What the heck "stung" me????

[hopeitsapar]

My guess is Jellyfish as well, it could be part of a dead one or a very translucent one

 

[RICoder]

My wound is deffinately infected. It's green and oozy. It is looking a bit better, but it itches like crazy! Tomorrow will have been one month ago that it happened.

Gloves are not allowed in Mexico, but I'll take the blame for not wearing a lycra suit. (I only had on a shorty)

Thanks for all the info!

You can probably find my posts regarding "don't wear gloves" areas...it's a policy I openly disregard, and your problem is why.

Watch for little green lines...seriously, keep an eye on it for infection or sepsis, you could easily find yourself in a much worse state then you are in now. Sorry to be a bummer...I'm sure it sucks bad enough all by itself. Hope it goes away soon.

 

[Gidds]

I was in Mexico (Playa Del Carmen) about 3 weeks ago simply hovering watching a school of Barracuda swim by. There were several people in our group. We were all together just hanging out on a nice drift dive. All of the sudden something that felt like a million little needles burned into my left arm. I jumped and looked. I didn't see a thing. My buddy saw me jump and grab my arm. He didn't see anything either. It just looked like huge mosquito bites until I got out of the water. Then, it swelled my whole arm up. I'm back in Texas and it's 3 weeks later. My Dr. has had to cut it and let it drain twice. I'm on antibiotics and it hasn't gotten much better. No one seems to know what the heck happened. Anyone have any guesses? No one seems to believe that I really don't know what happened. Give me a good guess so at least I'll have a story to tell about the nice scar I'm gonna have. :yourkiddi
Jo

Sounds like what happened to me in 1998 in the USVI. Keep your arm covered and out of the sun to reduce the scarring. I still have my scar on my abdomen, although it isn't bad it isn't pretty either and the other girl who was with me who was stung had to have plastic surgery to fix hers since she went and sat in the sun afterwards. Mine puffed up into giant yellow blisters filled with necrotic cellular debris and has scarlet red margins for a few weeks. They were bright red for a couple months. The blisters had to be lanced and I also had to be on antibiotics. As for the creature responsible we had seen sea nettles out further from where we were and I probably just got the "tentacle" from one. Recently my buddy and I were out after the water had been rough and there were lions manes around. We kept getting zapped even though we weren't near any of the jellies but if you looked into the water at just the right light and angle you could see bits of them that had broken off floating around everywhere so we decided to get out. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[scubajoh44]

Yes, again, thanks for the info. It really is looking much better. I am on steroid shots for the itching also. It helps for about 4 days then I need another. I'll be sure to keep an eye on the color. It's gone from green to a more yellowish now. I'm assuming that is a good thing. My Doc acts like it is.
Jo

 

[DallasNewbie]

What did DAN say?

 

[CompuDude]

Yeesh. Sometime's it's good to be diving in cold water with a full wetsuit, hood and gloves! Only 4 square inches of skin exposed, if that... tho that story about getting hit on the lip is scary!

 

[Diveral]

It could have been a Sea Wasp. It is a translucent American Box Jelly that is found in the Gulf of Mexico and Carribean. Not as dangerous as the Aussie version but still packs a wallop. Got hit by a detached strand of a Man of War across the abdomen and right leg that left an initial strip like that you are describing. Hurt like bejesus but didn't get infected and healed faster than yours.It was purple so I could see it and knew what it was.

Carry vinegar and meat tenderizer to neutralize the stingers next time you are in the ocean.

 

[pacificgal]

Yeah, I've had the lip too... whilst teaching on an OW course, which made the briefing for the second dive a bit tough. Funny, though, one of the students (a big rugby bloke) told me to "toughen up" 'cause I was whinging about the pain. I nearly pee-d myself when on the second dive he got stung on the lip and was crying like a baby on the surface afterwards. Being the kind, sensitive soul that I am.... I just told him to quit crying and toughen up....!

You always could have offered to pee on it for him...? Where are your manners?

(and yes, I am aware that meat tenderizer is much better for jelly stings, but the old wives' tale remains)

 

[Thalassamania]

I can almost guarantee that it was a Box Jellyfish AKA Sea Wasp (Carybdea alata). I've been stung also and it was as you describe. Wiki Link

 

[pickens_46929]

Yes, again, thanks for the info. It really is looking much better. I am on steroid shots for the itching also. It helps for about 4 days then I need another. I'll be sure to keep an eye on the color. It's gone from green to a more yellowish now. I'm assuming that is a good thing. My Doc acts like it is.
Jo

Yep... that's better than green.

Steroid shots aren't fun but they help the swelling, itching and healing.

Keep it out of the sun and out of harsh chemicals too... things like heavily chlorinated or chemicalled pool can make things worse...

Hang in there!