I took today off work in an attempt to use some of my vacation hours which will be otherwise lost come the end of the month. The weather forecast was agreeable so my plan was to go somewhere and take a hike.
We had finally received some much needed rain the last few days, so I decided to give a little tug to a piece of the poison ivy vine to see how easily it would come out of the ground. Next thing I knew I'd been pulling poison ivy for two hours, and I was covered with sweat and plant oils. I was also weak from not having eaten anything since the frozen waffles early this morning. I took a (second) shower before heading out in search of a late lunch.
Now I get to wait and see what my forearms will look like. Something tells me it won't be pretty. I'll be happy if I don't get a rash on my face or scalp. Which reminds me, I want to thank the deerfly that bit the top of my head when I was not in the position to swat or scratch. Bastard.
I did not finish, but it already looks a thousand times better. I filled up two and a half yard waste bags and threw some of the large sections of vine in the dumpster (which still hasn't been pulled).
I also returned to the garden center and bought one of the Sedums I'd been eyeing and two very small hostas.
Do I still want to go for a walk? Uh.
8 comments:
I can't decide if that was brave or just stupid. Time will tell. Cool about the sedum and the hostas.
Yeah. I think initially it was brave, but after the first hour it probably morphed into stupid. I'm sure there's some sort of timeline to wash the oil off, and I have to believe it is less than two hours after exposure. Ugh.
I am itchy just reading this.
Eeesh! I hope you're okay.
Rub your arms with alcohol, quick.
Aiee.
Good luck with that PI!
I pulled PI and Hiker Man pulled PI and it always grew back--I hope you have better luck or persistence. And don't get a horrible--you were using gloves and a long sleeved shirt, I hope!
20 minutes--you're supposed to wash withing 20 minutes of exposure. But always ASAP!!! even if it's more than 20 minutes, and alcohol helps.
Upon Exposure:
If you have been exposed to poison ivy, oak, or sumac, wash your entire body immediately. You can reduce your chance of getting a rash if you wash thoroughly with soap and water within 10-15 minutes of exposure. Wash all clothes, tools, and shoes that were in contact with the plant with alcohol and water. One small study shows that cleaning with the oil-removing compound “Goop” or the poison-ivy prevention substance “Tecnu” is more effective than using soap alone. All three treatments reduced the occurrence of skin rash by more than 50% following contact.
you should contact a doctor immediately if you are highly sensitive or have the following symptoms:
* Swelling of the face or throat
* Rash on the genitals
* Swelling or rash that covers more than one third of your body
* Rapidly spreading rash
* Signs of a bacterial infection, such as pain, increased redness, or pus
If not washed, oil from these plants may stay potent for years on clothing, tools, toys, etc., especially in dry conditions.
This from a website--I had earlier read 20 minutes. That's the number I've used as a guideline for years.
Hot sweaty skin is more sensitive becasue the pores open.
You tackled poison ivy? That's brave. I swear, I can get it just from walking within a couple of feet.
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