I got home today from a 10 hour work day...  My sweetie Marie was waiting on the front porch for me..  she was so happy that she worked all day in the far back yard pulling weeds and clearing heavy growth....  she said she found some climbing roses, vines..  yes, vines!  with some small thorns!   well..  she's itching now and breaking out on her arms and hands..  and guess what?   she's pissed at me !!!!   [rolleyes]  

I told her if it gets any worse.. I'll take her to the emergency room to get a cortisone shot...  that should hold it off...  she's the type that's extremely allergic ...  One would think someone that allergic to this shit would know the difference between IVY, OAK, SUMAC, and roses...  She even said she was clipping the roses..  er... I mean poison oak to replant them....  Oh... and she's leaving me now....  And she hates my guts too...[rolleyes]

ROTFLMAO......

I told her if it gets any worse.. I'll take her to the emergency room to get a cortisone shot...

IF...?

Yes, you will be going to the ER...[:P]

Well, at least she was trying to do something useful, even if she does need to take a course in plant tax.  

BTW, you probably have a better idea of what sort of irritation poison oak causes in your area, but if it's anything like what we have on the west coast, and your gal is anything like as susceptible as you say she is,  she is most definitely going to need medical attention.  

If you are feeling at all sympathetic, make her take a shower and have her soap up with some of that big $$$ Tec-nu poison ivy removal soap.  I don't know what that stuff is, but it does a real good job of making your skin DRY.  

BTW, as far as I know Rhus/Toxicodendron radicans does not have any thorns.  And no, I ain't sticking my snout in a bunch to find out.

Good Luck

So the Lovely Bride and I buy this house five years ago to raise the three Mutant Offspring.  Lots of shade trees, fruit trees, shrubs, vines, etc.

The family we bought it from had two drop dead gorgeous daughters.  To keep the local Don Juans at bay they built a $10,000 backyard fence.  I mean the fence is like Stalag 13.

Anyway there's one small corner where a determined Romeo could climb over.  The first spring I'm outside trimming up the landscape.  Get to that particular corner and I'm whacking away at the shrubs and stuff.

Look up and what does this country boy see?  SOLID POISON IVY!

The smart old codger before me PLANTED! poison ivy so any Romeo leaving with his pants down would get a lasting surprise.

The lesson was not lost on this father of a son and two daughters.

Give her a handfull of Benedryl and watch her go beddy-bye.

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/comments.html

"Poison Ivy, yuk! What an awful substance to those allergic to it and just another plant to those who are not. There are many plants out there that cause similiar allergic rashes and are not limited to just the common poison ivy, sumac, oak plants etc...so be careful! Here are some steps to follow AFTER you have already been infected. 1. Get a cortisone shot immediately. This will start the healing process. You must figure out where and how you became infected and remove it to keep from ge tting re-exposed again. 2. Take an antihistamine. Claritin works well. Benedryl also has given good r esults. 3. Take a hot shower as hot as you can stand. It may spread a little, but this will provide hours of itch free rest relaxation. 4. Get a cortisone cream from your doctor. 10% works best and applied after a hot shower is a good combination. 5. Stay out of the heat and avoid restrictive clothing. These are all the things I have learned over the years that works best to minimi ze recovery time. I am highly sensitive and dream of the day these rashes are e liminated."

1st post, ye-hah!
Here we go.
Bummer about the poison oak.(*snickering* cause I've had my fair share)  Ask the doc about prednizone, a steroid, works miracles!

TR

Um.... Yeah... she's a city girl so to speak.....  

Thanks for some of the advise guys...  she's been reading it...   Marie said when she figured it might have been poison something, she showered with simple green... in case ya'll aren't familiar with this product, It's a strong degreaser biodegradable soap.... She said she never felt so Oil-less in her life!   So far the swelling and red bumps are contained to her hands and forearms....  SIMPLE GREEN ????  [rolleyes]

OMG...I'm so allergic to it that I start itching just hearing about it.  

DK-Prof....

Marie was on prednizone for 3 years, but not in the last three....  She has ulcerative colitus and the doctor told her take this stuff or die...   she decided to not take it anymore and face the consequences.... On the bottle the medicine said not to take it more than 6 weeks !!!   and that some of the side effects were growing a moon face, brittle bones..  As it eats away the calcium in your body including teeth..... I thought the compulsive urge to clean was just her...[rolleyes]  God knows how much of this stuff is still in her system...  She attempts to fight the disease by not eating certain foods...  


No..   She doesn't have a Moon Face..  and although her teeth have problems, Marie still has a beautiful smile...