Introduction
Introduction Statistics Contact Development Disclaimer Help
----------------------------------------
Poison Sumac
April 27th, 2018
----------------------------------------
We had a storm here a few weeks back that did a bunch of damage to
the trees in my yard. One of these trees in the backyard split
into three pieces straight down the middle!
On Saturday I took my hatchet and a chain saw (literally saw-teeth
on a chain that you drag back and forth by hand) and I set to work
clearing things. In the process of chopping and sawing I failed to
notice that the sad tri-split tree was also surrounded by an
overgrown bush of poison sumac. (If you're not familiar with this
particular breed of awfulness, it's just like poison ivy or poison
oak, but harder to identify.)
I was mostly prepared for the work, wearing long pants and sturdy
gloves. I didn't have on a long sleeve shirt, though (it was
hot!). So, now I'm super itchy and covered in a blistery rash.
Calamine lotion helps a bit, but I'm ready for this ordeal to be
over.
I've gotten hit by sumac twice before, and thankfully this time is
much less severe. My first exposure was on a canoeing trip where
I failed to notice that the creek I was in was surrounded on both
sides by sumac. I was covered in a rash from the waist up after
that trip.
The second time was the worst. I was in Boy Scouts on a camping
trip and one of the new scouts tossed in a bunch of green branches
into the fire. It started smoking and flew into my face before
I noticed what was going on. I was just about to explain why we
don't burn green wood when I saw what it was. Too late. I was
hospitalized that time, as I got the sumac in my eyes and lungs.
No good at all.
I hope this clears up soon. I'm so damned itchy!
You are viewing proxied material from gopher.black. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.