Let's hear your best poison ivy, poison oak stories

[Andy Backus]

I seem to run into at least a little poison ivy every year. I don't really have any crazy stories but I have a close friend who does. As a 16 year old kid he got hired to weed whack a half acre lot. Later he realized it was full of poison ivy. His whole body turned into an alien. Had to wear socks on his hands for a while.

I think my dad might have a funny poison ivy story.

By the way I sure am loving posting on my phone using voice type.

 

[tinkerer]

Well, we have about 55 acres here in North Texas and its covered in Poison Ivy. Not just any ivy, but super ivy.

It's so bad, if I even walk out after mowing in spring, I can get it EVERYWHERE. Last bout had it over my right eye.

I did a little research and combined higher C02 emissions with higher UV from the sun, ans great soil, it grows prolificly. You have to be careful when you burn stuff and not be downwind.

Farm life is so fun.

Larry
Tinkerer

 

[Rich Coyle]

You posted, "Let's hear your best poison ivy, poison oak stories" so here goes.

Todd was a teenager who used to come visit me. He came by with the worse case of poison oak we ever saw. I opened the Bible to James five, laid it open on the table and said,

"Take a look at this page," wanting him to find James 5:13-16 for himself. It says,

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him."

He read silently down the page, and said,

"If that's what It says, that's what It means. Who are the elders?"

"I don't know," I responded. I remember thinking I couldn't be very 'elder' at the time; being only thirty-four years old.

"Well you're the oldest one here," he indicated.

"Pat, you're the next oldest, come join us," I requested. I don't remember if we used olive oil, cooking oil or motor oil at that time, but after this incident there was always some olive oil available. I poured some oil on his head and Pat and I laid hands on Todd and prayed for God to heal him. We didn't see an immediate change. About an hour later Todd excitedly said,

"Look at this! The poison oak's gone!"

Another fun story is when I first heard of homeopathic medicine. I figured what the heck. It sure can't hurt. My aunt was a nurse at the time and told me, "That stuff doesn't work." I followed the directions carefully. The next I was in the poison oak I was careful but not as careful as normal. I didn't get it at all. The next time I was not careful at all and didn't get it. After awhile I became so casual I forgot all about it. In fact one time while looking out over a clearing I grabbed a leaf from a nearby plant to chew on. Then I noticed it was poison oak. Never bothered me.

If I stopped taking it. I got the rash bad.

 

[69firebird]

A friend of mine gets poison ivy on his balls sack every year and feels the need to tell me. In fact me told me again last night lmfao!!!

I tell him he's got a sensitive sack. And he says he's got to start wearing gloves in the bush. But hasn't learned, this is the 3rd year in a row.

The first time he went to the doctor lmao!!

 

[257Tony]

I missed the final week of my senior year in hs due to that infernal stuff! I was just about to take a straight razor to my legs and cut it off! I don't think I slept for 3 straight days. Taking a super hot bath and suffering for 15 minutes while all the histimene works it way to the surface way my only relief. Still have a few scars 20+ years later....

 

[Leslie Sapp]

Down here in the Florida swamps, the poison ivy grows into big clumps on top of the old cypress stumps and logs out in the swamp. During logging operations, the ivy is crushed by the equipment and logs being dragged over it. This releases a fine oil that covers the entire surface of the water in the vicinity.
I had friend who fell down while we were wading through one of these areas to hookup a log, and ended up with a nice even case of poison ivy from head to toe!

 

[just country]

morning, poison ivy or any ivy with an oily surface is dangerous
and no joke. this stuff is very dangerous. Hilter during WWII used
poison ivy bulb to inject in humans to see the results. people
died a horrible death.
do not breath the fumes of the poison bulb when burned. this can
in some cases causes death. I look at is plant and I break out
with blisters. when the plants leaves r oily stay away from the plant.
TUM

 

[ShtrRdy]

Where I was raised in northern IL had lots of poison ivy. I got hit with it many times in my much younger days. I got to the point where I could spot poison ivy 10 yds away and avoid it. Now I live where there isn't any poison ivy and I don't miss it.

 

[mikea5232]

A buddy of mine back in high school, we are out camping during a fishing trip, he wiped his butt with poison oak leaves not knowing what it was. needless to say it must have been awkward having his mom put ointment on his balls and but crack because his hands were covered in it as well and didn't want it to spread any worse. We all still get a good laugh at that.

 

[Rich Coyle]

A buddy of mine back in high school, we are out camping during a fishing trip, he wiped his butt with poison oak leaves not knowing what it was. needless to say it must have been awkward having his mom put ointment on his balls and but crack because his hands were covered in it as well and didn't want it to spread any worse. We all still get a good laugh at that.

I just read this to my wife. She responded, "I hope he was a Democrat. I wouldn't want anyone else to have that experience."

 

[mikea5232]

I'm not sure how he votes but he is a sportsman so he's probably a Republican.

I just read this to my wife. She responded, "I hope he was a Democrat. I wouldn't want anyone else to have that experience."

 

[HARPERC]

Never caught it oddly enough. When we were kids, others would have severe cases from playing in and around it, and I never had mild symptoms??? Probably just opened myself to a major case next time out.

 

[ssssnake529]

I was camping when I was a teenager. No pad, no tent, just a wool blanket. It was late, and I couldn't see so well, so I chose a nice, level spot to sleep, with lots of soft vegetation to lay on. Woke up in the morning, and realized it was all poison ivy. I'd slept in it all night. Was pretty sure I was going to die, as my sister gets terrible rashes if she just looks at it. Turns out, I'm immune. No rash. No ill effects at all. I've been exposed multiple times since then. Nothing. It's my super power.

 

[117LBS]

Oohhhhh. One fine spring day when my brother and I were about 10 and 12, I the younger, we decided to play outside as it was still cool out most of the day and the Texas bugs hadn't come out yet. I do not remember how we started it but we made short work of pulling some old growth vines off the trunk of a large oak growing near the house. In true young boy fashion we then commenced to mercilessly beating eachother with the vines we had pulled from the tree. Little was thought of this until several days later when the rashes and swelling started and lasted well past ten days. My mother also decided the best way to treat the rashes was to take a mixture of vinegar and salt and vigorously rub the rashes until the blisters broke open. I remember having the worse of it, as the little brother who took more than he dished out. The best part was that my birthday was a week after the initial action with the vines so I got to spend it swollen and itching.

Now days I spend plenty of time in the woods and none of that stuff bothers me.