| I have just been exposed to poison oak for the first time two months ago. I thought I was getting eaten alive by bugs in my home. After bombing and washing everything, we realized that this was not the result of bugs. I was almost over it (dry patches left) when my boyfriend and children came back from a hike on the hill side. They washed up as soon as they returned. That night, I was really itchy on my shoulders and the hip region. The next day, all of the areas that were still healing were inflamed again and my whole torso from clavicles to pubic hair was covered in a red, blotchy rash. I never really got the blisteres, rather huge red, raised patches all over. After a cortizone shot and three weeks on prednisone, it was about gone. I noticed that all of my stretch marks (on my abdomen and breasts) were affected the worst. Where they were normally smooth and silky, they now were red and raised up. Swollen and puffing out. I am wondering if that sounds right for poison oak. I thing we realized that our dog has been getting into something and bringing it home. Now my argument about keeping the dog off the furniture is not so far fetched! A couple weeks after I got over it the second time, the dog was spotted on the bed and sure enough, the next day I was itchy and rashed all over again...back to benadryl and lotions. |
