Yes, every illness in the world begins with flu symptoms and I'm probably just being paranoid. Two weeks ago, however, I was bitten by a tick - I did manage to remove it when I noticed it, which must have been a minimum of two hours after it latched on (if it latched on at the trailhead as we were leaving, two hours), before it began to feed, evidently (it wasn't enlarged at all - quite flat). No problems, no infection at the wound, everything good. Till yesterday. I got a sore throat and attributed it either to allergies or to swimming too much, but as the day went on I started to get achey. I went out to dinner last night and on the way back to the car was beset by an attack of chills like I've never had before. My sister drives a Caddie with heated seats, thank God, so I was fine till we got home, but walking from the car to the house I was shaking so hard I thought my teeth would rattle out of my head. I had a fever of 100.9, which sounds low except that my normal temp is 96.7, so it's an increase for me. I had a fever and chills, every gland in my throat and neck was swollen, and my head and every muscle and joint ached. "Ache" seems like such a paltry word. My muscles, joints and skin felt like...indescribable pain. I took some aspirin and went to bed, but couldn't sleep until I took a Darvocet (left over from a shoulder injury) and naproxin at 3 am (yes, I know it's a bad idea to take Rx drugs for a new, unprescribed condition, but it was that or perish from watching infomercials). Today, I feel relatively normal. Still have a little headache and my throat is still sore, but...nothing else. I put a call into the Student Health Center but it could be a while before I get a response. Are there any tickbite experts here?