Gardeners all mark the start of spring differently. Some say it begins with the first daffodil bloom or the moment the trees start to leaf out, some with soil temperature, and others go with the calender or moon phases. For the Suburban Farm spring starts with the annual games of catch-poison-ivy and find-the-first-tick. Ryan gets the prize for the first tick - it was in his belly button. I am the lucky one with my first case of poison ivy this year. I touched it and then apparently scratched my tailbone, brushed my face, stuck my finger in my ear, rubbed my mouth and picked my nose. Hopefully not in that order - although I can't think of an order I would like that sequence of events to go.
What gets me about poison ivy is the folk wisdoms and superstitions surrounding the rash and the plant. After the rash appeared on my face people would say things like, "Don't come near me, I'm highly allergic." Suburban myth 1: Poison Ivy spreads from the rash. WRONG - the rash usually appears one to two days after you've made contact with the oil. I don't know about you, but I generally shower with soap at least once a day. Maybe you believe that bathing is a yearly event, if so by all means stay away from me.
Suburban myth 2: Once its in your system it spreads. WRONG - it's contact dermatitis. You get a rash from coming in contact with the plant oil, even if it's indirect. The dog goes out into the woods and has a good roll. When she comes back you pet her and tell her what a good dog she is. Then you brush your teeth, change clothes, go to the bathroom. Is it any wonder you've got a rash on your face, stomach, and tushy?
Suburban myth 3: You have to dry out the rash. Now, I don't know if drying out the rash is helpful or not. What is not helpful are the folk remedies for doing so. "Scrub it with a washcloth and pour salt all over it." "Cover it in honey and wrap it in plastic wrap." "Sandpaper and lemon juice - fixes it every time." "Put Bleach on it. Straight Bleach." WRONG WRONG WRONG Bleach!!!?! WRONG - I will not stop the itching by giving myself a chemical burn or making myself sticky. Here's an experiment: Take a shirt and put it in a bucket. Pour enough bleach into bucket so the shirt is floating slightly and let it soak for a while. Let's say two hours. If you feel moved add in some salt, honey and lemon juice for flavor. Let me know how that shirt looks when you're done. Not so good, right? AND YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT TO MY FACE! What is wrong with you people! Seriously, bleach? (I am not kidding here folks - three different people told me to put bleach on it. Three different people who, as far as I can tell, are not related.)
If you do get it and the rash is awful or somewhere sensitive like inside your mouth then go see your doctor. He or she can prescribe pills and creams and all sorts of other wonderful medical treatments. Other wise leave it alone, scratching causes scarring, and stick to oatmeal baths and calamine lotion.
Despite being itchy in strange places, things here at the homestead are going wonderfully. Ryan's been working very steadily, and in addition to the extra projects at work, I've given up my Saturdays to work on as an apprentice to a local photographer. That's why posting has been a bit sparse lately, a trend that will continue for a while since we're planning a small vacation up to Buffalo at the beginning of next month. Ryan and I haven't seen much of each other the last two weeks, so it seems like a good idea to lock ourselves in a 1.5 ton box that's hurling down the freeway at 70 mph for 10 hours. I think it will go fine, but if you see Ryan with his face wrapped in plastic wrap and covered in honey and salt, just walk away.
- Gretchen
Additional Reading on Poison Ivy
What gets me about poison ivy is the folk wisdoms and superstitions surrounding the rash and the plant. After the rash appeared on my face people would say things like, "Don't come near me, I'm highly allergic." Suburban myth 1: Poison Ivy spreads from the rash. WRONG - the rash usually appears one to two days after you've made contact with the oil. I don't know about you, but I generally shower with soap at least once a day. Maybe you believe that bathing is a yearly event, if so by all means stay away from me.Suburban myth 2: Once its in your system it spreads. WRONG - it's contact dermatitis. You get a rash from coming in contact with the plant oil, even if it's indirect. The dog goes out into the woods and has a good roll. When she comes back you pet her and tell her what a good dog she is. Then you brush your teeth, change clothes, go to the bathroom. Is it any wonder you've got a rash on your face, stomach, and tushy?
Suburban myth 3: You have to dry out the rash. Now, I don't know if drying out the rash is helpful or not. What is not helpful are the folk remedies for doing so. "Scrub it with a washcloth and pour salt all over it." "Cover it in honey and wrap it in plastic wrap." "Sandpaper and lemon juice - fixes it every time." "Put Bleach on it. Straight Bleach." WRONG WRONG WRONG Bleach!!!?! WRONG - I will not stop the itching by giving myself a chemical burn or making myself sticky. Here's an experiment: Take a shirt and put it in a bucket. Pour enough bleach into bucket so the shirt is floating slightly and let it soak for a while. Let's say two hours. If you feel moved add in some salt, honey and lemon juice for flavor. Let me know how that shirt looks when you're done. Not so good, right? AND YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT TO MY FACE! What is wrong with you people! Seriously, bleach? (I am not kidding here folks - three different people told me to put bleach on it. Three different people who, as far as I can tell, are not related.)
If you do get it and the rash is awful or somewhere sensitive like inside your mouth then go see your doctor. He or she can prescribe pills and creams and all sorts of other wonderful medical treatments. Other wise leave it alone, scratching causes scarring, and stick to oatmeal baths and calamine lotion.
Despite being itchy in strange places, things here at the homestead are going wonderfully. Ryan's been working very steadily, and in addition to the extra projects at work, I've given up my Saturdays to work on as an apprentice to a local photographer. That's why posting has been a bit sparse lately, a trend that will continue for a while since we're planning a small vacation up to Buffalo at the beginning of next month. Ryan and I haven't seen much of each other the last two weeks, so it seems like a good idea to lock ourselves in a 1.5 ton box that's hurling down the freeway at 70 mph for 10 hours. I think it will go fine, but if you see Ryan with his face wrapped in plastic wrap and covered in honey and salt, just walk away.
- Gretchen
Additional Reading on Poison Ivy
- Wikipedia entry
- WebMd entry
- About.com - Pictures of Poison Ivy
- Wilderness Way - The site I will send all those bleach advocates to, "...the best way to make sure that you do not get a case of poison ivy is to immunize yourself. And the easiest way to immunize you is to ingest poison ivy."