THE CABIN HOUSE

MESSAGE

from Curt:

We regularly use our chainsaw to clear out thick brush for fire prevention. We wear long-sleeve shirts but sometimes it's just too hot (the protection glasses get foggy). So over the weekend we often get Poison Oak and usually by Tuesday, the rash and bubbles appear. It gets worse for a couple days and takes at least two-three weeks to get rid of. Once, my arms were completely covered. We tried all kinds of stuff like Tecnu and Zanfel but with only very limited results. One of the product sheets states Poison Oak is worse than Poison Ivy. We also tried Tea Tree Oil (Shayna's favorite), milk or half & half which was recommended by a dermatologist. Wet towels soaked in sage leaves (boil water and pour over fresh leaves) wrapped around the arm definitley helped, (because it's an old home recipe and sage (german: Salbei) is anti-inflammatory). We heard about peach leaves and Manzanita mash, but haven't tried it yet. If anyone has a secret treatment, please advise.

Here's Shayna again:
I can attest to all of the above. We're as careful as can be and I'm just getting over a 3 week bout of poison oak on the chin and I don't even play with the chainsaw. It's not fun. I've barely even had a teensy nibble of the wrath of the plant. We've talked about renting goats (seriously). Anyone know of any service that deals with poison oak removal???? It's not in a feasible place to just ;eave alone and goodness knows we're sick and tired of dealing with it.....

Thank you!