Unexpected
By Morley Hunt
@Morleyhunt (21741)
Canada
January 20, 2017 5:05am CST
Take a close look at the photo.
What do you see?
Leaves of three!
This time of year, there are no leaves, but that doesn't mean it's not there.
Last week, the hydro workers trimmed the top from a couple of dead trees that were leaning towards the power lines. The grandkids and I burned a lot of the wood. One piece was left because it was well wrapped in vines.....hairy vines.....which I recognized as Poison Ivy. The kids who had handled the wood were instructed to scrub their hands....gloves, mittens and snow pants were washed.
To the best of my knowledge they escaped the itching......I wasn't that fortunate.
I sit here with a large patch of itchy blisters on my right hand and forearm.
This has to be the earliest in the year that I have ever had to deal with Poison Ivy.
20 people like this
18 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
I got into poison ivy and it was miserable. I wasn't aware of what it looked like before it happened to me but now I am a lot more careful. Last summer I got into some hog weed or poison turnip. The doctor wasn't sure which one but it was nasty.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
I'm very good at recognizing and avoiding poison ivy. This current exposure was without leaves...I still knew what I was looking at....the picture I have was taken nine years ago when we were camping at Turkey Point. The entire campground seemed to be full of the stuff. I managed to not get any...but I stayed on the roads and avoided any forays off the path or the campsite.
2 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
@Happy2BeMe I'm quick to spot it, even without leaves. When the kids handed me a piece of "wood" to burn on Saturday I immediately sent them to scrub their hands and made sure they stayed away from the smoke from the fire.
I've often had poison ivy...it's never been a fun experience, but it's not on my face this time so I can hide it reasonably well.
2 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt We have camped at a few places like that and I am much more aware of poison plants now. I didn't realize how many there are out there.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
Once poison ivy is healed it requires a new exposure to reappear. If it could come back...id be a real mess.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
@UncleJoe it isn't contagious from one person to another. It is contact with the oil that causes the reaction.
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
As I take a look at the picture see something tiny has been nibbling. What does that? I had to get some cream from the doctor a few years back because my face was so swollen couldn't see out of one eye but it did subside eventually. I know what you are going through. Stay calm and do know you will be better.
@LadyDuck (502427)
• Italy
21 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt I have never had a poison ivy problem, I can imagine that it's very annoying.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
We certainly hope it doesn't continue to spread. At the moment I sitting and soaking my feet in preparation for a pedicure. This is providing some distraction from the itching.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
21 Jan 17
Did you forget to follow your instructions of scrubbing yourself down? It's nice that they escaped the itching, but not so great that you didn't. I've never had poison ivy, but did have blisters on my legs one year from poison sumac which is probably just as bad.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
21 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt So if something like that happens again, you'll have to scoot yourself along when you get the kids to do the same.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
I wasn't quick enough to scrub myself down and foolishly didn't wash my hoodie.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382052)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Jan 17
Oh, what a shame the ivy got you. At least you managed to keep the kids from being afflicted.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
Some people are much more sensitive to it than others. I am extremely sensitive, so I take precautions and am always on the lookout. Obviously this time I wasn't careful enough.
This summer I had small patches at least three different times. They all cleared up within about two weeks of exposure.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382052)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt That is still a long time to be itching.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
20 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt Is it difficult to get rid of poison ivy? Is it one of those persistent plants that survives all attempts to kill it?
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
20 Jan 17
I thnk that Poison Ivy is not found here (thank goodness), I hope your itching soon passes as it must be awful!
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
20 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt We have nettles here in Italy and yes they are very unpleasant too but it is years since I have seen them anywhere that they might be dangerous.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
But I do remember encountering stinging nettles when I was in the Netherlands as a teenager. That wasn't a pleasant experience either.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
I'm not sure I would call it weird...annoying, yes, inconvenient, yes. The vines were there...I saw them...I tried to take reasonable precautions...apparently I wasn't thorough enough.
@allknowing (153530)
• India
21 Jan 17
We have a wild creeper that gives out pods that when touched develop itching. The moment I see it I get it removed.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
Touching any part of this plant can cause a an itchy rash...I am always surprised at how many people do not recognize this plant. It grows along the side of the road....it grows in fields it grows in the bush. Birds carry the seeds when they eat the berries and deposit the remains.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153530)
• India
21 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt No matter how much we try to eradicate this creeper it emerges again but we are alert about it and do not let it produce pods.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117226)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Jan 17
Oh that sounds awful. I have never encountered poison ivy but I've heard it is a terrible vine to contend with.
I hope you heal very quickly.
@rebelann (117226)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Jan 17
That reminds me of the time I had chicken pox @Morleyhunt ma would say don't scratch then finally she put gloves on me. I was such an unruly 6 yr old.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
I've had poison ivy often enough that it doesn't send me running to the doctor, unless it is t showing signs of improvement in a out a week. If it should get infected...then again, I'd head to the doctor. Meanwhile I lotion it...soak it in salt water if I have a chance and try hard not to scratch.
This too, will pass.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
20 Jan 17
Thankfully we don't have to deal with poison ivy. When I saw the photo and the heading I thought perhaps there was a snake hidden there...
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
22 Jan 17
@Morleyhunt Surely the owner of the camp site could have removed the horrible stuff, it could have ruined the holiday.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
No, I was showing what an attractive green plant it can be. This picture was taken about ten years ago while we were camping. This plant was next to the campsite.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9170)
• United States
20 Jan 17
My 12 year old daughter is very very allergic to it. I have boys that are not, start to see an issue here? The boys get into it not even thinking about it, come in, get near the girl and boom! She is broke out and itching. Poor thing, she swells up and has a hard time getting rid of it every time. I hope you get rid of yours soon.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
My son inlaw gathered firewood and then applied my daughters sun screen.....it wasn't pretty. Imagine, everywhere the sunscreen had been was blistered red and itching. This was just a month before their wedding.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
You are fortunate,...I've lost count of how many times I've had it. Twice the doctor prescribed Prednisone to clear it up. The last time I needed to take it for three weeks before the symptoms finally all disappeared.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
It's not fun. The itching is getting a little wearing, but the lists are starting to dry.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
Over the last few years I generally have a patch of poison ivy appear several times during the summer. Never as bad as when I was a teenager of about twelve years ago when I had it with no explanation. It just kept getting worse. Then I rallied it was my puppy that was exposing me....she was eating it and then licking my shins. It was nasty.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
No one wants to have a bad reaction to the urisol (the oil that causes the reaction) but I've had it often enough that other than annoyance it's not a big deal any longer.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
20 Jan 17
If it follows its usual course....I'm almost halfway. Another week and it will be almost forgotten again.
