On Thursday I carted two boxes of clothing from our Ward who died from the nursing home to the woman who had cared for him and was going to redistribute the clothing.
On Friday I woke up with teeny-tiny fluid-filled blisters all over both hands and my left arm. I checked WebMD, and in a truly disgusting slideshow about common insect bites, found that scabies bites matched the blisters on my hands. I called my doctor's office, and they squished me into the schedule, and then I had about five hours to worry, fret, and try not to scratch.
After seeing the very nice Dr. H., I was reminded why hypochondriacs should not be allowed to search the internet. Without any hint, she asked if I was a gardener and said I had poison ivy rather than scabies. She wanted to give me some steroids to help my skin heal a little more easily, but since they do such a number on my stomach, we settled on calamine and benadrool.
I spent the rest of the day in a benadrool fog, trying to remember if I'd seen ANY three-leaved plants anywhere in the garden. Yes, I've been weeding the lavender bed like mad, but all I really remembered were nettles and lamium. The lamium can't hurt, and I left the nettles in place until I could get back out with my gloves and long sleeves on.
On Saturday, I was reelling in the hose when I saw several three-leaved plants growing up underneath the hose cart. I'll have to get back out there once I have some more Roundup on hand. I know the traditional method of disposal is to burn the plant, but that's a little too close to the house for me to be lighting fires.
Today, I was hauling all the houseplants off the breezeway and outside, and just barely noticed a three-leaved plant sticking up out of the pot I almost had my face in. Like any good last girl, I screamed and backed away, then sat down and thought. Roundup in my geraniums is NOT an option, fire in my geraniums ditto, but I think if I put on gloves and long sleeves I should be able to dig the whole thing out with a trowel.
But that's a chore for tomorrow. For tonight, I have to shudder and try not to scratch all the imaginary and non-imaginary itches.
10 comments:
Poor Jammies! I told you -- stealth poison ivy! I bet it's an escapee from some Cold War lab experiment -- we were going to turn it loose on the Kremlin and then corner the Calamine market or something.
Let me scold you gently for bringing that clothing stuff in the house. Bad jammies. Good way to get bedbugs going. Or etc. No bringy things hoome to house.
Sherri, if it's an attempt to bring a country to its knees, we just need to plant poison ivy and then offer humanitarian packages full of Benadryl. ;)
Z, the clothing was in my mother's car, and never in anyone's house, but thank you for worrying about me.
Did you know that you can get bedbugs in a theater? You can because they are in other peoples purses and will climb into yours. The same principle I would think would apply to even having the things in your car. So by that reasoning I would advise sorting things ath the clients home taking minimal anything of yours into the home and taking nothing of theirs to your car or mom's car without it being tightly sealed.
Did you know that the number one concern of those making casual sexual hookups now is not getting an STD, it's fear of picking up bedbugs.
The world is changing and not for the better I fear.
That bites, Jammies. Sending rash removing vibes your way.
Bedbugs are annoying, but not serious. I know because the place I used to live had them a couple of times. Wash everything that can be washed and dry them in the dryer. Spray everything else. You might have to throw out mattresses because the bedbugs can get into the interior of them and then nothing can be done.
They don't carry any diseases though.
Here's hoping the poison ivy is easier to remove.
Thanks, Rob. It's going away sloooowly, but at least it's going!
Thank you, my arm is itching now. Seriously, I hope you feel better soon. My mom used to get poison ivy every year and my brother in law has to take shots, so I feel for you.
Hi Jammies,
I hope your hands are better now.
Please call by my blog and pick up your awards.
I hope you enjoy passing them on as I have.
It was good to visit you and read your post.
Love,
Herrad
Hi Sam! Nice of you to drop by, and sorry I made you itch. Poison ivy looks really bad with a white miniskirt. ;)
Hi Herrad, nice to see you too!
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