Nor Cal GTG

[Frank Boyer]

I did tractor work around poison oak for years. When I came home I used mechanics hand cleaner on all exposed skin and seldom had a problem.

 

[Eccentric]

I usually don't get much of a reaction to poison oak. At most, I get a couple small 'pimple' like sores that stick around for a week or two (unlike an actual pimple). Just gotta leave them alone (don't scratch). After our Sunday work party (where I was in the PO pretty thick at times) I got about 3-4 of those pimple things on my neck and right arm, and one small fingernail sized rash high up on my right shoulder. I washed pretty thoroughly with Technu on Sunday night (as I usually do after cutting at the park). Jenn handled some of my laundry and reported getting a couple small spots on her arm.

A few weeks ago after Tyler, Dave, and I were done wading through PO to buck and move the logs for the GTG, Tyler reported getting a pretty strong PO rash on his arms. I was in the stuff at least as deep as he was, and only got one pimple thing on one arm. Just lucky I guess. I have noticed that I'm getting more of a reaction than I used to. Hoping that's not going to be a continuing trend....

 

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

I did tractor work around poison oak for years. When I came home I used mechanics hand cleaner on all exposed skin and seldom had a problem.

I grew up on a ranch where poison oak was thick and taller than me. When I got into it, would bathe with old fashioned GI-type soap and room temperature water. Never had a reaction that Calamine Lotion couldn't fix. My mother could swell up like a marshmallow without even getting near it.

The best way to get eradicate poison oak is to surround it with a fence and put hogs inside the fence.

 

[slowp]

It was just a poor judgement call on my behalf. I am only human and am prone to make errors. I hope a good time was had buy all, Ken

So why not show you are a good guy and delete it?

Back to poison oak, I had a big size thing of Tecnu in my trailer. For a quarter I'da let folks use it.
The Used Dog had 3 ticks total and I found one crawling on my arm a couple days ago. I'm not sure if it was a CA tick or a Warshinton tick. I don't speak tickese.

 

[Bob95065]

I get poison oak if I look at it funny. I got within 5' of it last weekend while working around the house. I was very careful to not touch it and have it on my right wrist, both ankles and the tops of both feet. It more an annoyance this time than anything.

I have had it nasty many times. Once I was almost hospitalized. I had seats followed by chills that alternated about ever 1/2 hour. I had what the doctor called a "blood infection". He said it got in my system. He suggested I check in for a night but there was no way I was getting hospitalized for poison oak. I got a shot and strong dose of prednisone and after a few days I felt better.

My doctor now gives me prednisone prescriptions of 500 pills when I go in with severe cases. He figures it will save me a trip if I get it bad again. I haven't had a bad case for about two years but that doesn't mean I won't get it again. There was a stretch of a few years when I felt funny when I didn't have poison oak. Check out my AS signature for more info on how I feel about it. I don't like it, I avoid it, but I won't let it stop me from spending time in the woods to cut firewood.

Bob

 

[windthrown]

500 pills of Prednisone? Nasty stuff that. I was on a script for that and was in downtown Palo Alto, and I started hallucinating. I had to sit down at a Mexican restaurant and watch the light show in my head. I only had water and chips and sat there for about an hour, and when my head cleared, I tipped the guy $5. I called my doctor and he said to ease off if it (but not stop cold turkey) because that stuff shuts down your adrenal glands.

As for Tecnu, that stuff is mainly sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). A cheap alternative to that is cheap shampoo, like Suave, which is mostly SLS. You can also get Orvus, which is pure SLS. We used Orvus for cleaning lanolin (wool grease) from fleeces after sheering the sheep and alpacas every year, as well as in the laundry to dissolve the PO urushiol oil from our clothes. Rule was to take clothes off after being out in the woods (10 ft from the house and beyond) and throw them in the washer on the way to the shower, and wash the dog with Orvus as well. Do not pass Go, go directly to laundry and shower, do not get PO.

 

[Bob95065]

http://s88.photobucket.com/user/Bob95065/library/AS GTG 2013

Pictures from the GTG

 

[RiverRat2]

Who all plans on coming?

Man I hope yall do this again next year!!!

 

[Eccentric]

Man I hope yall do this again next year!!!

So do I!

 

[Bob95065]

I'll be there

 

[Bob95065]

Any word on when the GTG will happen this year?

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Might want to start a new thread

2013...