I got stung by a stingray while surfing yesterday at Bolsa Chica State Beach and it hurt like a mutha. The crazy thing is after landing on my ass a few times and shuffling through a low tide all morning, the stingray stung me when I was standing still. The sensation is not like stepping on a jagged shell or even glass. My sting was like someone took a gigantic needle and jabbed it into the top of my foot with all the adrenaline and force he could muster. The pain that immediately follows is intense, burning, and cramping. The longer it takes you to get your foot into hot water the more it burns. Luckily my husband was on the shore and helped me hobble to the lifeguard headquarters where I soaked my foot for 40 minutes. I left a trail of blood from the lifeguard station all the way down the beach to where we had left my surfboard. As I sat with my foot throbbing in the red stained water I told myself I was done with surfing. I suck enough where it won't matter if I quit, plus why go through the potential of getting maimed by sea creatures? About 20 minutes in another surfer arrived. He had to hobble the distance of three lifeguard stations and get a ride from his wife after being stung, so his foot was on fire. By that time my pain had lessened and I remembered that I still had four lessons that I had paid for so I may as well keep surfing.
In the end I figure I each
mucho pescado, plus as a kid I had more than one unfortunate aquatic pet. I'll take a few painful stings and know that it's karma. My husband says we have to get good enough at surfing to paddle to the outside breaks and stay out there. Otherwise
like Maroon 5 says, this summer's going to hurt like a mutha.
