beware the dreaded ivy

I did a lot of much needed yard cleanup work on Saturday, and I usually shower right away and really soap off because I know there is poison ivy in my yard. However, I was on a roll and didn't stop to shower, but went right on to the next job. This was a bad decision. By Saturday night the itching started, and I woke up Sunday with red streaks and blotches all over one arm from my elbow to my wrist--the dreaded ivy. After a day and a night of trying OTC cream (Ivarest) and benadryl, which did at least knock me senseless through most of the night, I decided to research home cures online. I read about several things: oatmeal compresses, baking soda, vinegar, bleach. A friend told me that bleach worked wonders for her. Still, bleach, ick. I was skeptical and I've actually made myself sick from dealing with bleach to do nasty jobs like killing mold on the house siding (I totally slack up on my environmental concerns when my home is turning green and moldy). But then I thought what the heck, it sounds like the most potent of all the home remedies, plus I have trusted-friend testimonials, so I'll give it a go. I have to tell you, folks, that after itching constantly since Saturday night, after pouring bleach on my rash, I have not itched for over two hours now. This is indeed a miracle. Even if it starts itching again, still, something that gives relief for multiple hours is a godsend. And the whole mess actually looks a little better and drier from a single application. I might get a stomach ache from the bleach, but at this point that seems mild in comparison to the maddening itch of poison ivy.

Oh, and also, if you are one of those people who don't get poison ivy, be forewarned that so was I. I was always the kid who never got it, despite spending most of my childhood in the woods, while my brother and others were suffering piteously. Turns out that a lot of kids never get it, but unlike immunity to viruses, your body actually gets more responsive to poison ivy with repeated minor exposure, so that even if you never got it as a kid, you are very likely sensitive to it as an adult. And also, you do not get poison ivy from the oozing blisters of someone who has poison ivy. Nor do you "spread" it to other areas of your body from the ooze. The ooze is produced by your body to ward off the poison and does not still contain the oil, urushiol. This is a myth perpetuated to make a pariah out of the poison ivy sufferer, and to force them into doing ridiculous things like wear long tube socks over their arms to work. I found this out on the web, at work, while wearing my tube sock.