I Learned Something

So, I learned something last week that I haven't yet shared. I learned all about Toxicodendron vernix, also known as Rhus vernix, ALSO known as Poison Sumac. What did I learn about it, you might ask? First off, I learned what it looks like. Second, I learned that it was growing in my back yard. Third, I learned that, unlike other members of the Toxicodendron species, I'm allergic to it. Tuesday evening, I was digging in the garden and pulled up a plant that I didn't recognize. Wednesday morning, I had a rash all over my right wrist and the top of my right hand. Thursday, it had spread to my left wrist and hand, had spread to my right shin, and had deepened on my right hand and wrist. Friday, things were worsening. Saturday, it started appearing at my belt line. By Monday, I couldn't take the itching any more and, while at Conneaut Lake on a family vacation, I ended up going to the emergency room in nearby Meadville (no urgent care facilities nearby) to get things looked at. The overwhelming response from the fine medical professionals was, "Bummer, dude..." Turns out that with as far as it had spread by that point, there was no point in giving me an injection, and no topical ointment they could prescribe was any better than the OTC hydrocortizone stuff I could buy at my local pharmacy. So they gave me a prescription for prednozone, collected my copay (OK, I had to remind them to do that), and sent me on my way.

Today, things are still spreading. The patch around my belt line has wrapped nearly all the way around my back. While the prednozone has made some of the redness go away, I've got more bumps than before. And, best of all, I'm only half way through the episode. The fine medical professionals in Meadville let me know that I could expect this pleasantness to last about two weeks in total. Lovely.

The really sucky thing is that I've given it to Amelia, too. She's really happy, as you can imagine. She's being a champ, though. At least she hasn't tossed me out on my ear yet :P