Poison Ivy

So Alex needed leaves for school last week. They were talking about changes that occur during the fall. So we go out looking for leaves that are turning colors. We found a few good specimens. A few days later, I develop a large rash on my forehead as well as some smaller patches other places on my face, my right arm, my belly, my right leg, and one other unmentionable place. Apparently, I must have scratched or at least touched these places after coming into contact with the poison ivy. I tried to get a good picture for this post but you can't really see it. It is visible to others though. I get funny looks and comments. Brodie says I look like the Elephant Man. Although it is rather uncomfortable at times, it is nowhere near as bad as the one other time I had it. Thank goodness the unmentionable spot, or any other spot for that matter, is not that bad. It mostly bothered me while sleeping. So now I take Benadryl before bed and I am all good until morning. The good thing is that the children did not get it. THANK GOODNESS. The sucky part is I have no idea how to prevent this happening in the future. I've seen photos of poison ivy and I did not notice any when we were picking leaves.