Respect for Nature

I was in the Santa Monica mountains last Sunday for a hike.. Somewhere along the way I ran into some poison oak. I saw it all over the trail, our recent rains really have brought it back (and everything else). Now, I've had it many times in the past, and in my memory it's always itchy, but good god this stuff is TORTURE! I've tried to deal with it myself, but after the first week I finally went in to see the doc. Gave me a big shot of Prednisone and some pills of the same for the next four days, I can't tell you what a relief it is already.
The biggest spot was just under my right shoulder, but the whole arm under it was hot and enflamed and swollen...:angry01: With crusty yellow scabby drips running down the arm. I had to cut a sleeve off a couple tee shirts so that they wouldn't stick to it, lol. Can you imagine my tax clients staring as I interview them? It's been a heck of a week.

Anybody else ever get this? I am just beside myself with this reaction.. Nature is kind of amazing huh?

That stuff is horrible.
Did you try the stuff called Tecnu yet? It works well at drying up the little blisters and stopping it from spreading.
I get it a lot since I work outside. I don't get it badly, but it's never fun. I have seen some people react to it rather severely, you sound like one of them. I'm sorry!

Ouch. That's no fun!

I haven't had poison ivy or oak that badly, but once when I was in Madagascar I got myself stuck in the middle of a big stinging nettle patch (wearing shorts) before I realized I was in it. The only way out was to keep walking. It wasn't that bad at first, and I wasn't even in them for very long, and the marks weren't too bad right at first, but it eventually resulted in open sores cross-crossing my shins (it looked like someone had tied me up and whipped me with a whip, only on my shins). This was the experience that made me understand why in the footage of sick kids in poor countries, the kids don't swat away the flies. I hate flies, but there was nothing I could do to keep them away from my shins and I eventually got used to them/gave up.

I didn't try it (Tecnu) this time, wish I had though the first day. I got the little blister streaks running all down my right arm and leg from rinsing the oil with a weaker soap first time I took a shower, lol! I heard about it from the doctor too who bikes up in the same area I hike.. I'll probably buy some and just use it every time I hike till the stuff dies back down.. Maybe need to start hiking at a higher elevation till winter.. I have no other allergies, but I'm so hypersensitive to PO that my lips get the same rash if I eat Mango.. I guess they are related..

LOL sorry, I dont mean to laugh but this reminded me of what happened to a couple I was working with maybe 15 years ago.... They were going for a walk in the woods...... away from the party.... well, we all knew what they were doing and yep.... they both came to work a few days later with pink creme ALL over them but they said that wasnt the worst part...... bcause well.... their ummmmmm neither regions also got the worst of the poison ivy affect ..... I have never ever laughed so hard at work as I did that day just watching them trying to walk in with their legs far apart and trying to not touch or bump anything LOL We woried in a motor making plants sooo that really didnt work so good...... so, me being me..... I asked if it was worth it All I got in reply with the finger and a smile

desertanimal said:

Ouch. That's no fun!

I haven't had poison ivy or oak that badly, but once when I was in Madagascar I got myself stuck in the middle of a big stinging nettle patch (wearing shorts) before I realized I was in it. The only way out was to keep walking. It wasn't that bad at first, and I wasn't even in them for very long, and the marks weren't too bad right at first, but it eventually resulted in open sores cross-crossing my shins (it looked like someone had tied me up and whipped me with a whip, only on my shins). This was the experience that made me understand why in the footage of sick kids in poor countries, the kids don't swat away the flies. I hate flies, but there was nothing I could do to keep them away from my shins and I eventually got used to them/gave up.

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Yikes! These are the kind of stories likely to pop up in my head next time someone says, "Try this soap! All natural- made from plants! No chemicals!" :rofl:

Unless they are suggesting Tecnu mind you.

Cat_Eyed_Lady said:

LOL sorry, I dont mean to laugh but this reminded me of what happened to a couple I was working with maybe 15 years ago.... They were going for a walk in the woods...... away from the party.... well, we all knew what they were doing and yep.... they both came to work a few days later with pink creme ALL over them but they said that wasnt the worst part...... bcause well.... their ummmmmm neither regions also got the worst of the poison ivy affect ..... I have never ever laughed so hard at work as I did that day just watching them trying to walk in with their legs far apart and trying to not touch or bump anything LOL We woried in a motor making plants sooo that really didnt work so good...... so, me being me..... I asked if it was worth it All I got in reply with the finger and a smile

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Ouch! That makes me feel better.. I have thought many times how lucky I was that none of the oils rinsed down there, lol.

I have never had poison ivy in all my 40 years so I am lucky but still never having it..... it is soooooo easy to imagine how itchy it would be and there wouldnt be a darn thing you could do in public about it either LOL I would have to have a spray bottle and just start spraying, no matter who was looking..... Most ppl I am nut anyway so.... would be the One time I could prove them right LOL

My little brother never gets it either, and we have hiked in those same mountains since we were little. He was with me this time too, and hasn't stopped rubbing in his 'immunity'.
I have read though that we are all allergic to it, just some of us haven't been sensitized to it 'yet'.. I don't know what makes that distinction..

Doesnt really make sense to me either..... I was raised on a horse and beef farm so we were in contact with all kinds of things that should have had us itching for years but so far, knock on wood, I have gotten away with it..... just burning nettles... they dont bother me either and my dad even comes close and you would swear the whole bush had attacked him..

Well, I hope you never do! Then again if you did, it would probably be like a mosquito bite on you and you'd say, "This is what Tom was whining about?!?" :rofl:
My little brother on the other hand, I'm gonna laugh when he gets it..

LOLL IF IF IF I ever do get it, I will post a pic just for you to laugh at! LOL hehe too funny

I doubt I will ever get poison ivy though..... when I first moved into the mobile home I still live in.... there were a lot of 'weeds" that needed to be gotten rid of and well.... I pulled them out with my bare hands and cleaned up the area..... my dad came later and ask how I got ridof the poison ivy..... I told him what I did and he did this daddy grown type thing and went and got some calamine lotion and told me that I was gonna need it..... but I never did

OMG! You are sooooo lucky.. I would have been hospitalized that day if it were me, lol.
Funny thing is, I'm really good at spotting it. It's color just sticks out at me like it's infrared or something. I mean in all it's phases, bright green, reddish colored, whatever. I especially hate the sight of it when it's got those evil looking blistery leaves, lol. So I don't think I could ever walk through it on accident. I think all it takes for me is touching something that touched it. Or I got tricked by a dried out old branch or something... The first mark I got was a whip like stripe, like desertanimal described, so I'm thinking that it was just that.. One tiny little mark till I hit the hot shower. Open pores, urushiol and weak girly dove soap that my GF buys, bad combination.:spinner:

OW OW OW Not a good combo yep.... After that I am sure you can tell so that you dont do that again..... sounds so painful!