If you get antibiotic therapy right away, then usually everything is fine. The problems arise if you don't seek medical advice right after a tick bite. Then the bacteria get into places where they can't be reached easily (like joints) and get out every now and then, plaguing you for decades to come. Often people don't even realize they've been bitten and think they've got the common cold or something when they get a little sick, not knowing it's lyme disease that they have. If you get a tick bite, you should keep it and give it to a doctor to be tested. You should also check for symptoms like a circle of red skin around the bitten area.