Eww, How Gross... But Fascinating!
So in my previous post, I mentioned that I contracted poison ivy over the weekend. I guess it's been a long time since I've had it because I don't remember it taking so long to heal. And I have a relatively minor case, mostly on my inner wrist and forearm. Well, it is slowly starting to get better... itches less and is drying out. If you've never had poison ivy or if you don't remember what it is like, let me tell you about it.
You get it if you touch a poison ivy plant/vine. The oil from the plant transfers to your skin (it doesn't matter how old the plant or what time of year... the oil is resilient) and you will notice the effects shortly thereafter. Though it is not contagious, you can spread it if you touch the contracted oil unknowingly to another part of your body. The oil will disappear once you wash/shower (though people say that if you take a hot shower, you can spread that oil much easier since your pores open up and the act of washing is actually akin to the act of spreading and ouila, you get it ALL OVER!) Also, it can be transported via smoke made from burning it, from the oil left on your clothing or the oil that found its way to your dog's fur. So however it happened, you came into contact with the oil and got PI.
Do you know the definition of "itch"? I don't think you do until you get this. An itch so deep, that the mere act of scratching feels orgasmic. Everyone tells you not to itch it, but they have no idea. My hubby thinks I am enjoying having this rash, b/c I keep talking about how GOOD it feels to scratch. It's a bad good, though, like heroin or something. And then there are the blisters. Perhaps the worst part, aside from the deep itch, are the oozing, raised, red blisters. They don't hurt, but they are an eye-sore and the wetness gets uncomfortable, not to mention disgustingly gross.
Unless of course it is your OWN arm oozing and crusting. I cannot stop inspecting it. It looks like I have some horrific disease and I was embarrassed at first, but now I am too fascinated to care if people mistake me for a leper or a drug addict. So maybe a small part of me is enjoying this... it's incredibly how a plant can change perfectly white, soft skin into this craggly mess. What is this plant protecting itself from, and WHY? I understand why a rose has thorns... a pricked thumb is the price you pay for picking it and admiring its beauty. But poison ivy is an ugly plant. Nobody wants to admire it. We just want to get rid of it. But perhaps its goal is world dominance and the rash is the price you pay for stopping it from achieving that goal???
But you are not alone... once people hear what you've gotten, there will be the sharing of horror stories... from the guy who hid from a school bus in a patch of it, to the other guy whose dog rubbed against him and gave him a terrible case on his thighs. It's like a special, itchy, oozy club. You don't choose to be a member, it chooses you.
So the moral is, beware the poison ivy but still get out and smell the roses... just don't touch them!!!
You get it if you touch a poison ivy plant/vine. The oil from the plant transfers to your skin (it doesn't matter how old the plant or what time of year... the oil is resilient) and you will notice the effects shortly thereafter. Though it is not contagious, you can spread it if you touch the contracted oil unknowingly to another part of your body. The oil will disappear once you wash/shower (though people say that if you take a hot shower, you can spread that oil much easier since your pores open up and the act of washing is actually akin to the act of spreading and ouila, you get it ALL OVER!) Also, it can be transported via smoke made from burning it, from the oil left on your clothing or the oil that found its way to your dog's fur. So however it happened, you came into contact with the oil and got PI.
Do you know the definition of "itch"? I don't think you do until you get this. An itch so deep, that the mere act of scratching feels orgasmic. Everyone tells you not to itch it, but they have no idea. My hubby thinks I am enjoying having this rash, b/c I keep talking about how GOOD it feels to scratch. It's a bad good, though, like heroin or something. And then there are the blisters. Perhaps the worst part, aside from the deep itch, are the oozing, raised, red blisters. They don't hurt, but they are an eye-sore and the wetness gets uncomfortable, not to mention disgustingly gross.
Unless of course it is your OWN arm oozing and crusting. I cannot stop inspecting it. It looks like I have some horrific disease and I was embarrassed at first, but now I am too fascinated to care if people mistake me for a leper or a drug addict. So maybe a small part of me is enjoying this... it's incredibly how a plant can change perfectly white, soft skin into this craggly mess. What is this plant protecting itself from, and WHY? I understand why a rose has thorns... a pricked thumb is the price you pay for picking it and admiring its beauty. But poison ivy is an ugly plant. Nobody wants to admire it. We just want to get rid of it. But perhaps its goal is world dominance and the rash is the price you pay for stopping it from achieving that goal???
But you are not alone... once people hear what you've gotten, there will be the sharing of horror stories... from the guy who hid from a school bus in a patch of it, to the other guy whose dog rubbed against him and gave him a terrible case on his thighs. It's like a special, itchy, oozy club. You don't choose to be a member, it chooses you.
So the moral is, beware the poison ivy but still get out and smell the roses... just don't touch them!!!
posted by Tracy at 12:04 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home