I recently went to Poison Ivy pit in Bexar County. It lives up to its name. The sinkhole was hidden by massive vines. Completely covering it save one port hole about 20" diameter. It was the only way in so I rappelled thru that and saw that I could have walked into the sink hole from the other side if it wasn't choked with poison ivy. It was hanging 10' down the pit. The cave lives up to its name, trust me. It didn't get me that time, surprising because I was in my "caving clothes"(for those who know my caving attire). The worst place to get it? Not the genitals. In the eye. Salt water every ten minutes. After that I can largely ignore regular exposures.
--- Original Message --- From: "Gill Edigar" <gi...@att.net> Sent: October 23, 2013 8:51 AM To: vivb...@att.net Cc: texascavers@texascavers.com Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Poison-ivy I forgot to mention an apocryphal story regarding my East Texas cousins who were Piney Woods squirrel hunters in their youth and often came home with poison ivy lesions. My aunt used an old procedure that involved my cousins taking a certain number (which I don't remember) of ripe poison ivy seeds by mouth for several (again, I don't remember how many) days. They were, reportedly, cured of their sensitivity to poison ivy--or, at least, it was greatly diminished. --Ediger On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 8:27 AM, <vivb...@att.net> wrote: > If you're in Texas, it's Poison Ivy. Poison Oak grows on the West > coast. the leaf and habit is pretty different, but still 3 leaflets per > leaf, and variable. Poison Ivy forms a vine more, but will also form a > bush. > best way to prevent it is wash and wash and wash again with a good > oil cutting soap. I use dawn or the brand "technu" which is specific for > poison ivy. If you're getting new breakout bumps, then you haven't washed > it all off yet. Half frozen wet paper towels feel really good on it. > No one is immune to poison ivy. For some people it takes more > exposure. The more you are exposed to it, the more sensitive you become. > You cannot develop an immunity. > Vivian Loftin > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Bill Walden <wdwal...@windstream.net> > *To:* texascavers@texascavers.com > *Sent:* Wednesday, October 23, 2013 8:11 AM > *Subject:* Re: [Texascavers] Poison-ivy > > When I was young I would break out horribly from poison ivy. At age 7 > (1949) I underwent a series of shots for poison ivy. Following those shots > I didn't break out from contact with poison Ivy. Today it is rare for me to > get a bubble or two after contact with that plant. I believe that the shots > are no longer given. > > Bill Walden > > > > On 10/23/2013 8:59 AM, Gill Edigar wrote: > > A technical point or two: Reaction to Poison Ivy, etc, is a chemical > contact condition, not an allergy. > And I'm not sure that we can describe resistance to it as an 'immunity' > since it's not a disease. > I'm a little unsure about Tom's suggestion to use 'mineral spirits' which > is a carcinogenic organic solvent, i.e.: paint thinner (among other things) > and should not really be put on the skin. It surely ought to get rid of any > oils, however. > Thoughts? Info? > --Ediger > > > On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 6:50 AM, Kurt L. Menking <kmenk...@bcad.org>wrote: > > I also have a small patch of it from TCR this weekend. > > For many years I was immune, but while clearing our campsite with a weed > eater for the first TCR near Luling I was super exposed. I was in shorts, > sandals, etc. I had no idea there was poison ivy around but came down with > it all over. After a few days of trying everything and it only getting > worse I went to the Dr. It was better the next day, and completely gone in > 3-4 days. Prednisone and Desoximetasone cream, both are prescription. > > Kurt > > > > > >
