Poison ivy – again

With all this rain, new leaves have been growing all over. Usually, by now, the forest is dryer than it has been these past two months.

I've been fighting poison ivy (or poison oak!), for two months. I tried using my Rx cream, but it didn't eradicate it. The cream worked last year, when I only had a spot or two, but this year it keeps erupting with painful, itchy boils are forming on my hands and lower legs.

I broke down, my doctor saw me the same day I phoned, June 20th. Hooray for Canadian healthcare. He gave me an ointment, a little stronger than last time. The prednisone pills are hard on the stomach.

Common and Rare Side Effects for Prednisone Oral - WebMD

I was at my wit's end, however. You can see, from the photos at the bottom, how it spreads if it isn't kept under control. I went into Perth ER,  and happy people were in there, working on July 1st, Canada Day.

Canada Day ER staff - GWM Hospital, Perth, Ontario pic.twitter.com/zksUgYhaW2

— alan drummond (@alandrummond2) July 1, 2017

In and out in 29 minutes. It was a quiet day, and staff were great.
As is the case, it had many people who were working on

#Canada150

 Bless their hearts!

I knew it would happen. My Canada Day is now complete! pic.twitter.com/eidqsR7iUq

— alan drummond (@alandrummond2) July 1, 2017

2017-01-01 Prednisone, 50 mgs  @ 7 days = 350mg. Feeling pretty woozy.

I am over the worst, nearly done my drugs. Thank goodness.

What I have learned is that Virginia Creeper is a good indicator for poison ivy. They inhabit similar habitat, wetland forest. Leave of three, let them be, for sure. But the 5 leaves on the Virginia Creeper fooled me until I caught on to it. Then there are the young raspberry plants. They start with three leaves, but grow on long stems.

2011

The last photo of this set, is the huge area I first tackled in 2011. My mistake? Not throwing out the gloves I used. I ripped out a garbage bag full of vines. Then, set the gloves aside. I used them to stack wood. It spread on my arms, and to my belly. I was a mess. That was a nightmare.

Both Daisy and Dorah manage to find the poison ivy! Or oak. Whatever.

I first contracted it in July, 2011. With each infestation, it gets worse in me. 

July => OCT. 2011: The open boils spread onto other areas if unchecked. The doctors couldn't figure out what it was, at first. The first one, July, 2011, was minor. After that, in September, it was back.

Poison Ivy and contact dermatitis