Systemic poison ivy - an itchy experience!

A couple of weeks ago, I managed to get myself into some poison ivy - a regular occurrence for many Geocachers.

The difference this time is that it just wasn't going away, no matter what I did, and almost 2 weeks later it just kept looking worse and worse.

On Wednesday, I had an appointment with my doctor, who gave me a prescription for some cream for this, as well as a prescription for something unrelated. He said it should start to clear up soon.

Thursday, I wasn't feeling great.  I had a headache, I was achy all over, and I was more tired than usual. I didn't think all that much of it at the time. I figured I was just worn down, or maybe it was just medication taking effect.

Friday morning, I woke up and had a lot of numbness and tingling in my very swollen hands and feet.  I was itchy all over, and could barely function at work.  Poison ivy kept showing up in different spots on my legs, and I was truly getting to my wit's end.  Figuring I was having a reaction to either the cream or the medication, I called my doctor's office who asked me to come in right away.

I saw Dr. MacTavish, the doctor on call. He explained to me that I had developed systemic poison ivy, meaning the poison ivy had seeped into my bloodstream.  I had never heard of this before, and didn't think it was even possible.  A few more prescriptions, and I was advised to keep all of the poison ivy spots wrapped in gauze.  I was told that it might get worse before it gets better, and that the poison ivy rashes might show up in other places on my body.

Early Saturday morning, Sparky500 and I headed to the L&A Mega event to meet up with some friends for a fun day of Geocaching. My legs were wrapped, I was itchy from head to toe, and I was careful not to scratch or unwrap any of my bandages.  There were many mummy jokes made throughout the day, but being with good friends made it that much more bearable!

I did notice many more areas with poison ivy popping up throughout the day, including my arms and lower back.  The itching was really getting to me as well.

Our good friends OhJoyOhBliss1 and Walking Woody were quick with advice, to pass on some cream that might help, and Dennis (WalkingWoody) shared a story about his mom having had systemic poison ivy in the past. 

By the time I went to bed, I was almost positive that I was starting to lose skin on my back from all of the scratching!  I got out of bed and took the strongest prescriptions that I had been given - the ones that Dr. MacTavish told me to use only if I really couldn't handle the itching anymore.  And I really couldn't handle the itching!

I slept though the night, and even though I'm still itchy, the numbness is gone, the swelling is coming down, and the blisters are all starting to dry up!  I can finally see an end in sight!

This week has been really tough, and a few times I have really been at my wit's end.  As Geocachers, poison ivy is something that we deal with. We avoid it as much as we can, knowing that 'the worst that can happen to us' is a little bit of a rash, or maybe a couple of blisters that clear up quickly.  It's not.

I really wish that I'd known before how awful this little plant can be.

I'm hoping that my experiences will shed some light and help some friends.  My advice?  Stay out of it. Do everything you can to avoid it.  Look where you're stepping, wear long pants, or just don't go. It's not worth it, trust me.

Cheers and Happy Caching,
Frank (Sparky500) and Julie (Sparkel)