughed, recovered my bag, and wheeled it back to the car. But because of my life experiences, I paused. I stared at the bag and decided to check for ticks before I put it in the car. Virginia is an emerging endemic area, and there was a lot of grass.

My inner dialogue was telling me… “man, the PTSD runs deep… I must be crazy… I can’t believe I am checking for ticks in a parking lot…”

And then, I saw it. A tiny little tick scurrying across my suitcase.

I was seconds away from putting that little bugger in my minivan and driving it back, across state lines, to shepherd it into my home.

I wasn’t out hiking. I wasn’t gardening. I was in a parking lot getting ready for a business meeting.

Exposures are everywhere. Be aware. If you have odd symptoms, get tested. I’m happy to help.

Nicole Bell, CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics, is also the author of What Lurks in the Woods and The State of Lyme Disease Research. This post first appeared on her Instagram page.