it all started at summer camp.

This post is gonna be long and full of rambling but I wanna get it down. For those of you who are squeamish, (ahem, Gretchen) you may wanna stop right now and not scroll down to the pictures. Saturday evening I looked at my arm and noticed that I had poison ivy. A little spot on my arm...that's all. No big deal.

Background: I LOVED going to girl scout camp in the summer and sleeping there for two weeks by myself. Every year I begged to go back and my parents obliged. I have great memories of the two week long friendships made, singing songs, camp food, day trips, etc. (I went to Camp Occoneechee near Lake Lure.) It was awesome! But, every year one of two things would happen...EVERY year without fail. It would either rain the ENTIRE week OR I would get poison ivy. It pretty much happened in a pattern of every other year...on rotation...for years. BUT, Mom says that every year I wrote home talking about how much fun I was having even when those things did happen.

I am highly allergic to poison ivy. I didn't just get a little and go on my merry way..nope...I would have to leave the camp, go to a doctor and get a shot and steroids to take every day. During the week I'd have to borrow knee socks (I remember them being white to start off with) to wear so that the ooze (sorry, I warned you it would be gross) would be caught in the socks. They quickly turned into hard yellow socks...really nasty...I know. Every morning I'd have to RIP them off because they were stuck...and I can remember it hurting but still had a great time at camp!

Fast forward to nine years ago when Brian and I took my sweet student, Victoria, apple picking in Massachusetts. I had on a sweatshirt and jeans. I got poison ivy. (They wore short sleeves and weren't affected in the least.) It wasn't as bad as it was when I was a kid and I just waited it out but it was still hard for people to believe that I am THAT allergic to it. I've had it a couple other times since then but it's always been manageable and I haven't needed to go to the doctor.

I have no idea how I got poison ivy this time. Originally I thought it could be from saving a baby bird (when I scooped up pinestraw from under a tree to cover it) but it was a week prior and poison ivy usually shows up 72 hours after. I didn't leave the house much the 72 hours before it showed up so we're guessing that either the kids, Brian, or the dog brought it in.

It's bad. It's REALLY bad. It keeps popping up all over the place! I went to the doctor yesterday and was hoping (well...maybe needing is a better word) for a shot but he said a prescription would do the trick. I honestly thought this wasn't going to be a big deal but it hurts, keeps me up all night, itches, and oozes everywhere. This is SO GROSS! I keep telling my friends that it's making me sick to look down because it's nasty on my arm. I have a VERY weak stomach and don't handle these things well. I started the meds this morning so hopefully I'll have relief soon! I've been waiting it out but I think tonight I'll take something to help with the itching...that's keeping me up all night!

after my morning run

this is where it all started...there's a ton more on my arm
since this was taken. it's also bad on my neck. and the back of
my legs. and starting on my other arm.

On top of the poison ivy, this little princess was up all Monday night throwing up. She didn't get sick on Tuesday but felt bad all day and just layed around...totally unlike her. She didn't want to eat anything. This is the worst any of my kiddos have been sick. Cailey went to bed and didn't get up until late this morning. She ate some toast and said her tummy still hurt and wanted to lay down. All the kids had dentist appointments this morning (which I didn't know until the reminder phone call yesterday...forgot to write it down six months ago) and I didn't want to cancel it because they charge $25 a kid if you do. Amazingly, she felt much better at the dentist and has been fine since then. She ate lunch and is going strong! I'm SO thankful because it just worries me to death when they start acting lethargic. Anytime my kiddos have been sick they still act normal for the most part.

afternoon nap

Back to the poison ivy...we had to wash EVERYTHING in the house and I didn't want to fold it because I'm oozing everywhere. I'm usually the type to wash it, dry it, and immediately fold it and put it away. Brian came home to a MOUNTAIN of laundry to fold and beds to put sheets on. I am SO thankful for him!! Oh...and there were still three loads going or waiting to do when this picture was taken. Cailey didn't make it to the bathroom in time (twice) when she was throwing up so we had extra sheets and quilts too.

And then there's the dentist appointment. Last time we went to the dentist Kinsey did great. I was expecting that today as well. She wanted to go last and watched Cailey and Braden some. She couldn't wait for her turn! She kept asking to go back have her turn. And then her turn came. OH MY WORD. Let's just say it ended with me holding her in my lap with her giant rain boots kicking my legs (where the poison ivy was) and everyone in the office trying to help. The girl would NOT stop screaming, hitting, kicking, etc. She never did get her teeth cleaned. It was a nightmare. I tried praying, singing, bribery, threatening....nothing worked. We're gonna be talking about it WAY before the next appointment so she can be prepared because I can't go through that again!

Sweet Ephram. Imagine having an active baby and not being able to hold them well because they want to grab your poison ivy...not fun. Braden has been SO helpful with him. He can't pick him up but he can play with him. With Cailey being sick I was nervous about what to do with Ephram because he just wants to grab my legs, arm, neck, etc. everywhere that has the ivy. It's been fine...he's been a little grumpy but not too terrible.

Tomorrow is a day I've been dreading for two months. Just a few hours of it, really. All four of the kids have to get shots. It makes me SO sad to see them hurting. Braden does great but the girls get so scared about it and work themselves up before it even happens. I understand that because I was the same way. The oldest three are getting their second flu shot and Ephram is getting that in addition to his nine month shots. Kinsey, Braden, and Ephram all have physicals too...so we're gonna be there a LONG time. It's for Kinsey's 4 year (I had mono when she was supposed to go), Braden's 6 year, and Ephram's 9 (actually 10) month. I figured it would be easier than taking all four of them to the doctor three times. I think it will be but poor Kinsey is SO scared and cries about it everytime it's mentioned. Please pray that tomorrow goes better than today because that was REALLY hard.

I can't really hug my kids because the poison ivy is on the inside of my arms. Cailey was sick...and I couldn't snuggle with her. Braden wants to snuggle up and read books. Kinsey wants to play "baby" and be rocked. Ephram wants to be held..tomorrow all of them are going to want to be held after their shots. Please pray that it will all work out. I know it will. This too shall pass. If you hung in and read until the end, thanks in advance for praying.