So I had a fun day at the beach Thursday. I decided to go to the beach to kill some time before I had to meet with someone at the centro de salud, I just got my certification Wednesday so I needed to bring it to him so I could start work. I was swimming in the water when all of a sudden I felt a sharp stab, like glass, go into my foot. It took my breath away and I let out a scream. It was unbelievably painful. I figured I had stepped on a piece of glass or something, I wasnt sure. I looked down and the water was red, from MY blood! I started panicking and walked out of the water, slowly, stopping because I was in crazy pain. I lifted my foot out of the water to see if the glass or whatever was still in my foot, but I couldnt see anything, just a crazy amount of my own blood. Generally speaking, when I see my own blood I pass out, but I knew I needed to get out of the water. The beach was pretty much dead, it was starting to rain. A local guy heard me scream in the water and saw me walk out to my mat and came towards me. He asked what happened and I said I think I stepped on a piece of glass or something. The pain kept getting worse and worse and worse. He asked if I thought it was still in there, I said I didn't know, just that I was in a crazy amount of pain. He and I both kept pouring water over it, trying to stop the blood. Someone else came over and asked what happened, I said I think I stepped on glass, the pain is continuing to get worse and worse. He said no, I dont think so. I am like what? He said something I couldn't understand and the pain was just starting to overwhelm me and I realized that it probably wasn't glass that was causing this much pain. All of a sudden the guy grabbed my shorts and tied them around my calf, really tightly. I had no idea what was going on, just that I was in horrific pain. Finally, I understood what they were saying, I had been stung by a sting ray and they thought part of the tail was still inside. At this point I was crying and writhing in pain. The guy lit a cigarette and held it up to the wound saying heat draws out the venom. The venom was slowing going up my leg through my bloodstream, I could no longer feel below my knee. At this point my vision was going black, white, blurry and all I could think was PAIN, PAIN, PAIN.
There were Nicaraguans speaking english and speaking spanish to me and then I heard British people speaking english and spanish, people trying to figure out what language I spoke, haha. I couldn't think of any language, my mind was dizzy and I could only think of the pain. Finally I was able to mumble out what happened in english and an American woman who owns a bar came out and poured a bottle of vinegar over the wound. That was unbelievably painful and that is about when the screaming started. There were probably around 15 or so people around me at this point, blood everywhere, I was screaming and shaking and was told that I needed to get to the centro de salud immediately. I was able to get out that I work at the clinica and to take me there. I somehow made my way somehow to a truck and told the british couple where to take me. The guy said he had been stung 3 months earlier and knew the pain. He is like I know it feels like you are going to die right now, but it will only last around two hours and you are going to be okay. I thought, "Two fucking hours?!?!" It had been about 10-15 minutes and I just wanted to die at that point, I thought I was never going to make it two hours.
When the venom from a sting ray gets to your heart, it often kills you because it stops your heart. Everyone was saying I had a few hours and was fine because I was stung on my foot. I just kept thinking I dont care, I dont care, I dont care JUST STOP THE PAIN! We got to the clinic and the doctor that I work with wasn't in her office, I told the guy to go to the pharmacy to get her. His girlfriend/wife whomever she was stayed with me and was trying to keep me calm, asking me questions about what I was doing here, where I was from etc... I started freaking out because the doctor wasn't coming and I was like "WHERE IS HE, WHY HASN'T HE FOUND HER YET?!?" It probably had been under a minute but the pain was unbearable. Finally, I heard people running and it was the doctor and the guy. I was picked up and put on the hospital bed and at this point I was literally shaking and writhing from the pain. It probably looked like I was having a seizure. I was screaming and crying and Ana (the doctor) asked if I wanted something for the pain and I was like "YES!" she was like I have to go back to the pharmacy to get it. It seemed as if she was gone 20 minutes but it was probably more like 1 minute and she came back with a shot of some pain medication.
Every second, every minute, the pain continued to spread through my body and the shaking and convulsing was getting worse and it was getting harder to breather. I just thought, I am either going to throw up, pee my pants or black out because I cant take this pain much longer. She kept asking if I was allergic while she was getting the injection ready, and I must not have been responding except for, "JUST GIVE IT TO ME, JUST GIVE IT TO ME!" Finally I was able to get out that, no, I wasn't allergic (it was morphine). She told me that I had to try and calm down so she could stick me because she couldn't while I was moving around. That was probably literally the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I was able to calm myself down enough then she told me she had to give it to me in my butt, because the venom hadn't gotten that far yet. I was like, "I have to ROLL OVER NOW?!?" I didn't think I could do it, but somehow I did, she stuck me and within 60 seconds or so the pain was manageable. Still horrific, but bearable to what I had just experienced. The only cure for stings is to draw out the venom with heat. Usually hot, very hot, water. She said we had to go to the pharmacy in order to draw the venom out with the water. She started pouring water over the wound and eventually submerged my foot in hot water. The pain would come in waves. I could literally feel the venom rolling through my leg, going up and down. It was the weirdest/worst sensation I have ever felt in my life.
After about an hour of my foot in the water, I was back to almost normal. For the next 24 hours or so I have to keep my foot submerged in warm/hot water as much as I can to continue to draw the venom out. I still get random shooting pains when it moves. I am utterly exhausted and feel as if I haven't slept in days. She said the venom would do that. I cant even explain the pain. The only thing that was remotely helping before the shot was cutting the circulation off from my foot with my shorts and my hands. I have no idea who the guys were on the beach that initially helped me nor the british couple. Hopefully I can thank them soon. I was out of my mind with pain while it was going on and politeness and social etiquette (like asking peoples names) was not something I was thinking! About an hour or hour and a half into this whole ordeal I was like, shit, I wish I had decided to shave my legs last night! Since tons of people had touched/seen my legs, but oh well, haha. Everyone (the locals) kept asking if the water had been cold. I was like I guess? It had been raining and literally only two other people had been in the water. Apparently, when it rains, the water cools down and the sting rays came out from wherever and thats when people get stung. I guess I learned a lesson the hard way. I am a bit freaked out about getting in the water again, but of course I will do it again. I have to wait till my wound completely closes which could be a few weeks. The stinger went in my foot at least an inch. The area of my foot is completely purple, which apparently may stay that way. Awesome. At least its my favorite color.
So, that was my adventure at the beach today. I finally got certified to start work in the centro de salud, but I'll write about that another day and update you all on the rest that is going on in my life. So, I experienced the worst pain of my life and have been assured by many people that I will never feel pain worse then that again in my life, including birth. We will see! It was horrible, but I am okay now, just very exhausted and my body hurts, everywhere. As I write this, whatever pain killer I was given is wearing off, I brought some vicodin with me down here so will probably take some of that soon. Hopefully you all have enjoyed my crazy story! Remember: When the water is cold, stay out! When those little bitches sting you, it hurts!
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