One of the worst times I got it was St Patrick's Day about 5 years ago. No leaves, just the vines, so I didn't notice it. Got it all over my arms and face, and my eyes sealed shut from the puffing and oozing. It truly sucked.
Worst time I ever got it was in the dead of winter digging thru the vines looking for a corner.
JaRo, post: 448175, member: 292 wrote: I used to get poison ivy on top of my foot. I finally learned to keep my socks on when I got home. The socks kept it from transferring from the leg of my jeans to my foot. When I took my pants of, then my socks came off.
James
My wife got it from moving my boots from the laundry room and back into the mud room. She was not amused.
I avoid it all costs. Usually I get a small patch every spring when it first greens up.
I had a corner to dig out in it about a month ago. I used the bush-axe to clear the area, but had to dig through the roots and flag the pipe. I got it on both hands and a touch in my left eye. The hands dried up in about a week, but the eye was red and felt like I had sand in it for two weeks.
I named my youngest daughter Ivy!
Nate The Surveyor, post: 448180, member: 291 wrote: over 100 dug in...
Say it ain't so Nate. How are you feeling?
The worst I ever got poison ivy was in February. I was setting a corner and had to cut a vine. I had it from elbow to wrist on both arms. Getting it between the fingers is the reason why I always wear gloves at work.
They say it can stay on tools for up to 5 years.
Floyd Carrington, post: 448169, member: 474 wrote: I started surveying full time in June 1969 and was in the field till 1987. Sometime in the early 70's when I had bad case of poison ivy my party chief said, "Don't worry you will become immune to it." It took to the late 70's but he was right. During the 80's I could walk through it with no shirt on and pull it out with my hands and never got it.
Eventual immunity is not guaranteed. I seldom got it when I was young, but as I have aged it is more of a problem. Used to be that if I had scratched skin and was sweating I would get a blister or two. Now it is more likely a small patch. Just because I am not prone to get it does not mean I wade in willy nilly. I have to think of my wife and make sure she does not touch my clothes. It I had contact and then failed to warn her, the next few days could be hell.
Paul in PA
You can get any time of the year. The oil will dry and remain a dust. If you get the dust on you, if you are like me, you will get a rash.
I stay away from it and I still seem to get it. That is when I go get a shot to alleviate the symptoms.
rochs01, post: 448795, member: 266 wrote: They say it can stay on tools for up to 5 years.
That obviously hasn't happen to Nate yet!
😉
3 years ago I needed a DOT pipe that ended up being 2 feet below grade, I was weeping a bit as I circled the bush, my DC showed my calc to be pretty much 25 feet into it. Between chopping and digging I sweated the oils in through my clothes, not even my balls were safe. Prednisone helped a bit, was a terrible week and a half, but hell, nailed the boundary and that's what mattered, 100 years from now someone can note how sloppy I was because they aren't hitting my position by a nano-meter. 🙂
[USER=6421]@double_proportion[/USER]
Weed eater with a tri-blade would make quick work of that mess.
[SARCASM]When this thread started, the back of my right hand broke out from psychosomatic memories of poison ivy and poison oak.[/SARCASM]
A Harris, post: 448848, member: 81 wrote: Weed eater with a tri-blade would make quick work of that mess.
A chain saw goes through it pretty easy, too. I did that for a couple of days once in 1979. Worst case I've ever had. I was off work for a couple of weeks, and vowed never to repeat that behavior.
I think increased sensitivity is more common than developing imuniity. In theory you could develop immunity if you carefully controlled the dose and went from one molecule to full exposure very slowly, but with uncontoroled exposure each time the body reacts more violently.
When I only occasionally was exposed to it I had an extremely mild reaction, but after a summer of crawling around in it my reactions became debilitating.
Has anyone noticed a correlation between PI sensitivity and reaction to cashews? I read the shells have a trace of urushiol.
Bill93, post: 449222, member: 87 wrote: Has anyone noticed a correlation between PI sensitivity and reaction to cashews? I read the shells have a trace of urushiol.
Mangos also have a similar substance. However, neither cashews nor mangos have ever produced a response in me. (And I love both.)
When it comes to poison oak and ivy, it is best to keep your distance.
Chain saw is gonna throw it all over you.
When possible cut saplings and throw on top to bring it down to see over.
I have gotten poison ivy in the dead of winter while digging up corners.
The plant is alive just a bit dormant and ready to infect you.
I've been immune to it since I moved in the office. I don't miss it. I used to get it all the time. I did find that washing my arms at lunch seemed to minimize it. Funny thing happened a couple of weeks ago. My roommate got it for the first time in her life. I gave her ivy wash, calamine, cortozone creme, and something else I had. Two days later I come walking in the bathroom and she's on the floor putting on white shoe polish all over her legs. I about fell over laughing. I guess FB knows best on how to solve it.
I keep a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and new rags in our truck if I get in it... Seems to have helped over the years. I get it through my jeans. I can sense/breathe it when I'm close. It doesn't like me much.