Alt text

Jelly sting south of Hua Hin

Description and Comments

I got stung while kite surfing. I was wearing protective clothes but one leg of my pants was crawled up. I was standing in shallow water just a few meters from the beach. Never saw the creature, just heard something sounding like an electrical shock and instant severe burning pain. After a while I went back surfing and after an hour I got up and got help treating the wound with vinegar (I know, stupid move to not get it done directly).

I had really bad pain the first night but the second day I was Ok and i went back surfing. Later the same night the foot was really swollen and since then things went worse and I have been with my foot elevated for more than two weeks now. Whenever I am out walking the foot gets swollen. After a few days the legs started to itch really badly.

I went to the hospital on day 3 to get a shot of (what I assume was) antihistamin. Also got some pills. Went back for a checkup at another hospital day 6 and got new pills and some cream to treat the wounds.

Its now been a bit more than 2 weeks. Things started to heal after about 1.5 weeks and its getting better even if it looks more nasty now compared to the day after the sting (a friend of mine is a doctor and he says all is in order). Worth saying is that I have no pain, no fever or anything else. Just waiting for it to heal…been told it will take up to 6 weeks and I should expect some nasty scars. Photo is from today 2 weeks after.

Cheers

Author

bigfoot

Type of organism

Jellyfish

Quantity

1

Latitude

12.43

Longitude

99.98

Comments

BernietheTortoise Sun, 04/13/2014 - 14:28

Looks like a significant sting from a Cubzoan, or box jellyfish. The sound of the shock was most likely the impulse of the sting basically overriding the nervous system. Seeing that it was only a moderate region of your leg stung, it was fortunately non-lethal. It appears to be the trademark sting of a Chiropsalmus or Chrionex, the two most dangerous species native to your area. I am glad you were not seriously stung, because one such as this is serious enough!