Itching for summer

It is now officially summer.

The calendar does not tell me that. My right hand does.

At least what used to be my right hand. Right now it looks more like a piece of red, raw meat.

Yes, once again I am doing battle with the bane of my summer existence.
That would be poison ivy.

Blame my fair Irish skin, I suppose. I am extremely susceptible to this summer malady. That does not mean I no longer mow the grass, or try to weed the garden beds. Yes, I am aware that there is poison ivy lurking in there. Yes, I try to exercise caution.

No, it does not stop me from coming down with this wicked itch every summer.

I did a little yard work after cutting the grass Saturday.

On Sunday I started to feel that familiar tingle. No, not again, I thought. Yep, again.

By Monday afternoon my right hand was on fire. I tried my normal home-made remedy, Clorox followed by heavy doses of Calamine lotion. Now instead of being a red piece of meat, my right paw is a bright pink piece of meat.

This is not good for someone who makes his living in front of a computer keyboard. Each keystroke is kind of like being stabbed in the fingers.

If anyone has a better cure for poison ivy, I would be eternally grateful for any help you can offer. Please post a comment below.

In the meantime, I will simply suffer through it.

I love just about everything about summer. Except for poison ivy. And almost no summer goes by that I don’t do battle with it. Most years a combination of gloves, washing my hands immediately after doing yard work, or simply steering clear of the garden beds altogether. For some reason on Saturday, I didn’t use my best judgment.

I’m paying for it now. There was a point yesterday afternoon when I think I might have felt better if I just cut my right hand off altogether. I was actually shaking my hand, trying to get the pain and itch to go away.

Of course the fun is just starting. I still get to look forward to the sores oozing. Hope you already had breakfast.

Itching for summer? Sure, count me in. Again.

Comments

Roxanne said…
I highly recommend Tecnu from Tec Labs

Tecnu Outdoor Skin Cleanser removes the rash causing oil, urushiol, from poison ivy, oak and sumac. When used within 2-8 hours after exposure to the plants, Tecnu can remove urushiol oil before the rash begins. Once the rash has started, washing with Tecnu helps remove any free oil on skin allowing the natural healing process to begin without possible recontamination.

And if you do get a rash, Calagel Medicated Anti-itch Gel is a wonder -- and it's clear (not pink!). The gel stays where you put it, dries quickly, leaving an invisible, anti-itch skin protectant shield on your tender skin that covers the rash and, if any blisters open, keeps the discharge from causing more poison ivy rash.

From personal experience, I can't recommend these products enough. and, no, I do not work for Tec Labs.

Roxanne