Our three day weekend was spent at home catching up on yard work while the dogs watched.
Since Carl is unable to do the trimming around the fence and trees, this meant that I had to do it. As a result of all the trimming, yesterday I woke up with a bad poison ivy rash. I wasn't all that surprised, because I saw it as I was cutting down the weeds, and I just hoped that changing my clothes, washing afterwards with soapy water, etc., that I'd be okay.
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| ~Annie~ |
The last couple of years I've gotten to be pretty good at identifying poison ivy. Even when it's at a distance and mixed in with other plants, I've gotten a little fanatical about avoiding the dreaded "leaves of three" because as some of you will recall, I’m so allergic to it that I can get poison ivy almost from looking at it too closely.
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| ~Cissy~ |
But I've got a rash on my hands and face. One eye is so puffy my eyelid is drooping and I bear a slight resemblance to Quasimodo.
I really, really, hate poison ivy! Yes there are some people like Carl who are not allergic to poison ivy at all and instead have seasonal allergies to pollen. He'll go through periods where he's all stuffed up and red-eyed. None of that affects me at all, and I just go about my life. Carl says that allergies are worse. I have to disagree with him because right now I'm
really feeling pretty darn itchy and his allergies aren't bothering him at all and from the looks of the photo below, nothing is bothering Sheba either!
Since Carl is unable to do the trimming around the fence and trees, this meant that I had to do it. As a result of all the trimming, yesterday I woke up with a bad poison ivy rash. I wasn't all that surprised, because I saw it as I was cutting down the weeds, and I just hoped that changing my clothes, washing afterwards with soapy water, etc., that I'd be okay.
i take rhus toxicodendron (rhus tox for short) and it really helps build up an immunity against poison ivy! i used to get terrible break-outs and have to get steroid shots and creams to get thru them, but taking rhus tox in pill or pellet form really helped build up a tolerance against it!
ReplyDeleteyou can get it at a supplement store or place that sells herbal remedies. i swear, it saved my country-loving life!
I'm so sorry. It does sound like you and my hubby are a perfect match. Check his pic on my blog. Had him for a shot early this a.m. and now the eye is completely shut and the other one is puffy too.
ReplyDeleteOh, misery, leaves of three are in poison oak too!
Get better soon!
Oh Kim.. i feel for you. I really do. :( I'm just getting over a hideous rash of the poison oak after over 3 weeks. Most of it cleared up after 10 days, but my right hand and left cheek still itched badly until Sunday. Ick! My hand still looks like it has burns in places. I agree with you. This kind of allergy is much worse than what Carl has. And you can tell him i said so. lol.
ReplyDeleteSheba is really enjoying that green green grass. MOM says that if you rub Lambs Ear (the plant) on Poison Ivy it takes the itch right away. Hope you get feeling better soon. I am not sure which is worse. MOM says being itchy is horrible.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Goose
Sorry to hear about your encounter with the leaves of three. My husband is very allergic and is always pointing it out to me. I believe I have come in at least casual contact with it but have never had a reaction. Hope you get some drugs to help you feel better.
ReplyDeleteCindy
oh no...I am SO sorry Kim! Feel better (and FAST!-PLEASE!)
ReplyDeleteWould love a little update on Cissy and how things are going for her. As always love your puppy pix!
Tis the season! Ugh! I hope Sheba's not allergic to whatever she is rolling around in... haha. And I hope it isn't something that smells foul... eek! Hope your poison clears up fast, Kim and you have a good week!
ReplyDeleteOh Dear, I hope by the time you read this the worst is over. I have only had one experience with stinging nettle, and that was quite bad enough. Hope all the canine family stay well away, or maybe they do not react as we do. Greetings from Jean
ReplyDeleteI feel for you, Kim. We use poison ivy soap regularly. I don't wash with anything else because we have so much poison ivy and poison oak on the farm.
ReplyDeleteHubby also found out that soap like gojo, orange scrub, etc., is good as their abrasiveness cuts the oils.
Dawn, may work, but I don't remember exactly.
I know everything has to be washed as it can all get the oil on it that causes the rash and itching; and can infect you again if you don't.
I hope you get well soon, Kim. *hugs* ♥
That stinks. I don't know what it looks like. I don't think I have ever seen it. I hope you feel better soon and Carl also so that he can do the yard work next time.
ReplyDeleteFeel better. Ana
Oh dear...leaves of three are evil! Painful and itchy! Feel better soon! Love the pics!
ReplyDeleteXo
Jeanne
First of all, we're sure the dogs were supervising..NOT JUST LOOKING!
ReplyDeleteSHE isn't allergic to poison ivy either...used to delight pulling it out as a kid and chasing the other 'allergic' kids. But we all feel sorry for you.
XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy
Being itchy is no fun.
ReplyDeleteWe get poison ivy here. Sorry you have been affected by it, sounds very painful. Love the pictures of the dogs enjoying a sunny day :)
ReplyDeleteI know this may sound kind of bizarre, but if you cook up some plain oatmeal, let it cool, and then apply the resulting goop to the affected areas for a while, it does help relieve the itch. :)
ReplyDeleteWait until its cool though, otherwise the warmth will make it worse at first.
Sorry to hear about the poison ivy. I had it last year, not fun at all. Hopefully you will feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteCissy is looking good!
I've been lucky to never have had poison ivy, my husband on the other hand, he seems to be attracted to it. If it's there in the yard, he will find it. Pollen? Yep, that would be me. itchy eyes, runny nose, ack.
ReplyDeleteOh No!!!!!! that is terrible, sure hope you feel better real soon and find some relief......great pictures of the fur babies, Hugs Francine.
ReplyDeleteNow I know why it's Carl who normally trims the hedges... It's funny you mention this because I haven't enough experience with poison ivy to recognize it. I think we have a small amount somewhere on our property because we get these itchy bumps on our hands and legs now and then :( Hope the itching and swelling goes away quickly for you.
ReplyDeleteWanted to link you to this post on another blog that I read.
ReplyDeleteNatural remedies for Poison Ivy.
Hope you are getting better. ♥
Awww...Kim...I'm so sorry! Sending you healing thoughts! I've never been able to ID poison ivy. Luckily, I've never encountered it.
ReplyDeleteOH NO!
ReplyDeleteIs it possible you got it from one of the dogs romping through it? I've never had it, but I can imagine it's very uncomfy. Get better soon!
Whew, nasty stuff, sure glad the pups don't seem to mind. Hope you get better fast and Carl a ration of stuff!
ReplyDeleteThe Mad Scots
Oh boy.....yuck! Now, I'm not siding with Carl, however, I've never had poison ivy and I do have allergies to pollen so I must say the allergies to pollen downright stink although I'm sure the poison ivy rash is miserable too. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never had poison ivy, city girl that I am! One of my grandmothers is an avid golfer though and although she hasn't been exposed to poison ivy too much, she is horribly allergic to poison oak! She's not had a problem since moving to Florida and then South Carolina, but in California and here in Canada she was exposed to it a few times and the affected areas turned into one huge, swollen, runny scab :((( I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteKim I'm terribly susceptible to the leaves of three also and know (well, can imagine what you look like!). The Pres sprays it...thank goodness! Now listen, get your sorry butt and face and arms to the beach...go in the salt water...it always dried mine and my sons up..if you have those nasty bubbles in between your fingers, dig in the sand, then go in the ocean!!!...:)JP
ReplyDeleteOh poison ivy is the WORST! I hope its gone soon
ReplyDeleteStop on by for a visit
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/
Poison ivy is worse!!! Tex's advise about rhus tox is the way to go......I've never had it....way glad to be immune!
ReplyDeleteGosh
ReplyDeleteWe hope you get to feeling better soon! Who wants to be itchy and swollen and red!
love
tweedles
Poison Ivy rash ? Brings back memories of summer camp in Waymart, Pa.
ReplyDeleteHere's my best advice for ridding your yard of poison ivy (remember, I do horticulture as a hobby AND for a living, AND I'm a total animal lover) Careful, almost surgical use of glyphosate (Round up) will rid your yard of poison ivy. When we bought this farm of ours 11 years ago, the pace was overrun with poison ivy, honeysuckle, and all other sorts of nasty things. This took a while, since the infestation was so enormous from neglect, but I eventually gained the upper hand. Plain old Glyphosate is about as safe as herbicides get ... it doesn't persist in the soil or transfer to plants other than the ones you put it on. For established plants, it can take a couple of applications over the course of two weeks or so, but the poison ivy will die and compost away and be gone. PM me if you want, and I can give you more specifics.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I could identify it. Does it go away quickly? Can you put something on it?
ReplyDeleteCissy has really beautiful eyes.
Sam
my sister in law was like you...
ReplyDeletethe wind could just blow by it and she would get it. she really suffered with it. it's very dangerous around your eyes! be careful dear heart.
and cissy...
she has grown truly beautiful under your sweet loving care.
xo
I'm one of those who can get poison ivy from water that has run off the plant, or the wind or any other mysterious thing. My heart goes out to you because once you get it, it comes back easier every time. I hope you get a fast healing and then stay away from it!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Jo in MN
Oh my... poison ivy, yuck. I hope that you're getting better fast. No fun at all.
ReplyDeleteHi Kim, I'm so sorry you are dealing with the itch from poison Ivy. I've only had poison oak but that is bad enough too! I hope you can take Benedryl or some antihistamine to ward off the intense itch. Sending hugs to you today.
ReplyDeleteNoreen
That really stinks. My husband is highly allergic to it too, there is a wash you can buy at the drugstore that you wash in immediately that stops it. He also gets a steroid cream from his Dr. to apply, which helps clear it up. You probably should wear gloves that you don't mind throwing out, it might help.
ReplyDeleteI remember that nasty plant from when I lived in NJ. I hope you will get better soon, that's all you don't need in your busy life.
ReplyDeleteMy sister was terribly allergic to poison ivy. If my mother thought we had been near any she made us scrub with Fels Naptha laundry soap. Also, my sister found that rubbing the rash with ice cubes helped with the itching and seemed to help dry it up faster.
ReplyDeleteLeaves of three, leave it be.
If it's hairy, then it's scary.