So you know how I mentioned Otto having a bad case of poison ivy?
Several of you suggested various remedies (thank you!), and Otto dutifully went and bought the Mystical Scrub and prepared for relief. Except that it kept getting worse. And worse. So I made him go to Urgent Care today, and GUESS WHAT!
In addition to confirming that his poison ivy has gone systemic, the doctor also suspects he has a patch of MRSA. Awesome.
And how is YOUR weekend going?
Having an unbelievable (as in, missing several days when it happens) sensitivity to poison oak Otto has all my sympathy, and then some. And some more. Seriously. I had the steroid stuff (doesn’t work quickly enough) and painted myself with this sort of concoction of clay and peppermint oil which relieved the itch while it was drying but once dry had to be picked off or washed off or whatever and… well… yes poison oak/ivy make me wonder if some evil influence didn’t creep into creation at some point.
The MRSA seems like overkill though. Otto is definitely due some massive coddling.
MRSA! Yikes oh jeez… Good luck, do/take EVERYTHING they say Otto.
Better than yours, it sounds like…
I hope Otto is feeling better soon. Yikes. That is scary. And all because of a stupid dog.
UH OH. MRSA is scary!
The community strains aren’t too bad, from what I understand. I hope he feels better soon!
Oh, NOOOOOOO!
Poor, poor Otto. Is he supposed to drink the Calamine lotion now that it’s systemic, or what?
And MRSA just scares the bejesus out of me. Super has NOT lived up to his billing.
Every time my husband gets poison ivy, it goes systemic immediately. He ends up needing a 10-day course of steroids to get rid of it. Fortunately, the rash clears up after the first day. I hope Otto’s cure is as fast and effective.
Oh, ow!
May whatever works for soothing be in abundance.
Get well soon, Otto.
Super is living up to his name AGAIN — he is SUPER memorable.
Good luck with the itch, Otto — sorry you have to deal with it — but I hear that petting a dog (that Mir has interviewed) will help speed healing.
See, your paranoia comes in handy sometimes. : )
Might I suggest a kitten?
Oh man! Major suckage! Hope he is OK.
About the dog issue, over the years I’ve adopted two dogs from animal shelters and one from a rescue, all with excellent outcomes. Don’t let SuperIdiot put you off.
Oh my. Not fun. Sending soothing and non-itchy thoughts Otto’s way.
Good lawd woman. You are having the same August that I am having. We send our love to you all the way from Seattle.
OY! MRSA seems to be going around.
Oh, Super! And he had the cutest face in the whole, wide world.
Considering your luck lately, NO PIG LICKING!!!
Hoping that the first dose of whatever they gave you is working Otto.
I’m really sorry Otto is doing so terribly and I hope he feels better very very soon… but I wish people would stop bashing the dog. It is not his fault that he was able to escape from the yard and it is not his fault that he is so fearful of humans that he would do anything to get away from them.
Systemic poison ivy?? I’ve never heard of that. But now I have a new Awful Thing to preoccupy me. I’m sorry for Otto. He must be soooo uncomfortable. I hope that and the MSRA clear up soon. I’m sure he can kick it, but good.
Well that’s just SUPER.
(sorry)
My thoughts are with you..
Man, I guess everyone has given you tons of advice already…wow. My hopes that this improves ASAP.
I don’t know if it’s any consolation but MRSA’s been around a long time – longer than its been in the news. Decades. And people have been dealing with it, getting well from it that long as well. It can be scary, it can also go away.
My best to you and yours,
Tracy
Yurk. I’m now feeling very grateful that I’m able to instantly spot and identify poison ivy in all its perverse incarnations. So, does Otto have to live in an oatmeal bath for a few weeks? :-O
Oh man. Poor, patient Otto.
Eeeek. Sending comforting and non-itchy thoughts Otto’s way — and here’s hoping the MRSA is either not MRSA or is very mild. That is Not Fun.
That just sucks. Hope everything gets better real, real soon!
OOOooooooookay. I have now read your back posts and am caught up with the dog saga. Sounds to me like Super’s name should have been Trouble. Or Demon. Or Painintheass. SO SORRY for y’all…especially Otto. Yikes.
Time for a CAT. Just sayin’.
Just like a man to go overkill on the illness just so you have to take care of him and not make him feel guilty about it.
(I am totally kidding…I hope Otto feels better soon and that your head doesn’t explode from the crazy amount of stress/worry I assume you are feeling. If there is anything I can do to help you all the way from here, let me know!)
Oh, ewwwwwwww. Poor Otto. I hope he feels better soon.
Not MRSA! It takes FOREVER to heal. Know that I’ll be sending positive thoughts your way.
Oh, crap. Poor Otto! I hope he feels better very VERY soon.
Congrats on getting Otto to the doc’s; hope you both feel better soon.
I agree with Megan. It’s not Super’s fault he is the way he is. I’m so so sorry Otto is feeling bad but I’m so so glad you got him to the doctor. Next time, you’ll know sooner and he won’t try and cure himself. lol Here’s praying that Super is ok and someone is feeding and watering him.
Oh and yes. I’m the one with all the strays. lol
Well, my weekend went well, but my sister started her weekend by being herded at gunpoint into a bathroom while the insurance agency she works for was robbed.
Poor Otto, I hope he can get rid of the MRSA soon!
Duuuuuuuuude. When Otto decides it’s his turn for a little drama (because goshdarnit! he’s tired of always having to swoop in and be the rescuer instead of the rescue-ee), he really goes all out.
Here’s hoping your health issues clear out twice as fast as Super did and cause far fewer headaches!
My daughter had impetigo this summer and it got infected with MRSA. So much suckage.
Poor Otto. He deserves a cuddle or ten.
Yikes on the MRSA.
But I’m so glad you mentioned that the poison ivy had become systemic – that happens to me, and no one ever believes it’s possible. It sucks and, for me anyway, the only way out is a steroid injection.
Just wow. All of you feel better soon!
Oh, poor Otto. Get better soon, dude.
I have one who does that. If he even sees poison ivy, he lights up like a Christmas tree and ends up on solumedrol. Fun.
we have MRSA here too! but it’s in the form of golf-ball sized boils on my husband and 3 yr old’s bottoms. could be worse. and actually, it’s not on his bottom, it’s like a 3rd testicle. i know you wanted the specific details.
One of the best pieces of advice about poison ivy that I’ve gotten over the years is that when you think you’ve been in the vicinity or touched the leaves, rinse with JUST WATER immediately. No soap, no special unguents, nothing. Just water! The soaps spread the terrible oils that make you itch via the bubbles. Jewelweed has also helped; it is nature’s own remedy for Poison Ivy; many natural food stores carry it. It has to be refrigerated to remain potent, but the coolness of the salve is wonderful.
I used to have a small landscaping business; the first year, I had six cases of poison ivy because 1) I hadn’t quite understood about the VINES; and 2) I kept reinfecting myself by not cleaning my tools properly.
Sending healing thoughts for everything your Otto is dealing with right now. Peace.