Darn, darn, darn...it's that season again! But you should all know poison ivy can get you at any time. Less so in winter when the sap's not running, but...
So I was out Saturday afternoon, cleaning up a fence row of unwanted brush, and pulling vines off trees. I recognized the poison ivy vine, but I had on gloves and long sleeves, and thought I'd be safe, as I usually am. Well, long story short, I got it on my face, when a vine slapped back at me. It's just a small spot on my chin, but it's there, and it's annoying.
Ways to avoid getting poison ivy are wear long sleeves and gloves, and put on some sort of ivy block. There are preventative products at the store. Next, when you come in and you know you've been exposed, try to shower immediately, and put ALL your clothes in the laundry. Too often the troubling sap, or whatever causes the itch, is still on your clothing.
If you don't find out you have poison ivy until it appears, like the next day, wash all your bedclothes immediately too, as again the "sap" sticks around!
I have found that a high quality hand sanitizer, such as Purell, helps immensely in containing the itch. And it must be the stuff that almost like a jelly. The cheaper, watery, generic sanitizers do not work as well. At least not for me. Of course if it's bad enough, you can get cortisone shots from the doctor. Which brings up a story of a gal I knew in college who had it all over her body. She was out in the woods with her boyfriend, doing what a lot of college students do in their free time, and she paid heavily for the "fun." It usually takes about 2 weeks to clear up.
The really annoying part of this story is that I used to be immune to poison ivy! Yes, some people are! But about 10 years ago, I got it for the first time. I couldn't believe it. Never had it, and I had been out in the woods a lot! Once you get it, you'll never forget it!
So I was out Saturday afternoon, cleaning up a fence row of unwanted brush, and pulling vines off trees. I recognized the poison ivy vine, but I had on gloves and long sleeves, and thought I'd be safe, as I usually am. Well, long story short, I got it on my face, when a vine slapped back at me. It's just a small spot on my chin, but it's there, and it's annoying.
Ways to avoid getting poison ivy are wear long sleeves and gloves, and put on some sort of ivy block. There are preventative products at the store. Next, when you come in and you know you've been exposed, try to shower immediately, and put ALL your clothes in the laundry. Too often the troubling sap, or whatever causes the itch, is still on your clothing.
If you don't find out you have poison ivy until it appears, like the next day, wash all your bedclothes immediately too, as again the "sap" sticks around!
I have found that a high quality hand sanitizer, such as Purell, helps immensely in containing the itch. And it must be the stuff that almost like a jelly. The cheaper, watery, generic sanitizers do not work as well. At least not for me. Of course if it's bad enough, you can get cortisone shots from the doctor. Which brings up a story of a gal I knew in college who had it all over her body. She was out in the woods with her boyfriend, doing what a lot of college students do in their free time, and she paid heavily for the "fun." It usually takes about 2 weeks to clear up.
The really annoying part of this story is that I used to be immune to poison ivy! Yes, some people are! But about 10 years ago, I got it for the first time. I couldn't believe it. Never had it, and I had been out in the woods a lot! Once you get it, you'll never forget it!
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