Would You Like Lyme With That?

About three weeks ago, Bear went hunting with my dad while I went to a craft fair with my mother. That was on a Saturday. The next morning I noticed something on his arm. "Ugh, is that a tick?" I asked. We have both gotten ticks on us before from my parents' house.
"Yeah, it is," he replied. "Get the tweezers and get it out."
I got my tweezers (my good ones, too, because I couldn't find the old crappy ones) and pulled. It took several tries to get the little bastard out, but I did it! I washed my tweezers off in the TOILET and flushed the bugger down. Bear's arm was a little red, but that was to be expected since I really had to yank the tick off. We were concerned at first that we didn't get the whole thing out, but after careful probing with a needle, we decided we had.
Everything was fine and dandy until early this week, when the tick bite got more red and puffy. We decided to keep an eye on things, but didn't want to panic just yet. There was a chance that it was infected with just regular germs, not to mention the irritation his sweatshirt may have caused. Yesterday Bear called me at school and said, "I'm out of work, they gave me the rest of the day off, I'm going to the doctor's." Bear hasn't been to the doctor in FOUR YEARS. Things were getting serious. He ended up having to go to the hospital because his doctor couldn't see him. They haven't called him yet with the results of the bloodwork, but Bear is on antibiotics for the next three weeks (!) and has to watch to see if the redness gets any worse. A week ago the red spot was about the size of a quarter. Now it is about the size of a halved grapefruit. He has been very sleepy (one of the symptoms) but hasn't had too many aches and pains (another of the symptoms). We are fervently hoping that we have caught it before the effects are serious - Lyme Disease can cause neurological problems, sleep disorders, even damage your heart! Poor Bear...
Meanwhile, I have Inigo back from the vets... he still hasn't pooped, but should by Friday morning. If he hasn't, I have to take him back to the vets and drop him off. He has a bladder infection and possibly a partial small bowel obstruction. He feels better than he did, but he is a long way from healed. I feel so helpless... I can't make either of them feel better. I feel fine, but at this point I even feel guilty about that. I'm hoping that the power of positive thinking will work, and I can WISH them back into better health. If you'd like to give either Bear or Inigo your get well soon wishes, I'd be happy to pass them on. Thanks!

~Amalia~