"That's pretty, Katie. Where did you find it?"
"Outside. I think I'll decorate my bed with it." And off she went.
On her first day of school Katie showed me a small, red patch on her cheek, complaining that it was itchy. I don't remember what I did--put Calamine lotion on it? Hydrocortisone? Ignore it? No matter, I sent her to school with her little rash. The next day it had spread. I sent her again. By the third day a large part of her body was covered with the strange, itchy rash and I became concerned, but I still sent her to school. I didn't want to start school looking like a parent who allowed her child to be chronically absent, especially over a little rash. Mother of the year. Yep.
Oh, but it gets better.
When the rash threatened to cover her entire body rather than resolve itself, I became a detective. (Better late than never, right?) What on earth could be causing this? Had I changed laundry detergents? Had she eaten something new and had an allergic reaction? I continued my sleuthing into her room where I noticed the dying vine hanging from her headboard, dropping its dried, crunchy leaves onto her pillow.
I think that the light bulb that went off over my head must have been one of those fluorescents that take forever to warm up. Could that vine be the culprit? What was it, exactly?
I approached Carl, "Didn't you say you had to spend the summer before kindergarten with your grandma because you had such a horrible reaction to something?"
"Yeah. It was poison ivy. I got it everywhere. Ev-ery-where." I think he crossed his legs at that point.
"Umm, what exactly does poison ivy look like?"
"You know. Leaves of three, let them be."
While my bulb was getting brighter, I had no idea what he was talking about.
He clarified, using incredible self-control to not roll his eyes at me. "It has three leaves."
"Is it a vine?" I asked.
"Yeah." The bulb above my head exploded at that point.
"Oh no. Will you come an look at this?" We climbed to the top bunk to inspect Katie's dying decor. Sure enough, it was poison ivy. And she'd been sleeping in it.
I don't know if it's a result of being saturated with the weed that one time or if it's genetic (Carl is extremely allergic to poison ivy), but Katie seems to develop a rash if the wind blows just right and poison ivy is in the vicinity. Yesterday when Carl took the girls fishing, Katie and Hailey took a romp through the surrounding wooded area. The only green they saw was grass; nevertheless, Katie has a rash today. Not Hailey, just Katie
How can she let be leaves of three when there remain no leaves to see?
3 comments:
Peter got it on his backpack once and so it was impossible to make the connection. He and his doctor pored over the medical books... Love to Katie.
As Katie, I am allergic to it also---and I don't even have to touch it. I have to leave leaves of three and leaves of five to be.
When I was a kid, I was highly allergic to poison ivy too. Had to take Rx meds every summer. I finally outgrew it.
Aveeno Oatmeal bath is awesome for the itchy rash... if you can get past the muddy water look of it.
I hope Katie is feeling better too.
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