Catching things in the garden.

Posted on 29 Oct, 2008 13 comments

The title might suggest I am there catching butterflies with a net, or rabbits or moles, but no, I am talking about catching diseases when in the garden. And this one is not from the neighbour breathing over your fence. This is a tropical condition I got from being too long in the garden. It is called: Tinea pedis, or as most people know it: athlete’s foot.
I have been walking on thongs ( rubber slippers ) over the wet grass in the mornings ( due to dew and shifting sprinklers ), washing veranda’s and worst of all, standing in the fishpond dragging out algae.
I can tell you, it is no fun. Your feet stay wet for too long a period at a time, especially in our humid climate, water gets under the skin, forming little blisters and hives, which become very very itchy. You scratch, you get an infection. And I did. Within 48 hours my large toes had swollen and were purple, weeping and painfull, so bad, I could not sleep in the night, they were burning. I went to the doctor and got antibiotics and a cream called solvent. Well, I can tell you, it felt like they were dissolving my feet! Next day I went back to the doctor and got a milder cream, which seems to help a bit. The infection is slowly wearing off, but I still get blisters and itchy, cut skin, so bad I can hardly walk. I cannot wear sandals, slippers or shoes. Can’t go to the shops either, can only walk bare feet through the house and on the veranda’s. Hubby has to shift the sprinklers on the lawns. I can turn taps off and on. Last night was my first good night and I slept through. But this afternoon I was bad again. I have had this condition in Darwin too and to a milder degree on the farm in summertime, when I forgot and walked on the wet grass shifting sprinklers.But it is much drier there and it never got that bad. One of the reasons I have not been here for a couple of days: I just haven’t felt well enough.
I am just telling you all this because one cannot take gardening for granted. Always be careful, wear protective footwear, gloves, boots, even masks when you spray. If you live in a tropical climate be aware: Tinea, and worse, leptosporosis ar not uncommon. This you can get when you have a cut in your hands or feet and deal with soil, which is contaminated. Urine of native animals can contain the lepto virus. One can get very sick!
Please read all labels on packets dealing with poison, fertilisers and even garden mulch. These have spores and bad elements, bad to inhale or to get on cuts, as they can enter the bloodstream.
Most people are only worried about poisonous plants and perhaps venomous wildlife, but usually you leave them alone and you’ll be right. It is the everyday handling and doings about in the garden, which can make us sick or have unpleasant conditions. So don’t heed my advice, I speak of experience, lol.

Comments

Gardengnome

Good Morning Marguerite,
I'm really distressed to hear what a rough time you've had of it. I was wondering what was keeping you away. Even if not yet 100%, it's good you're at least on the mend. We do tend to be a bit careless. Just because it's something we enjoy doesn't mean there's no harm in any of it. I certainly will heed your advice and take a bit more care. I hope you continue to mend and soon will be back out there doing your thing. Good to hear from you, I definitely missed your witty comments!!

29 Oct, 2008

Spritzhenry

You poor thing! I hope you will soon be 100% again. What a horrible time you've had. At least you can have a chat to us even if gardening is out at the moment - you can give yourself a smile looking at at your lovely weather needing SPRINKLERS when we are shivering over here - some areas have snow already!

P.S. I am quite sure you are sympathetic, really, and NOT smiling at our early winter weather! This year has been very strange - no summer to speak of, a very, very short autumn and straight into winter!

29 Oct, 2008

Sandra

hope u get back on your feet soon....

29 Oct, 2008

Clarice

Get well soon thinking of you.

29 Oct, 2008

Irish

aw marqueritte, hope you get better soon

29 Oct, 2008

Arlene

hi Marguerite
~hope you are feeling better~ and you are so right! picked up a nasty infection from rats in July and was really poorly for 2 weeks!
Have got strong gloves and a box of latex ones but forget to wear them !~

29 Oct, 2008

Wohlibuli

So sorry to hear you are having such a bad time. I'm sure you will agree that it's never a good idea not to take precautions, we just get lackadaisical some times don't we?
Hope you are able to get back to normal soon.

29 Oct, 2008

Marguerite

Ohh, that is nice, so many of you good people sympathising with my poor feet. Thank you so much. They are not that sore anymore, but they look terrible. I can't walk the dogs, as I can't fit shoes, lol. But the sun is shining and that makes anyone happy. Lovely temps here, and I better not mention them, as you are so poorly sitting in the cold up there. I am shifting sprinklers and have found a novel way how to do it without getting wet. I wear my crocs, they are loose, then I fold over the hose, the sprinkler stops, I pull on the hose to shift it, and then let go again. Anyway, I am all round with the garden now and now the borders get a go. If any of those little sprinklers are blocked up ( ants, mud ) hubby will have to blow them through, lol.
Yes, very dry here now, want to have some rain. Please send some up.
Tomorrow I am going to cut dead flowers, even if I have to wear thick socks instead of slippers, lol.

30 Oct, 2008

Arlene

~you can take some of ours please!~

30 Oct, 2008

Shirleypoppy

So glad to hear it is clearing up, Marguerite. I wondered where you were! Hubby got it on our first trip out to Oz - not nice at all.

30 Oct, 2008

Johndman

ask your doc about terbifine (might be called something else in oz) or something like that, I got a bacterial infection on my hands from handling fish blood and bone, and when I used the tablets for a month it got rid of the infection but also cured a low level athletes foot prob I had for ages

30 Oct, 2008

Raquel

Glad you're feeling better, Marguerite, what a terrible infection! I can really sympathize because I love love wearing sandals but as a diabetic and with flat feet I'm not supposed to, but do anyway...=) Interesting what you mention about the tropical weather, I always wondered why my parents have always been adamant and I mean to the point of making us change our shoes or put on closed shoes with socks! when in the garden (or in fact anywhere, including the house!) and this is probably why...I never understood it but also luckily have never had athlete's foot...though the skin between my toes has broken when my sugar is much too high and I don't dry off my feet well enough after a shower...sigh! Diseases shouldn't exist! Hope you're back in the garden soon and walking your beautiful doggies.

1 Nov, 2008

Marguerite

Hi Johndman, thank you for your suggestions, I read it is the ingredient in many ointments and powders available for fungal infections, which tinea is. I had antibiotics for the infection, which killed the bacteria. My feet are getting much better now, I have gone to the chemist for tinea powder, as the ointment the doctor gave me was far too strong, it had steroids in and my toes swelled up, lol. The feet are good now, but now I have a terrible reaction to either the ointment or the antibiotics, as it came whilst I was still on them. My arms are now terrible, but I am NOT scratching, even though the itch is killing me. I have always been very allergic to things, also plants etc. But I love gardening and it is a small price to pay. I just have to be more careful.
Raquel, thank you for sympathising with my stupid condition. I did catch the disease initially on wooden pallets in the swimming pool changing rooms in Holland of all places. Once you have it, it will never leave you and it will flare up every now and then. Funny thing is I grew up in the tropics and never wore shoes or sandals anyway, except for going to school. I think it is so sad you have diabetes, as that sure can cause a lot of injuries and troubles like these to take ages to heal.
Thanks again you good people for all your kind comments.

3 Nov, 2008

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Gardengnome

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Catching things in the garden.