budge1, The doctor may have warned me about HC creams ... don't recall. At the time I was mostly listening for what was best to use and that's it. However, I have since been wondering what too much use of the cream can do which is why when I posted I indicated a bit of concern that I'd waded my way through three tubes! of the stuff. I do have awful red scarring now but went through a burn stage too although I must say I attributed it to the poison ivy itself. It does seem to have ameliorated now - no blisters and barely any itching! What a tremendous concept not to be burning from the inside out! :-) blsdgal, yes my "freckle" was a melanoma. I didn't suspect it at all, but my doctor happened to catch sight of it at my annual physical last year and told me to see a dermatologist for it asap. I thought she was just being an alarmist and put off going to one until this July. Well, surprise! Also, while I'd heard the general alarms about melanoma, I never really did dig deep enough or pay close enough attention to understand that this is a cancer - and the dangerous skin cancer to boot. As a doctor who I had to see while my doc was out and who has enviable bedside manners put it to me none too delicately: "what is there to say to you? It is the most dangerous form of [skin] cancer there is. Make an appointment to do the full excision asap.". Gee, thanks for the details, doc. Must say that although I took decent precautions in the sense that I use sunscreen on my face and neck, I figured I only really needed to worry about the more delicate parts of the body. I'm an active person and as its hard to go hiking or to do 30-40 mile bike rides after sunset, I was routinely outside during the day. I'm going to have to have a think about how to indulge my passions while protecting myself. Maybe get up at 4:00am to go on those bike rides in what is left of the summer? Well, after I can stand to put some weight on my foot again. This is the one thing about this cancer stuff: even the final excision which biopsied all clean, no residual cancer cells, is extremely painful. I've never gone through anything where even 13 days after the surgery, the wound is still painful and delicate. (So poison ivy on top of all that was so unfunny, you have no idea). Although, I will say that I think mine may be more uncomfortable and debilitating because it is right at a joint - think of the ankle joint right at the base of the shin bone - and therefore can't bear to take any weight OR to stand any deflections. And, being at an extremity, much slower to heal than otherwise. So three times the fun. Anyhow, that was all a very long winded way of saying that you should get your daughter in to see a doctor. It will all likely be precautionary, but better to get into the habit than have to deal with it for real!

Poison ivy - Wow, you got a great number of the regulars of this forum to chime in with the same answer. About as sure of an ID as you will get here! :) FataMorgana

Nope. http://www.medicinenet.com/poison_ivy_oak_and_sumac/article.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_radicans Note that the leaves of poison ivy are held on little stems, apart from each other and there is minimal to no serration on the leaves. Mind you, there's tons of sub-species, but...

Arapaho - a small creek-side park in the shadows of the much larger Fretz Park complex. I opened a ticket for removal with the parks dept last night.