I
really dislike itchy rashes. Poison ivy… vile stuff. I get it every year and there
is just nothing pleasant about it. I end up scratching until my skin is raw and
bleeding, then add some ethyl alcohol to dry it out and burn the stuff away. Effective,
yet somewhat painful. Here on the farm we have mango and cashew trees – both of
which are in the same plant family as poison ivy and poison sumac
(Anacardiaceae for your edification), which both have the potential to give me
the itches. But that has nothing to do with the rash that appeared on the tops
of my feet, the backs of my knees, and my hips – because I wear pants and boots,
and haven’t even looked sideways at those plants.
When
the internet suggested that my tiny, itchy bumps could be scabies, I
entertained the idea with great concern. My thought process went something
like, “hmm, the scratch/alcohol remedy didn’t work, what else do we have? I
know they use hot pepper oils to kill mites on plants, maybe that would work
for my terrible itches too!” Well, I got a little carried away. Instead of
rubbing hot pepper on only a small part of skin to test the experimental
treatment, I was so uncomfortable that I went ahead and smothered both feet,
leaving the capsaicin oils to soak in overnight. BAAAD IDEA! I woke up this
morning with the sensation that my feet were literally on fire. Sensitive to
the touch, puffy, red and full of intense discomfort, I put some cooling powder
in my socks and reluctantly headed out to the farm. With the sun beating down
on my black boots, I was in complete agony by the end of my first hour of work.
I limped inside, took off my boots and attempted triage.
Again consulting the internet for
ways to remove the oils I washed with soap, then shampoo, then a cut lemon. To
treat the burning sensation I tried flour, Neosporin, foot powder,
hydrocortisone cream, and wet socks. Twice I attempted to go back to work, but overwhelming
pain found me quickly scurrying back inside to get my boots off. I told Robert
about my great stupidity – and he compassionately found some seed hulling and
other jobs to do shoeless and indoors. He recommended an oatmeal compress and
gave me some healing creams. Throughout the day I dipped my feet in ice water,
used palm oil and skin lotion. Nearly 24 hours after my initial bright idea, my
feet no longer itch, and the burning has just about stopped! Please kids, don’t
try this at home!
