this is why i dont like meds

not only am i sensitive to poison oak, molds, trees, animals, plants, and just about everything else, i'm sensitive to the meds that docs like to prescribe to treat such sensitivities. case in point: the junk they gave me for the poison oak.

now, i was skeptical about it from the start. after all, it's an anti-inflammatory, which is fine and dandy for ceasing the swelling and itching and leatherskin and all attendant goodies, but what's that got to do with ridding my body of the pathogen? not much, as far as i can tell, and in fact, as my dosage lessens i am beginning to regain some itches here and there.

but that's not a big deal. the upset stomach, the shakes, and the General Malaise, now those are the problems. would i prefer the maddening, sleep-nullifying, mind-crushing itch and the icky leatherskin heatpads? actually, it's a tough call.

as far as i understand it, i'm done with the "effective dose" of the stuff, and now i'm just slowly weening off of it so as not to throw my system into even more havoc. after day 2 the rash was pretty much (amazingly, considering its size) gone. so now i get to enjoy the nausea just so that i won't havfe more of it.

bleh.

on the plus side, i ended up with new birks because there's a good chance the old ones are covered in urushiol -- the pattern of re-infection on my feet suspiciously matched the outline of birkenstock straps. how the substance U managed to get on those shoes I'll never know, since i washed my feet between hiking and wearing the sandals. but they're a decade old and a local sale just ended so it was time to get some new ones.

man, i'd forgotten how uncomfy these things are until they're broken in.