Funny how the topic of poison oak came up just yesterday. I was hiking around Mount Tamalpais. Stepping onto the trail, I immediately recalled the constant wariness that one needs looking out for and avoiding those shiny three leaved stems. The fear that I’ve brushed up against one. Those things are so ingrained in us we don’t forget.
I enjoyed reading this article not because it’s on one of my favorite topics by any means but it recalled the adventures going to and from your house to school. I also enjoyed how writing prompts bring up all kinds of things that one never imagines and how it’s good to raise those that are stored way down in the wells.
Yes, being back in California triggers all those long-ago learned lessons, doesn't it? It is fun to try these prompts, but also slightly exhausting sometimes, dealing with what comes up out of those wells.
Hi Sabrina! One of my special super skills (still active) is sharing helpful info. And a tip that I found helpful for me, my family and anyone that I've shared it with, is this video on avoiding poison oak/ivy/sumac. It boils down to good hygiene, which is a helpful COVID tip as well when you think of it! Seriously worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0 Poison oak rashes CAN be serious - a college classmate was written up in a medical journal re the severe burns she received from poison oak. UGH.
What I learned from spending a summer working in poison ivy on Nantucket was to swim in the ocean at lunch and after work, and wear separate “non-work clothes” when not working in the field. Being prone to poison oak rashes, I was leery, but it worked!
Good suggestions! I too found that taking off the clothes right away that *might* have been contaminated and keeping them separate from others helped me too during my field class (and even now when we hike in California).
Wow, this was fascinating, Sabrina - I'd never heard of poison oak! I'm no stranger to stinging nettles - or stinging nettle soup, as it happens - but have you ever come across (raw!!!) stinging nettle eating competitions? There's one in Dorset the day after tomorrow! https://www.visit-dorset.com/event/dorset-nettle-eating-competition/34546301/
A few weeks ago, after taking a break during a job by sitting down and leaning against a tree, I noticed an angry red mark on my forearm with yellow blisters on it. It looked revolting but didn't hurt or itch a bit. The blisters and broken skin have healed now, but the mark is still bright red. Reckon it was a reaction to the tree (or a plant in the same area) - I wonder what it was?
oh good grief! What fresh sort of hell is raw nettle eating??!!
Hmm. Ok, now that I have calmed down, I suppose people could say the same about hot chili eating contests, which I grew up knowing about...Well, the world is an amazing place, let's just leave it at that.
And I'm very sorry to hear about your strange tree-blisters! That sounds mysterious indeed! I've never heard about any other toxic plants here besides the nettles. Hope that doesn't happen again!
Ooooh, there are plenty of toxic plants around and about the place! I saw a horrid news story about someone's encounter with giant hogweed last week - she swelled up all over and needed hospital treatment. Really dangerous! I saw one in full bloom on a motorway verge the other day - not much danger of anyone brushing against that particularly specimen, thankfully.
Nettle eating is something I'm going to leave to - hmm, what should I call them, to be polite? - the enthusiasts!!!
Oh good grief. Now I am going to have to learn about that one too. What a name! I also recently learned that there is honest-to-goodness quicksand on the Island; that is one of maybe two things in life that scare the bejezus out of me as a way to die. And it is here lurking nearby in the pretty woods and wetlands. Honestly, I'm beginning to think I'll take my chances with poison oak!
Loved this post, Sabrina, especially as a California expat living on the east coast with the poison ivy - poison oak identification challenge. However, my worst experience was a one-on-one with a patch of nettles while sneaking in a pee behind the car in the wilds of Cornwall. The pain (and my embarASSment) was hard to overstate. 🥹
Oh Dana! I'm so sorry to hear of the pain in your assets! That would have been AWFUL! The sting of the stinging nettle is unlike any other. Certainly not the souvenir you wanted from Cornwall...xx
As a child my sister and I would wander into the same areas: she would get poison oak and I wouldn't. My dad was highly allergic to it too. Fast forward to when we found it on the hillside of our backyard in San Rafael. I told my then husband, "Let me take care of it. I'm not at all allergic to poison oak!" With at least gardening gloves, I was happily pulling it out by the roots fascinated at how it had rhizome like tendrils lifting from the soil. This satisfying task was followed by a bad bout of, yes, poison oak rash. Now I have a healthy respect for it but envy your years of experience in identifying it.
Oh goodness! It does sound consistent with the more you are exposed, the more likely you are to get it. Only it is too bad you went from zero to 100 all at once!
Yes, down here in the south poison ivy and poison sumac are my nemesises (sp?!). Once I had a case that required a serous dose of prednisone; I was so uncomfortable from the cure that I swore never to take it again. I remember having to teach that week, and shooing away my favorite student: Go away Jeremie, I can’t teach you right now! (I understand ‘roid rage.).
On a completely different topic. I’ve finally wrapped my head around the logistics of substack, and I am SO enjoying your insightful essays Sabrina! Keep ‘em coming!
I've heard of both of those and encountered neither, thankfully! Isn't sumac used in cooking too? I remember my dog being on prednisone once and I felt like I was actually torturing her, she had such a bad reaction. I'm so sorry to hear you had to take it too. Sheesh. Good reason to help you avoid the plant whenever possible, I guess.
And so many thanks for the encouragement, Sarah. I really, absolutely appreciate it. Writing for myself most of the time so I am grateful to hear some of it resonates with you, too. And I am still confused by Substack myself!
I love Substack because the long reads I want to savor no longer “clog” my inbox which I usually just want to swiftly scroll through to make sure I haven’t missed something critical.
I live in the Great Lakes region in the U.S., and our bane is poison ivy (it produces the same oil as poison oak & poison sumac). We learn to identify its leaves of 3 as children, like you had to with poison oak. Poison Ivy grows everywhere here, so the regional love for camping & hiking leads to many a rash. I'm in the tiny percentage of people who don't react to it, though my husband will break out in a rash if there's any poison ivy within sight.
I do, however, have an allergic respiratory reaction to spearmint, so we treat it like a pariah in our garden (it will take over if we leave it be) and I have to carefully check the ingredients in herbal teas in order to avoid ingesting it.
We have some form of nettle that grows here also. I've looked at recipes for its use, but haven't been brave enough to try any yet.
Wow, so interesting to learn more about Poison Ivy. Thanks! Even with some time on the East Coast, I never encountered it, thankfully. Very sorry to hear about your spearmint allergy. I love spearmint and know that it can be found in many teas. Let me know if you are ever brave enough to try any nettle recipes!
Re: your spearmint respiratory reaction. Is this only to spearmint or is the reaction triggered by other things high in salicylates, such as aspirin, yellow dye #5, capsaicin, and Worcestershire sauce? Avoiding these keeps the wheezy non-productive at bay. Since I live spicy food, I’ll pre-treat with 10 mg of Montelukast (Rx needed).
Spearmint only, at least that's been the only one severe enough to notice of the things you mentioned. I'll pay closer attention, though, & see if I note mild symptoms with the others.
Funny how the topic of poison oak came up just yesterday. I was hiking around Mount Tamalpais. Stepping onto the trail, I immediately recalled the constant wariness that one needs looking out for and avoiding those shiny three leaved stems. The fear that I’ve brushed up against one. Those things are so ingrained in us we don’t forget.
I enjoyed reading this article not because it’s on one of my favorite topics by any means but it recalled the adventures going to and from your house to school. I also enjoyed how writing prompts bring up all kinds of things that one never imagines and how it’s good to raise those that are stored way down in the wells.
Yes, being back in California triggers all those long-ago learned lessons, doesn't it? It is fun to try these prompts, but also slightly exhausting sometimes, dealing with what comes up out of those wells.
Hi Sabrina! One of my special super skills (still active) is sharing helpful info. And a tip that I found helpful for me, my family and anyone that I've shared it with, is this video on avoiding poison oak/ivy/sumac. It boils down to good hygiene, which is a helpful COVID tip as well when you think of it! Seriously worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0 Poison oak rashes CAN be serious - a college classmate was written up in a medical journal re the severe burns she received from poison oak. UGH.
I love your many super skills! And thanks for sharing this helpful video. That is quite the cautionary tale from your college classmate. Sheesh.
What I learned from spending a summer working in poison ivy on Nantucket was to swim in the ocean at lunch and after work, and wear separate “non-work clothes” when not working in the field. Being prone to poison oak rashes, I was leery, but it worked!
Good suggestions! I too found that taking off the clothes right away that *might* have been contaminated and keeping them separate from others helped me too during my field class (and even now when we hike in California).
Wow, this was fascinating, Sabrina - I'd never heard of poison oak! I'm no stranger to stinging nettles - or stinging nettle soup, as it happens - but have you ever come across (raw!!!) stinging nettle eating competitions? There's one in Dorset the day after tomorrow! https://www.visit-dorset.com/event/dorset-nettle-eating-competition/34546301/
A few weeks ago, after taking a break during a job by sitting down and leaning against a tree, I noticed an angry red mark on my forearm with yellow blisters on it. It looked revolting but didn't hurt or itch a bit. The blisters and broken skin have healed now, but the mark is still bright red. Reckon it was a reaction to the tree (or a plant in the same area) - I wonder what it was?
oh good grief! What fresh sort of hell is raw nettle eating??!!
Hmm. Ok, now that I have calmed down, I suppose people could say the same about hot chili eating contests, which I grew up knowing about...Well, the world is an amazing place, let's just leave it at that.
And I'm very sorry to hear about your strange tree-blisters! That sounds mysterious indeed! I've never heard about any other toxic plants here besides the nettles. Hope that doesn't happen again!
Ooooh, there are plenty of toxic plants around and about the place! I saw a horrid news story about someone's encounter with giant hogweed last week - she swelled up all over and needed hospital treatment. Really dangerous! I saw one in full bloom on a motorway verge the other day - not much danger of anyone brushing against that particularly specimen, thankfully.
Nettle eating is something I'm going to leave to - hmm, what should I call them, to be polite? - the enthusiasts!!!
Oh good grief. Now I am going to have to learn about that one too. What a name! I also recently learned that there is honest-to-goodness quicksand on the Island; that is one of maybe two things in life that scare the bejezus out of me as a way to die. And it is here lurking nearby in the pretty woods and wetlands. Honestly, I'm beginning to think I'll take my chances with poison oak!
I wouldn't like to get stuck in quicksand either - that's the stuff of nightmares! 👀
Loved this post, Sabrina, especially as a California expat living on the east coast with the poison ivy - poison oak identification challenge. However, my worst experience was a one-on-one with a patch of nettles while sneaking in a pee behind the car in the wilds of Cornwall. The pain (and my embarASSment) was hard to overstate. 🥹
Oh Dana! I'm so sorry to hear of the pain in your assets! That would have been AWFUL! The sting of the stinging nettle is unlike any other. Certainly not the souvenir you wanted from Cornwall...xx
As a child my sister and I would wander into the same areas: she would get poison oak and I wouldn't. My dad was highly allergic to it too. Fast forward to when we found it on the hillside of our backyard in San Rafael. I told my then husband, "Let me take care of it. I'm not at all allergic to poison oak!" With at least gardening gloves, I was happily pulling it out by the roots fascinated at how it had rhizome like tendrils lifting from the soil. This satisfying task was followed by a bad bout of, yes, poison oak rash. Now I have a healthy respect for it but envy your years of experience in identifying it.
Oh goodness! It does sound consistent with the more you are exposed, the more likely you are to get it. Only it is too bad you went from zero to 100 all at once!
Yes, down here in the south poison ivy and poison sumac are my nemesises (sp?!). Once I had a case that required a serous dose of prednisone; I was so uncomfortable from the cure that I swore never to take it again. I remember having to teach that week, and shooing away my favorite student: Go away Jeremie, I can’t teach you right now! (I understand ‘roid rage.).
On a completely different topic. I’ve finally wrapped my head around the logistics of substack, and I am SO enjoying your insightful essays Sabrina! Keep ‘em coming!
I had to take prednisone several times for poison oak. It's a nasty little drug falling under "the cure is worse than the ailment".
I couldn't find an "unlike' button to let you know I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but that's what I mean!
I've heard of both of those and encountered neither, thankfully! Isn't sumac used in cooking too? I remember my dog being on prednisone once and I felt like I was actually torturing her, she had such a bad reaction. I'm so sorry to hear you had to take it too. Sheesh. Good reason to help you avoid the plant whenever possible, I guess.
And so many thanks for the encouragement, Sarah. I really, absolutely appreciate it. Writing for myself most of the time so I am grateful to hear some of it resonates with you, too. And I am still confused by Substack myself!
I love Substack because the long reads I want to savor no longer “clog” my inbox which I usually just want to swiftly scroll through to make sure I haven’t missed something critical.
And it is bliss for writers since we can write what we want and aren't just data for other people's algorithms!
I live in the Great Lakes region in the U.S., and our bane is poison ivy (it produces the same oil as poison oak & poison sumac). We learn to identify its leaves of 3 as children, like you had to with poison oak. Poison Ivy grows everywhere here, so the regional love for camping & hiking leads to many a rash. I'm in the tiny percentage of people who don't react to it, though my husband will break out in a rash if there's any poison ivy within sight.
I do, however, have an allergic respiratory reaction to spearmint, so we treat it like a pariah in our garden (it will take over if we leave it be) and I have to carefully check the ingredients in herbal teas in order to avoid ingesting it.
We have some form of nettle that grows here also. I've looked at recipes for its use, but haven't been brave enough to try any yet.
Wow, so interesting to learn more about Poison Ivy. Thanks! Even with some time on the East Coast, I never encountered it, thankfully. Very sorry to hear about your spearmint allergy. I love spearmint and know that it can be found in many teas. Let me know if you are ever brave enough to try any nettle recipes!
Re: your spearmint respiratory reaction. Is this only to spearmint or is the reaction triggered by other things high in salicylates, such as aspirin, yellow dye #5, capsaicin, and Worcestershire sauce? Avoiding these keeps the wheezy non-productive at bay. Since I live spicy food, I’ll pre-treat with 10 mg of Montelukast (Rx needed).
Spearmint only, at least that's been the only one severe enough to notice of the things you mentioned. I'll pay closer attention, though, & see if I note mild symptoms with the others.