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Its a Sure Sign of Spring

This spring I got poison ivy all over my left arm. I get poison ivy every spring. It’s actually one of the first signs of spring. You’ve got the first robin of spring, the swallows coming back to Capistrano, the blooming crocuses and me getting poison ivy. Now if you have never had poison ivy, let me give you a little education and put to rest some false rumors.

Skin eruptions are the result of an allergic reaction to oil that the plant secretes on its leaves. Once you get the oil on your skin you can spread it to your whole body. If you think that you have come into contact with it you should wash exposed areas with an oil cutting soap – like Dawn dish soap.


Usually it will take a few days for the reaction to show up. By this time hopefully you’ve jumped in the tub a few times and washed off all remaining oil. In other words, by the time the reaction shows up, you can not spread your poison ivy. So feel free to scratch it! One word of caution, scratching your poison ivy can cause an infection.


But this brings me to my point. There is nothing in this world that feels quite as good as putting the effected area under HOT water and giving it a good scratch. And I’m talking water so hot, that if it splashes on other parts of your body it’s painful. Those of you who have had poison ivy know what I’m talking about here. Words can not describe the immediate endorphin rush.

I have heard it described with terms like: “better than sex” and “almost worth it to get poison ivy just for the sensation”. Let me tell you, if word got out about it, you would find kids all over the country intentionally rolling in the stuff. A black market would spring up overnight where you could score all kinds of genetically enhanced “Super-Ivys”.

I’m telling you it could be the next big designer drug. Or maybe I’ve just got some weird mania going on here. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Get the real lowdown on poison ivy here and here.

Billo
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Copyright 2003, Bill O'Reilly

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