I had a similar occurance....though no where near as extreme. I had done the whole washing of everything, and parts began to heal, and suddenly I had an outbreak on my leg. Though...that was two weeks after initial contact, which is of course different than two months. So...it doesnt seem to be INCREDIBLY uncommon.
It's possible that maybe there is oil left over somewhere that you overlooked. I don't know how long the oil lives, but maybe its hiding somewhere you didn't think of. For example, did you wash the hamper, or wherever you kept your clothes? Or....do you have a pet? Sometimes the oil can stick to the pet's fur.
Or....another sort of stretching it possibilitiy is that it is simply a delayed reaction. I know that the oils react to your skin in different amounts of time depending on how sensative that area of skin is.
Also...it may have not all been killed by just the topical steroids. When I went to the doctor, she said that though the oral steroids are a bit more invasive, they are more comprehensive at healing the rash faster.
Anyway...it sounds like the best option would be to go to the doctor. If it's blistering, it may be good to get some medication to reduce the swelling/blisters, so it can heal. Or...they may be able to offer an explanation of what occured.
And...last of all, I think the general "rule" is that poison oak grows on the west coast, and poison ivy grows on the east coast. But beyond that, I don't think there is any significant difference. |
