Incredible Oatmeal

A believer in both natural and pharmaceutical tools for healing, I nevertheless completely disregarded all holistic methods for gaining any sort of relief from the poison ivy on my right arm.

My only defense is how utterly miserable it made me; as if the swelling, pain and itching weren’t enough, those big bubbles started popping and yellow liquid [my fat, thanks very much] ran down my arm in rivulets night and day. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t even put a bra on; how could I think, for Dog’s sake?

So this afternoon I did the classic ‘I coulda had a V-8′ head tap: OATMEAL. I hadn’t turned to Mother Nature in my pain; after all, didn’t God give us everything we would need here on terra firma?

I used McCann’s Irish steel cut oats, though any would do, I’m sure. First reducing them to an even finer grade in the coffee grinder, they were cooked according to the directions and when cooled just enough, I made a poultice out of the paste on the effected areas, draped a wet towel over the mess and left it on for 30 minutes.

After I removed the oat paste, the first thing I realized was that the pain was gone! That was hours ago, and I’ve very little pain and oozing, and no itching! I’ve got another batch cooling right now, because if one treatment created that much of a miracle, then I should be turning handsprings come morning.
Or at least be able to put my bra on.