On 9/17/2015 11:31 AM, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 17 Sep 2015 07:40:09 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

NEVER BURN POISION IVY, the smoke can give you poision ivy in your lungs. if
your very sensitive to it this can kill you.

This is true of many plants. E.g., here, folks tend to use oleander
as a hedge around their homes. It grows quickly, densely, etc.
Each time I see some forest fire burning, I wonder what would happen
*here* for those folks whose homes are surrounded by the stuff!

In my last community, Oleander was prohibited for landscaping material
-- apparently some folks are allergic to the pollen.

There are many plants that are "banned" here -- Olive and Mulberry
come to mind -- for similar reason. We have essentially a year round
growing season so *something* is ALWAYS in bloom.

I've never had a reaction from poison ivy. Melaleuca did give me
trouble, perhaps anaphylactic shock as a child camping under them when
they flowered. Pollen got in my lungs.

I have rather intense seasonal allergies. When I finally tried to do something
about it (because I couldn't *breathe*), the MD started with a "scratch test"
on my back (check sensitivities to specific irritants). Of the ~48 (?)
seasonal allergens tested, I produced a strong response to 42 of them.

"Oh, my!"

As a result of that testing, I started an SLT program. It *appeared* to
have a marked impact on my "allergies". After a few years (SLT is a
daily routine that is ongoing, in perpetuity!), I stopped the treatments.
It appears that this was a mistake -- I hadn't "lost" my allergies but,
rather, had just trained my body to suppress them while on the SLT.

So, I'll start that again.

Of course, as with many treatments, medicines, etc., you never know
if it is working. Does my lack of symptoms mean the treatment is
working? Or, are conditions such that I simply WOULDN'T have
symptoms, today??

(sort of like taking those elephant repellant pills... is the fact
that there are no elephants around a consequence of the pills?
Or, just that there *are* no elephants to be repelled??)