Ouch!!!

I've always wanted to be a mom. Ever since I was a little girl I could think of no higher honor than raising precious children. So it is no wonder I was absolutely thrilled with the arrival of a little pink bundle of joy 40 years ago. We named her Nissa, which means 'elf-like'.

Nissa was a wonderful baby. She always woke with a huge grin. She loved everyone and everyone loved her.

Now they say we learn things from our kids. I definitely agree with that statement. And one of the first lessons learned from Nissa was the pain of cutting a tooth. Just before she cut her first tooth, I cut a wisdom tooth. It was excruciating. I have always thanked Heavenly Father for giving me the lesson so I was ready to be patient with this precious baby girl as she cut her first tooth.

Fast forward to recent years. I now have a precious grandson. He has something called 'sensory processing disorder' and he is a 'sensory seeker'.  Sometimes though, he builds up too many sensitive feelings and he just melts down. I ache for the little guy when this happens. And, I've tried to imagine what in the world this must feel like for him. He loves being happy and obedient and when all those senses start firing up at once he is a miserable little guy because it just go against his good nature.

A week ago I was weeding my flower beds. I got to the hydrangea beds and found what I was pretty sure was poison ivy. I'm now certain it was poison ivy because my hands and arms are covered in a rash of the most miserable variety. The last two days have been the worst and the nights have had their own challenges.

My hubby has purchased three kinds of medicines to help with this itch. Each has helped in their own way. Last night as I tried to quietly leave our bedroom so my dear hubby might get some sleep without my restlessness, he encouraged me to find the calamine lotion in the guest bathroom and try it. Message received.

I search this bathroom and found none. Then I remembered Andie's stash of meds for when her kids our visiting our remote home. I headed to the drawer where she keeps these things and, sure enough, she had a nice bottle of Calahist. I checked the expiration date and learned it expired in May 2011. Now, that was not so long ago so I figured there was still potency and it was what I would try next.  It did give some relief and after a couple of hours I was able to get some sleep.

I tell you this because I became keenly aware two nights ago that, while the rash is on my arms and hands, every nerve in my body was sensing this need to scratch. Every nerve was itching even where there was no rash.

Then I thought that this may be how my little grandson feels when he has a sensory overload to deal with. My empathy level jumped to greater heights than ever. I've always been patient with him as he endured these times of leveling out. Now, I shall be more prepared to deal in the future because I'll remember these days and nights of agony and how every single teeny-tiny nerve was agitated to the extreme.

Now, the lesson is to be patient with those little ones and watch the adult life lessons that correlate with their life experiences. It all seems to circle around in life.

The cure...I'm going to try this soon. I just have to hike down the hill first and search.

A good friend shared the insight that there is a plant called 'jewelweed' that is supposed to possibly cure or prevent poison ivy. He even suggested it might be along our creek as it likes to grow in moist places and also in places where poison ivy grows.

I Googled it last night.

Sure enough, I have seen this plant before in the wild. It has a beautiful orange flower on it during the summer. It is of the same family as the impatients flowers we plant annually in gardens. Only, as a wild plant it has greater potency. The stem can be broken and the juices rubbed on your arms, hands and legs before working around poison ivy, oak or nettle.  It will often stop any reaction to those of us allergic to those things. If you have the rash, using it for a couple of days may clear it up. It can be boiled to an orange liquid and frozen in ice cubes and used when you run into some of these noxious weeds. It can be picked and kept in a container in your fridge for two weeks. It is made into lotions and salves and sold by people. Amazing!!

I'm going to give it a try and Claude and I may find some plants and move them in a bed by the house for quick usage.

Ouch!!! I still itch and will be happy with this round of poison ivy is over. I have a huge garden bed on my hill to weed and put some plants in.  I know for a fact my nemesis is there, waiting, lurking, hoping to cause that old agony. This time, before I tackle that hill, I'm going to search for this herbal medicine called 'jewelweed' and see if it becomes a 'jewel' for me!!!