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Poison I eye-eye-eye-eye VEE....

© Barbara Hall

So far we've done the preventative stuff, but if you've GOT it, you have to deal with the MISERY that comes with it. All of us who have been there are cringing with recognition already. The ITCHING, the oozing, the blisters you can't even LOOK at, the swollen skin. All right, help is on the way.........(we all know Calamine lotion didn't do a thing.....)

One corroded case of Poison Ivy sent me into my herb books DESPERATE to find some relief. Here's what I came up with and is it a blessing when you wake up in the middle of the night with the screeching itchy-tweets. Into the blender I put some nice, green juicy plantain leaves (for the itching), one or two burdock leaves about the size of your hand (for the swelling), a good handful of fresh chickweed (for the cooling), two medium-sized comfrey leaves (for the healing), and two good-sized jewel weed plants (sans roots) because it's the best antidote to Poison Ivy going. Everybody buzzes around in the blender with about a cup of filtered water and a cup of witch hazel (from the drug store). I let the sludge sit around for at least an hour before straining out the green pulp. The resulting liquid can be frozen in ice-cube trays (MARK them, OK?). When needed, one ice cube (+/- 1 oz) can be mixed with 4 more ounces of water and sprayed on the rash, poured on, or put on a cloth and just layed over it. Miracle in a bottle.

Any of you who SWEAR you don't get it? Don't be dumb and give the rest of us a good laugh later on. Basically NO ONE gets it the VERY first time they touch it. Your sensitivity can build up with each exposure and suddenly the laugh (and the horrifying rash) is on you. And why is a Poison Ivy rash like nothing else that plagues skin? It's an odd reaction. This Urushiol actually bonds with your skin cells creating something your body no longer recognizes as you. (do I remember THAT feeling) In an effort to clear the deck of aliens, your body goes into all kinds of histrionics to get rid of those skin cells - fast.

But for all we howl about how evil Poison Ivy may seem, do understand that it is one of the earth healing plants. Watch how it shows up when ever the land is disturbed by construction. Some folks say that's just because more light comes in when the trees are taken down, but I have seen otherwise.