Ah, Mrs. Ginley, thy Delta Tau Chi name is "Hubris."
And thus it was this past week I discovered that, as a result of trying to remove lots of green stuff from the backyard, I became a victim of poison ivy.
What threw me, I suppose, was that it took more than a week to show itself. Never having experienced the incessant itching, blisters and welts that result from exposure to the vile plant, I wasn't even sure that's what it was.
My friend, Chris, confirmed it for me after coffee a few days ago.
"Yep, that's poison ivy," she said. Also, she suggested a possible remedy, which helped immensely.
While I will grant you the Google can be very informative, in the case of poison ivy, our favorite search engine served up contrary and confusing results.
"Poison ivy can spread when blisters pop" versus "Poison ivy can only spread with additional contact with either the plant itself or something that's come in contact with the plant." For me, it seemed the rash was popping up in other places on my body that hadn't come in contact with P.I. So, does it get in your bloodstream and ride around? I'm still confused.
Some say you should wrap up your infected self, others say the open air heals the wounds quicker.
And there's no need to go to the doctor, unless one of the sores gets infected, it shows up all over your body or you get a fever. Oh, and yes, it's wise to go to the emergency room if you find that you're unable to breathe or swallow.
I'm happy to report that my particular case of P.I. seems to be abating. Soon, I will once again be able to wear short sleeves without others averting their eyes in disgust.
Best of all, perhaps, is that while Mr. Ginley has been sympathetically itchy all week, it does not appear to be affecting him otherwise.
Soon, very soon, I hope The Coasters will cease to play in my head.
You'll be scratching like a hound, the minute you start to mess around...*
*Poison Ivy lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
No comments:
Post a Comment