Monday, July 7, 2014

Itchy

Last week started hot and humid.  I don't mind the humidity as long as it comes with high temperatures and sunshine.

Since rain was predicted later in the week, Monday was the time to tackle some much neglected outdoor chores.  I worked awhile.  Then I washed up good before I walked down to the road to get the mail.  On the way I pulled a few weeds from the lower flowerbed, a spot that has been turned over and fertilized so many times that now flowers and weeds share equal real estate.

Once back inside I took a long shower, proud of what I had accomplished and sure I'd get back outside in a day or two to finish weeding.  I had a good crop of mosquito bites but that's par for the course.

It was all the washing up that saved me.

By Tuesday afternoon I realized that the welts on my right wrist and hand were not bug bites but the result of a run-in with poison ivy.  Through years of camping and yardwork I've never had poison ivy, but my daughter confirmed my suspicion that evening.  The secret was not to scratch, which spreads the rash.

That night I started soaping up with Fels-Naptha soap, which I happened to have in the laundry room.  I slathered soothing cream on any spot with a hint of rash and wore socks on my hands to sleep.  I was able to sleep until the early morning hours when I got up to rinse and repeat. 

Wednesday I made a baking soda poultice, held in place with plastic wrap and rubber bands, and that offered more relief.  I was able to sew and iron with a sock on my right hand.  What a sight I must have been.  There was baking soda dust throughout the house as the paste dried, but that was a small price to pay.

Thursday I mixed vinegar with water and kept it in the refrigerator.  I soaked paper towels with the mixture and applied it to the rash, which was thankfully beginning to look better.  I was lucky that I realized what I had gotten into before the rash spread and I was covered in itchy welts.

Saturday night was the first night I slept through without waking with the urge to scratch.  Today I feel almost back to normal.  I had acupuncture this morning, and she gave me herbs which will further speed along the healing.

A quick look from a distance tells me that there's more poison ivy in the flower bed, which I can identify now that I know what to look for.  Seeds must have blown in from elsewhere because this is a new problem close to the house.  I need to get that poison out of there before it spreads or anyone else gets exposed.  Showers are predicted over the next few days and that may be the best time to get that job done.

If you're looking for me, I'm the one covered from head to toe in protective clothing, hat, gloves, glasses....

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, no. And they say "don't scratch," something I find impossible. To scratch feels sooo good. We have poison oak here, similar enemy.

Helen said...

Ugh! Thankfully your respiratory system wasn't affected.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

I have
poison ivy
every year for over 40 years :)
So far not this year.
Always have to get a shot
and take a dose pack.
I do not like it...
Living a the edge of the woods it is everywhere and usually spot it.
Bad habit
I do not wear gloves...

RURAL said...

Oh Sharon, that's not nice to have to suffer through. I had no idea it was that nasty...

And I am not sure if we have it here, I've googled it but the photos are not really clear, so it's hard to tell. But the one plant that I suspect might be a nasty is the one that I stay away from.

Hope that you are back to normal soon.

Jen

ellen abbott said...

oh, poison ivy. I have always been allergic to it and as a kid I lived in a very woodsy area around a bayou. I had more than one raging case of it covering my legs and arms. I can spot it now at 20 feet. moving out to the country has me battling it here in the yard and it is rampant along the back fence line at the new shop. I won't be going near there. birds bring it. they eat the berries and then poop out the seeds. several times a year I patrol the yard looking for the seedlings. they are easy to dig up and dispose of. I read that if you know you have come in contact with it to wash the affected area with soap and cold water.

Carolynn Anctil said...

That's nasty! I once had a run-in with something similar - stinging nettle, I think. Fortunately, I just have a whole host of ravenous mosquitoes to contend with. Hope you're feeling better soon and that you can eradicate that weed completely.
Blessings,
Carolynn

Enna said...

We are lucky here in the UK. The worst is nettle which is easy to spot and only has a 10 minute effect. No mosquitos either. Poison ivy sounds horrible. What bad luck to have your sleep pattern ruined for so many days.

Deb said...

Oh my gosh, thank goodness you realize what it was before it spread! I've never had a run in with poison ivy and after reading all you've had to go through I hope I never do. Hope you can get it all removed without getting exposed to it again.

MsGraysea said...

Poison Ivy is so all-consuming. Wonderful that you have used so many good home remedies and are getting better.
One of the fellows I work with had it last week and went to the drug store and found an over the counter product ($47. eeek) that took it away over night. Not sure I like the drug aspect for relief but he said it worked. I do hear, as Ernestine mentioned, there is a shot. That is probably wise if your immune system is compromised. So sorry you had to go through that torture. Good luck with clearing it out of the garden. You need a bee-keepers suit!!

teri said...

So glad this did not get out of hand! I have never had it and am beginning to think I am not allergic- but I should be careful because I am allergic to everything. But I will know to come to this page for poison ivy advice if I ever do get it! So glad your summer is going so well. The deck is wonderful. xoxoxox Teri the bad blogger friend.