Thankful Thursday

There is no specific term for the fear of only poison ivy, but it would be a specific type of botanophobia, the fear of plants. I’m not afraid of plants in general. My brain runs wild when it comes to poison ivy specifically. I am allergic to it. Approximately 85% of the U.S. population is allergic to urushiol, the oil found in the plant. People aren’t allergic to the plant itself, it’s that oil, according to the American Skin Association. 

This weekend I was helping clean up in the yard. Wasn’t paying one bit of attention to my environment. Cut a dead limb from above my head and what rained down on me? Urushiol! So I prayed, Lord please don’t let me get poison ivy in my eyes. Let it be on my neck. Not my eyes. What happens if I get poison ivy in my eyes? They swell shut! Who’s gonna help take care of me? Of Chico? Down the rabbit hole I go! 

God answered my prayer. So far, I haven’t gotten poison ivy in my eyes. It’s on my neck and chest. Benadryl cream to the rescue? Not really. I was applying it 2 and 3 times a day. That still small voice said, ‘try preparation h’. Why not? It’s meant to dry stuff up and stop itching. It was magic. I woke up with the breakout Monday. It’s Thursday. I still have the bumps. But they have shrunk. The redness and swelling are gone. So has the itching.  Praise the Lord.