And then this happened

October 6, 2022

I believe it’s a rash from coming in contact with poison oak…

Last week, I spent several days working on one of my gardens. Somehow, I came in contact with poison oak. It must have been growing up in my sage tree and I didn’t realize what it was.

I can usually spot it a mile away and get my housemate to mess with it.

Anyway, my shoulders were hurting over the weekend, so I had my son put some Icy Hot on my back. He asked me what the red spots were, I asked if they were raised, what they looked like. He said, “red spots, they’re not raised”. I didn’t know, because at that point, my back didn’t itch or anything. He rubbed some icy hot on my back and I went about what I was doing.

Then, on Tuesday my housemate asked what the red spots were…same conversation. He took a picture with his cell phone. Poison Oak!!!! Uggg.

It doesn’t itch or cause any pain, that only happens when it gets hot. The oil it leaves on the skin, from my experience, looks like sap, and when you try to rub it off, it spreads. The best thing to do is wash it with hot soap and water and apply aloe to it as soon as possible.
I’ve been treating it with Aloe Vera gel…it’s the only thing that works, outside of a steroid cream prescription from the doctor. I’m not going to the doctor if I can help it, not using steroids if I can help it. I’d prefer to only use steroids if absolutely necessary. So far, it’s not necessary.

I know it looks kind of baren, but it will look nice in the spring. The tree between the yucca (front) and the sage (back) needs to be cut down. It’s an elm. I don’t need it growing there. If I let it grow, it will eventually overshadow everything else I have growing there. They’re nice shade trees, but just not there.

I usually trim it back every year or so, but I honestly hadn’t touched that garden in a couple of years. I told my housemate that it probably needs a chainsaw at this point, but he said he could probably get it with the battery powered pole saw.

We shall see.

The sage tree gets a yellow/white bloom on it in the spring, and is one the animals brought in. And is where the majority of the vine was growing. My plan is to keep up with it from this point on. I usually do, trimming it back every year or two. I use what I can from the trimmings – branches and leaves – to burn, once they’re dry enough. The dried leaves I put in a candle and burn when I’m taking a bath. I will also put a handful in the wood stove periodically. I’ve tried to burn the branches/sticks like incense but so far, no luck. They probably weren’t dry enough.

When I was putting my fresh cuttings in crock pots to dry a few days ago, I found a few sticks that I had brought in, who knows when. It’s been a couple of years, so I’m thinking I might be able to use them as incense this year. Hopefully!!

(pinterest)

One more thing before I go…
I also seem to have lost my voice! Not completely, but I can barely talk. My sinus’ are draining, so I’m sure it’s just my throat is irritated. My sinus’ feel swollen. I’m also taking medicine for that…well, warm milk and honey, gargling with salt water, salt water nasal spray and honey/lemon throat lozenges. I know warm tea helps a lot, but I don’t like tea (never have), so that’s not an option.

hope you have a great day!
thanks for stopping by!!