What the hell was that?

[Lady Pirate]

So I am up at Hobe Beach a few days ago and metal detecting on the wet sand, but close to the water. All of the sudden I feel this sharp pain in my left foot just below my toes. I just knew that I stepped on a huge hook or a knife. I expected to see blood pouring out on me when I looked down ......but nothing. I felt my foot for a hook, knife or whatever got me, and still nothing? Nothing in the sand, but the small clump of seaweed that I stepped on. Saw nothing in it either? But heck, my foot still had the feeling of being stabbed by something!!!! But the time I made it back to my truck, I was limping. And still an excruciating pain was under my toes and pad to my foot. I got my mirror out to look, no bee sting there I had to go home. So I looked it up on the computer and from what I figure, there probably a jellyfish tentacle in the seaweed I stepped on. No swelling, it just turned red. It was so bad that I took an Oxycontin for pain and that didn't take the pain away. I took another at bedtime and had to wrap my bottom of foot and toes in ice. It eased off around three in the morning. Then I fell asleep and when I got up a few hours later, it was like nothing ever happened. Just the top of my foot a reddish color. Boy, I have been stung in the past on my arms, legs and body.... but this was over the top. Could have been a box jellyfish or a man-o-war tentacle. Note to self:I will make sure I don't step on seaweed again, that's for sure. I never want to feel that type of pain again! Over seventeen hours of it. At least I did manage to find a gold earring with a small diamond on the side of it and a coin spill before that happened.

 

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[Captain PopTop]

Gotta wear water shoes even on the beach, you just never know, ive learned the hard way myself, I gotta get me a pair of water gloves now also, got cuts on my hands from snorkeling, hope u feel better Capt.

 

[Lady Pirate]

And I had my water shoes in my backpack with me, Never expected for that to happen. I sure know now! I have water gloves also.... guess I'll take them along now. Thanks Captain PopTop.

 

[NJcigarman]

Ha just this past Monday in Jersey I was in waste deep water for 20 minutes. Ten minutes in I started itching like a flea bag dog. Knew that this was jellyfish discharging in the water. You never see any jellyfish but any body parts exposed to the water itches like hell. Quick shower relieves the problem. Then I switched towns and went to another beach. Here the brown/bar sharks were in the surf. Just another day!

 

[Les West Central Fl]

I had a sting ray go through my shoe some time back. The pain does get worse as time goes. I put real hot water in the tub and put 1/2 cup of clorox in it , then I soaked my foot and the pain went away. You may have also stepped on a sting ray.

 

[GMD52]

Use baby lotion, or suntan oil......will make the sting go away....always carrynsome in the beach bag when we are in So. Fla.

 

[Captain PopTop]

NEVERMIND, even with shoes you cant win !

 

[bzbadger]

Sounds gross but there is a quick way to relieve jellyfish stings...pee on the area no joke it takes the pain away in minutes. I've seen vinegar used and heard vodka being used but can't say I know if vodka works..other two do work. Sprinkle some tinkle on it next time.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain

 

[NJcigarman]

Sounds gross but there is a quick way to relieve jellyfish stings...pee on the area no joke it takes the pain away in minutes. I've seen vinegar used and heard vodka being used but can't say I know if vodka works..other two do work. Sprinkle some tinkle on it next time.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain

Hell Iwould have needed a golden shower!!!!!!!

 

[solaryellow]

I agree, PEE!!!

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

Gee. I wish I had a beach here in So. Indiana, even with the jellyfish...I don't know if I'd be happy enough to pee on myself, though.

 

[XLTer]

And people ask me why I don't like the ocean beaches .......LOL !

Glad to hear your feeling better . That stuff sounds like some nasty ...

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

So I am up at Hobe Beach a few days ago and metal detecting on the wet sand, but close to the water. All of the sudden I feel this sharp pain in my left foot just below my toes. I just knew that I stepped on a huge hook or a knife. I expected to see blood pouring out on me when I looked down ......but nothing. I felt my foot for a hook, knife or whatever got me, and still nothing? Nothing in the sand, but the small clump of seaweed that I stepped on. Saw nothing in it either? But heck, my foot still had the feeling of being stabbed by something!!!! But the time I made it back to my truck, I was limping. And still an excruciating pain was under my toes and pad to my foot. I got my mirror out to look, no bee sting there I had to go home. So I looked it up on the computer and from what I figure, there probably a jellyfish tentacle in the seaweed I stepped on. No swelling, it just turned red. It was so bad that I took an Oxycontin for pain and that didn't take the pain away. I took another at bedtime and had to wrap my bottom of foot and toes in ice. It eased off around three in the morning. Then I fell asleep and when I got up a few hours later, it was like nothing ever happened. Just the top of my foot a reddish color. Boy, I have been stung in the past on my arms, legs and body.... but this was over the top. Could have been a box jellyfish or a man-o-war tentacle. Note to self:I will make sure I don't step on seaweed again, that's for sure. I never want to feel that type of pain again! Over seventeen hours of it. At least I did manage to find a gold earring with a small diamond on the side of it and a coin spill before that happened.

Lady Pirate:
Is it possible that you could of accidently overstretched the muscles in the bottom of your foot. This is intensely painful and is done in Rolfing (in controlled sessions) to improve circulation and balance.

If you were hit by the tentacles of a man of war it would be intense immediately (like being hit by a bull whip) or so they say – I have never been hit by a bull whip but stung many times by a man or war. You can tell they are in the area by their blue sails which in Hawaii look like small blue floats, and in the gulf like large blue footballs. You never want to wear rings as you could lose a finger/toe if you cannot keep the swelling down enough with ice water before you get the ring off.

Oh by the way, the proper way to treat a man of war string is to remove the tentacle carefully so that it does not spread then dab the white sap from a green papaya . You dab along the red streak where you have been stung taking care not to spread it out.
You get the white sap by cutting across at the bottom of a green papaya approx ¼ of the way around. Only take the sap from below the cut, if you take it from the cut it will seal and you will need to pick another green papaya. The white sap in the green papaya contains a digestive enzyme which is commercially used to tenderize meat; it will neutralize a man of war sting (as the poison is protein) in less than fifteen minutes.
You do not want to use commercial meat tenderize which contain the papaya enzyme as it also contains salt and will spread the sting out making it worse.

Peeing on a man of war sting will just make it smelly. Peeing is used in Hawaii to neutralize punctures from urchins – the long spine ones which cause a throbbing pain.; not to treat man of war stings.

I don’t know how a box jelly fish would be treated which are small and deadly in Hawaii – can cause your heart rate to go out of control , and far far worse in Australia – one sting can result in hospitalization and has ended many a commercial divers'career (they quit).

 

[birdman]

Pretty rough stuff. We used to use meat tenderizer powder for jelly fish stings, works well on sea nettle stings .

 

[bsloan]

Sounds gross but there is a quick way to relieve jellyfish stings...pee on the area no joke it takes the pain away in minutes. I've seen vinegar used and heard vodka being used but can't say I know if vodka works..other two do work. Sprinkle some tinkle on it next time.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain

Vodka does work, at least for me. I always carry a pint in case of injury. After drinking the pint, I have no more problems for a while.

Best of luck,
Bill

 

[pong12211]

No matter what is was it sounds like it was very painful and unpleasent.. Glad to here your feeling better.. Hopefully this is the only time you will have to deal with this..

 

[lorraine]

Lady Pirate, I'm sorry for your problem , and hope that all is well now.

Be careful out there...and check the foot often to be sure that there is no residual infection symptoms.

Congrats on the gold earring /diamond find

 

[diggummup]

Gee. I wish I had a beach here in So. Indiana, even with the jellyfish...

I wish I had a cornfield to detect myself with some nearby woods and a creek too possibly, lol.


Be careful out there Lady Pirate. Those man-o-war get pretty thick around here in the winter.

 

[dewcon4414]

Vinegar works on most of the stings out there. But like Les says those sting rays will move most of the time, but i wouldnt put a bare foot on one. Everything in the water wants to poke, stick, or bite you.... so always wear shoes.

Dew

 

[Lady Pirate]

We have the man of war a plenty here and box jelly fish. It was one or the other. The news did a broadcast of the box jellyfish. Instant pain bad, like I said, I thought I stepped on a big hook or knife. All better the next day, I never looked under my foot to see if any signs, it was reddish on top of my foot.