OT Feeling sorry for myself

CypressCynthia
CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
OK, you all know I love to garden. How can something so zen-like and restorative be so treacherous?

I am speaking of poison ivy here. I was gardening in shorts and, because I can't bend since my back surgery, I was sitting on the ground on a boat cushion. I KNOW what poison ivy looks like and I have no idea how I sat in it. The lawn had just been cut that morning so I am wondering if it was chopped up?

I always shower after gardening and use poison ivy soap--many prior bad experiences :-(. And that has worked so well over the past few years. I have no idea why it is so bad this time.

It is soooo hot here sometimes for long pants, but I may have to wear some all cotton scrub pants in the future. My sister mentioned the quick-dry polyester pants but they are not comfortable in 90% humidity to me.

Anyway, very bad case--over both thighs, one calf and one ankle. I went to the doctor on Thurday and was ready to begin taking prednisone for it (which had to first be cleared by my cardiologist), when I came down coinicidentally with one of those powerful 24 hr GI bugs. So no steroids that day.

By the next day, I was able to keep down soup, but the rash was much worse. I called Patsy, sister physician, and she said to take the prednisone.

I am on it but now no sleep. Rash looks a little better, but has a ways to go. In the meantime, the weather is lovely and my garden is singing to me. Sigh..... I hate poison ivy! Sorry to whine. Katherine says I whine more about poison ivy than cancer...lol--it is so frustrating to be kept from something that restores you.

Comments

  • bluwillo
    bluwillo Member Posts: 113
    #2
    So Sorry!
    Cynthia, I also am horribly allergic to poison ivy, so I feel your pain. I agree, it stinks that something that brings you such pleasure can also be such a pain in the patoot! May I suggest baking soda or oatmeal baths?

    Hope it gets better soon!
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #3
    Whine all you want. I love
    Whine all you want. I love being out in the yard doing what ever. Is there a way to get rid of the poison ivy? We don't use chemicals in the yard but we just have a normal suburban lot. My biggest concern is the thorns on the roses. Cotton scrub pants sound like a good alternative to shorts. The are very comfortable in all weather!

    Cindy
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #4
    mamolady said:

    Whine all you want. I love
    Whine all you want. I love being out in the yard doing what ever. Is there a way to get rid of the poison ivy? We don't use chemicals in the yard but we just have a normal suburban lot. My biggest concern is the thorns on the roses. Cotton scrub pants sound like a good alternative to shorts. The are very comfortable in all weather!

    Cindy

    Oh you poor darling!
    You have my full attention and sympathy. I did the same thing many years ago. Only I had no clue I was sitting in poison ivy. Wish it had been only on my thighs! Got that?

    Whine away, Eileen! And I hope you resolve that insatiable itch and rash really really soon.

    Love, Suzanne
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #5
    I've had poison ivy so bad
    I've had poison ivy so bad it went systemic and swelled one eye almost shut. They had to give me a steroid shot and I ended up missing my moms funeral. Now when I get into it I go on steroids or it takes a a few months to get out of my system. We had moved and the new doc refused to give me steroids because it had side effects. So that whole summer I had the rash. Then it finally cleared up and I was diagnosed in Aug with breast cancer.

    I know your pain. My son gave me a card about poison ivy but you might not think it's funny. I'm very careful now.

    They recommend not mowing it cause it spreads it. My husband digs out the plant and roots and puts it into a trash bag and we put it into the trash. He is careful not to touch it (he wears throw away plastic gloves and washes all tools with soap afterwards.

    Once I got it just by washing his clothes he wore while working outside. Now if he gets close to the ivy he has to put his own clothes in the washer.
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #6
    Marcia527 said:

    I've had poison ivy so bad
    I've had poison ivy so bad it went systemic and swelled one eye almost shut. They had to give me a steroid shot and I ended up missing my moms funeral. Now when I get into it I go on steroids or it takes a a few months to get out of my system. We had moved and the new doc refused to give me steroids because it had side effects. So that whole summer I had the rash. Then it finally cleared up and I was diagnosed in Aug with breast cancer.

    I know your pain. My son gave me a card about poison ivy but you might not think it's funny. I'm very careful now.

    They recommend not mowing it cause it spreads it. My husband digs out the plant and roots and puts it into a trash bag and we put it into the trash. He is careful not to touch it (he wears throw away plastic gloves and washes all tools with soap afterwards.

    Once I got it just by washing his clothes he wore while working outside. Now if he gets close to the ivy he has to put his own clothes in the washer.

    The bane of a gardener's existence ;-)
    We have a lawn maintenance guy who does the mowing so I never saw what he did and who knows where his blades have been ;-). I always where gloves and shower now and, as I said, I have been poison ivy free for about 5 years--which is a record. I guess this was just a fluke!

    Also, in Southern Lousiana, with a year round growing season and jungle-like growing conditions the poison ivy leaves literally get to be much larger than your hand and wrap around the pine trees all the way to the top. I am on 1/2 acre and I keep about 1/4 of it wild as a habitat. There is no real way to eliminate it completely, but I do spray it when it comes into my annual beds.

    I have to say I cheer when we have a rare hard freeze because it will set it back a little.

    Danny is not (yet) allergic so, if he is around, he removes it for me.

    I hate the steroids almost as much as the poison ivy as I don't sleep and feel jittery and weird. But this was just too bad a case to deal with using the otc stuff.

    Thanks for the sympathy. I knew that you guys would understand and make me feel better.
  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 Member Posts: 1,522
    #7
    I'm so sorry!
    I've never had any problems with poison ivy, but know how bad it can be. I hope you feel better soon.

    Sue

Discussion Boards