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Bed bugs on Oasis


good2go
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Need help....just got off the Oasis this morning. On Tuesday me and my friend noticed red welt looking marks on our backs and buttocks as well as hives all over my face and neck. My face and neck were so swollen by Thursday morning that we went to medical. The supposed doctor was awful and just said I had an allergic reaction even though my friend had the same thing. In any case, to shorten this post, we saw a bug Friday night and Saturday morning in the drawer with my clothes. Neither one of us knew what a bed bug was, symptoms or what to look for. Once in the port this morning I did a search on bed bugs and the rash, hives, welts, and the bug we saw matched our symptoms. I wish I had time to give more details of the poor medical treatment we received at RCI, but I'm looking for any advice on who to contact to follow up on this and also concerned on how to 'clean' my clothes. Please help!

 

 

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Need help....just got off the Oasis this morning. On Tuesday me and my friend noticed red welt looking marks on our backs and buttocks as well as hives all over my face and neck. My face and neck were so swollen by Thursday morning that we went to medical. The supposed doctor was awful and just said I had an allergic reaction even though my friend had the same thing. In any case, to shorten this post, we saw a bug Friday night and Saturday morning in the drawer with my clothes. Neither one of us knew what a bed bug was, symptoms or what to look for. Once in the port this morning I did a search on bed bugs and the rash, hives, welts, and the bug we saw matched our symptoms. I wish I had time to give more details of the poor medical treatment we received at RCI, but I'm looking for any advice on who to contact to follow up on this and also concerned on how to 'clean' my clothes. Please help!

 

 

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I think you should have reported to hotel manager when you 1st saw the bug

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Since you had them everywhere, I doubt they were bed bugs. Bed bugs bite in one particular area. If they were bed bugs you would notice a pattern. They like to bite in a straight line. You would have one straight line of bites on one part of your body, not a bad rash everywhere.

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Since you had them everywhere, I doubt they were bed bugs. Bed bugs bite in one particular area. If they were bed bugs you would notice a pattern. They like to bite in a straight line. You would have one straight line of bites on one part of your body, not a bad rash everywhere.

 

Actually,

they may be in a "linear type pattern of 3, but more so in clusters and can be everywhere if there is an infestation of more then just a few bugs. they prefer specific areas but enough bites can cause significant reaction.. and can be a bad "rash every where"

 

not a straight line...

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Hi lazeye....from my webmd searches and other searches on the web, you can have both clusters of welts, which both me and my roommate had as well as hives and swelling from an allergic reaction to the bites. It depends on how allergic you are to bed bugs. Also, as soon as I even considered it to be a bed bug I reported it to an RCI employee at the port. All he did was take down my room number and say it's reported. I'm worried about the next poor soul getting my stateroom. I will say that me and my friend had 2 visits to medical and a phone call from a doctor during the trip. My allergic reaction was bad enough that they initially wanted to give me IV steroids. I now know the bug I saw was an adult bed bug, but had no idea at the time and just did an internet search at port because the doctor made mention of be bugs in an offhand comment during a medical visit and then just quickly dismissed it.

 

 

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Actually,

they may be in a "linear type pattern of 3, but more so in clusters and can be everywhere if there is an infestation of more then just a few bugs. they prefer specific areas but enough bites can cause significant reaction.. and can be a bad "rash every where"

 

not a straight line...

 

Ah, thank you for clarifying that. I was speaking from personal experience, unfortunately. I hope to never have that experience again because it was brutal. And because I am going on the Oasis in March, I really hope the OP didn't get bed bugs.

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just keep your suitcase out of the house. From what I've read, wash your clothes in HOT water and use the hottest setting on your dryer.

 

I'd keep my suitcase outside. (we live in Florida, I'd probably put it in the sun).

 

Are you home yet? don't undress in the bedroom.

 

This is just in case it was bedbugs ... you don't want them in your house, they can be very difficult to get rid of.

 

It is possible that you were bitten by sand fleas if you went to Labadee.

 

Good Luck!

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Need help....just got off the Oasis this morning. On Tuesday me and my friend noticed red welt looking marks on our backs and buttocks as well as hives all over my face and neck. My face and neck were so swollen by Thursday morning that we went to medical. The supposed doctor was awful and just said I had an allergic reaction even though my friend had the same thing. In any case, to shorten this post, we saw a bug Friday night and Saturday morning in the drawer with my clothes. Neither one of us knew what a bed bug was, symptoms or what to look for. Once in the port this morning I did a search on bed bugs and the rash, hives, welts, and the bug we saw matched our symptoms. I wish I had time to give more details of the poor medical treatment we received at RCI, but I'm looking for any advice on who to contact to follow up on this and also concerned on how to 'clean' my clothes. Please help!

 

 

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from anyone, but just curious what would you have considered "good" medical treatment??? Did you see a doctor at home? And how to clean your clothes? How old are you?...:rolleyes:
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The treatment you got from the "supposed doctor" for your allergic reaction is the exact treatment you would have gotten if it was confirmed to be bed bugs.

 

There's no magic cure for a bed bug bite, just some antihistamines or anti-itch lotion. :rolleyes:

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Yes, it sounds like sand fleas which we also got in St Thomas over near Sapphire beach. They itched like crazy and some are still evident on my knees almost a year later.

 

My SIL had 70 bumps all over his torso. It was quite traumatic. I would be willing to bet it was not bed bugs. I know ours was not because although we had rooms right next to each other, my daughter nor my DH got any of these. But my SIL and I were on the sand at the beach more than the others. Google sand flea bites and check them out too before making your determination.

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Need help....just got off the Oasis this morning. On Tuesday me and my friend noticed red welt looking marks on our backs and buttocks as well as hives all over my face and neck. My face and neck were so swollen by Thursday morning that we went to medical. The supposed doctor was awful and just said I had an allergic reaction even though my friend had the same thing. In any case, to shorten this post, we saw a bug Friday night and Saturday morning in the drawer with my clothes. Neither one of us knew what a bed bug was, symptoms or what to look for. Once in the port this morning I did a search on bed bugs and the rash, hives, welts, and the bug we saw matched our symptoms. I wish I had time to give more details of the poor medical treatment we received at RCI, but I'm looking for any advice on who to contact to follow up on this and also concerned on how to 'clean' my clothes. Please help!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

What cabin number?

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Here's a great article with a picture. And...did you notice these bites the day after your beach days? Ours did not appear immediately, but the next morning. And several even appeared after cruise, which the girl in the article said she also experienced.

 

http://woodbridge.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/sand-fleas-another-reason-to-avoid-the-beach

6zwmtv.jpg

 

This is of bed bug bites:

xf1c2f.gif as you can see they look almost identical.

Edited by BecciBoo
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Hi everyone....I'm 43 with a medical technology background. I consider it bad medical advice when a doctor doesn't ask any history before telling me she wants to give me an IV steroid. When I told her I have a congenital heart condition and have concerns about the IV meds, she got very defensive and kept trying to hurry me into the next room for the IV. I said I'd like to know what I was being treated for since she didn't tell me what she suspected. She said an allergy. I told her that I don't have allergies and never had allergies and can she help me understand the cause of the welts too. She said there was no way to know. When I asked her about the red welts that both me and my roommate had she said they were bug bites. Keep in mind that I spent no time on a beach and noticed symptoms after our first full sea day which I spent in the pool and jacuzzi. I thought I had a bacterial infection which the doc said no way. I moved to the IV room and was very nervous because my heart can go into afib very easily. I asked about oral steroids so it wouldn't shock my system and be higher risk and she said no. I asked for a cream and she said there wasn't any. The doctor said the steroid was completely safe and said she would show me her medical book to prove it. She returned with the book, sat down and read the side effects. Then she stopped and said she has decided not to do the IV since there is a risk of rAising my blood pressure which could cause a rapid heart rate. I then asked for a new doc. The new doc was great. She listened to my symptoms and med history along with seeing my roommate too. She was the first to mention bed bugs but quickly dismissed it saying we both had a bacterial infection and I had some sort of contact dermatitis that caused the swelling on my face and neck. She prescribed an oral steroid, antibiotic, and steroid cream. The first doctor even made incorrect statements in front of the second doctor that the second doctor corrected her in front of me. Let's just say the first doctor was very rude and inappropriate when I asked any questions. With a heart condition I don't take things lightly. I want to make an informed decision which I felt the first doctor wouldn't allow me to do. It was her way or no way. My disappointment is the fact that the docs would not even entertain the idea that the infection and issue could be ship related. I had no idea if it was at the time either but wanted to find the cause so it wouldn't get worse. I didn't even entertain the bed bug diagnosis until seeing the bug on the internet search once I was through customs. My friend and I avoided the pools and jacuzzis until we had over 24 hrs of antibiotics so not to infect anyone with a bacterial infection which is what we were told we had. No doc told us to stay away from the pools which I thought was odd but in good conscious didn't want to infect anyone.....getting on a plane. Look forward to your replies....

 

 

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A doctor can do a biopsy to ascertain whether they are bedbug bites. Many years ago, I was getting small bites all over. I as the only one. My husband never got any and not did my parent who came to house sit when we went to Hawaii on vacation. Turned out our cats had fleas! Yikes! I called an exterminator and begged them to come immediately then flea bathed the cats. Never had another bite but it seems they only like me.

 

I had a friend show me years ago how to inspect bedding in a motel for bedbugs as she had once found them. I always check. She also checks for fleas by laying a white towel on the floor for a few minutes before unpacking.

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from anyone, but just curious what would you have considered "good" medical treatment??? Did you see a doctor at home? And how to clean your clothes? How old are you?...:rolleyes:

 

Better medical treatment might have involved trying to determine the cause rather than simply treating the symptoms. Some simple questions, as well as advice on prevention, might have helped start to separate whether it was bed bugs or sand fleas (although they'd much rather blame sand fleas than bed bugs).

 

You can 'clean' bed bugs off your stuff by either using high heat or very very low temperatures. Here's some additional info that might be helpful if they are in fact bed bugs.

http://bedbugs.umn.edu/bed-bug-control-in-residences/

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