On the Fourth of July, my husband and I were enjoying a relaxing snorkeling excursion in Cabo San Lucas. In all fairness, we were warned about the possibility of jellyfish in the water. But, having spent a fair amount of time in the Sea of Cortez, I've experienced my fair share of stings--so I wasn't about to give up my one shore excursion due to a few sightings of the gelatinous pests.
But these were the tiniest jellyfish I've NEVER seen. I'm still not sure I saw them. My husband is Mr. Paranoia about bees, wasps, sharks, poison ivy, you-name-it, and he's on the lookout for it. Of course, he saw them. I saw what I thought were some floating kelp bits, but I was too fascinated by the gigantic salt water aquarium surrounding me to pay attention (having just spent a week in San Diego, "stuff" floating in the water didn't seem to warrant too much of my attention).
According to Mr. Paranoia I was laying in the middle of a whole swarm of them--oblivious. I felt a few pinpricks but nothing that I was remotely worried about. Until I felt the one that had my face out of the water, mask off, and yelling like a crazy person.
We swam back to the boat for a dousing of what I believe was vinegar and a further dousing of several excellent margaritas. For entertainment I watched my arm swell up as one fellow snorkeler after another returned to the boat for vinegar.
I've never had a jellyfish sting react the way the "big" one did. Most of them looked like irritated little pinpricks. And that is what I had all over both arms and legs. Except for the one that looked more like a superficial razor slash that someone had rubbed salt into.
The next day I suffered from what I would call a general malaise. I chalked it up to too many margaritas and some street tacos. Visible evidence of my close encounter disappeared (except for the big one).
Which brings us to today. Well, to what started about 24 hours ago when I was riding in the car with my 16-year-old still-sans-license son. My arm started itching like mad. I figured I had found some mosquitos while walking the dog, but when I looked down I saw all these little red bumps and a huge, raised, puffy, angry-looking "razor slash".
Believe it or not, it took me a minute to process the implication of this.
Mostly because I had never in my life heard of a jellyfish sting being resurrected, so to speak, a week later. Within hours I also noted I was feeling ill--something similar to hayfever or a general malaise.
I thought I was crazy. In the middle of the night after going through every possible scenario in my head I broke down and did what I was sure would be a fruitless several hours searching the web. I was shocked to discover the following, among many websites, showing that I am not, in fact crazy. And that it is entirely possible that those gelatinous little pests may be with me for awhile longer.
Long-term or delayed reactions11,12,13,14
- Keloids
- Pigmented striae
- Lichenification from persistent rubbing
- Granuloma
- Ulceration and necrosis
- Gangrene
- Fat atrophy
- Scarring and contractures
- Recurrent reactions without repeated exposure occurring at the original sting site secondary to sequestered, intracutaneous, antigen-induced, immunologic reaction (may be more severe than original reaction)
I'm not one to worry when I step out into nature. I'm never on the lookout for poison ivy, or rattlesnakes, or sharks. But the next time there's a jellyfish warning, I just may heed it.
grace&peace
laurel
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