The Very BEST Part of the Trip

It rained. And it rained and it rained and it rained.

We arrived on Thursday in a haze of warm weather and misty rains. The opening night beach party was hastily rescheduled indoors, and it was phenomenal to see some of the people we've been on the trip with for 7 years. In particular the organizers of the trip, an amazing couple who have followed me through times when I wasn't a very happy mother, traveling with an obviously messed up child, to now - what I feel is a happy person.

I could be wrong about that. Don't tell me. I like living in Pleasantville.

Doesn't this picture look amazing? This was the view from our room part of Thursday and Friday and part of Saturday.

So we did what every person on vacation does when they are rained in. (No, I'm not talking about that. You have a dirty mind.) We ate. We had great meals and drinks and took cover under the pool between raindrops. We sat out by the beach for the 45 minutes that it wasn't raining. And we looked at this.

Saturday morning it stormed more severely and we decided that the plan to Swim with the Stingrays was certainly canceled. But it cleared up - somewhat - by which I mean it was no longer stormy. The sky was bipolar - if it went one way it was a certain disaster, but the other way it could, almost, be pretty. We went downstairs to tell the organizer that we weren't going, though. I have a tendency to get seasick and I was really concerned that I'd get out there on the Catamaran, it would start storming, and I'd upchuck. But the organizer told us that the trip was on.

"You HAVE to go!" she said. "You will LOVE it. I promise. You really will love it."

So, ok, we went. We boarded an enormous sailboat and road out into the ocean for about 45 minutes and listened to a speech about the Stingrays. "This is not a harmful thing," we were told. "They won't sting you, they aren't aggressive, and you can hold them. If you get scared, just stand still and they will swim away. They kind of feel like a wet portabella mushroom." That description did NOTHING for me, and so I elected to stay behind the shadow of the camera lens and, more importantly, ON THE BOAT. Seeing things like this made me more certain than ever that I made the right choice - I don't even like DOGS or CATS - so there is no way in hell I'd let a Stingray crawl up my chest and get comfy.

Everyone was having such a good time. I could hear laughter and shrieks of happiness and no one seemed at all bothered. You are a wuss, I thought to myself. You should just get out there and swim. Let go of your fear, already. Wimp. And then my husband was holding one, and it nudged him and he lost his balance and fell backwards.

ON TO THE STINGER OF A STINGRAY. WHO THEN STUNG HIM IN THE HAND.

He said it felt like being pierced by a dart. He stayed in the water for a few minutes, squeezing the hand, and calling up to me that it was quite painful. Finally, after I yelled at him about a dozen times, he agreed that maybe he should check with someone. When he told the guys in charge of the group, it was an immediate flurry of not quite panic but let's be really clear, this is a bad thing. It was so much of a worry for them that I couldn't get near him - despite the fact that I did see the entire thing and even took pictures of it.

I took the picture because, you can't see it here, but there was one directly behind him- the one he was stung by - and I thought it was SO FUNNY that he was being tripped by a stingray. I had NO idea he was stung until after I took the shot. NONE. I'm not THAT evil.

Almost right after this shot, his hand began to turn red and streaky, (even though he did do something to his hand that a person on the boat recommended and he would be mortified if I told you what it was, but you can guess, right?) so after multiple radio calls to the mainland - we were sent to the ambulance.

The (very cute) paramedics (with British accents, FTW!)  wanted to take him to the Emergency, but hello, NO.

They looked at me funny when I took pics, but maybe they don't know that I MUST blog about EVERYTHING.

So we signed AMA and went to the hotel with strict instructions to soak the hand in hot-as-you-can-stand water and vinegar.

At which point he reacted to the venom by breaking out in large white spots all over his hand, and we BOTH freaked the hell out. We checked with the hotel environmentalist, who had been on the Catamaran with us, and she called the doctor, who said that, hell to the YES, he needed to be seen. One $250 doctor visit later, paid for by his job, thank you VERY VERY much - and he was given ONE antibiotic pill and ONE antihistamine.

5 days later and you can just barely see where he was stung. His hand is a bit puffy still and hurts a bit, but it's better.

It was only AFTER this that I remembered Steve Irwin DIED from a sting ray sting in the heart. 

And I've been told this week that more than a few people have developed a shellfish allergy after this kind of sting. Luckily, I DO know how to handle allergic reactions.

Comments

[Tammy/Photos by Tammy]

Wow Carmen rain, AND a stingray sting? Hope you enjoyed most of your trip! If nothing else, it certainly gave you BLOG MATERIAL! What an adventure!

[Valerie]

I'm so glad he's ok!

[mary]

i am grossed out by the photos. you made the right choice! the kids petted little ones at ripleys aquarium {i did NOT} but these are huge! and who the hell wants to pet a wet portobello mushroom? LOL> ANYTHING is fun without kids isnt it? {i love them but I like breaks too}

[Headless Mom]

omg what an ordeal!

[kyooty]

Wow! I'd have stayed in the boat too!

[Marcie Brcic]

Carmen, this was enjoyable and humorous. What a gift! Thank you for sharing with us all.

[amie]

OMG- it was pee wasn't it? Germaphobe alert over here!

[Katherine]

I have been waiting for this post to hear the story! MAN OH MAN that is crazy! I would have been in the water... I do love adventure like that - but after reading this post, I believe NOW I would think twice! Did you ever find out if anyone else was stung on these trips? That would be a very interesting question... if they were to answer it honestly.

How interesting that he might develop a shellfish allergy. Get that epipen ready the next time you cook up some kind of amazing fish dish.

Oh, I have a request for you. Will you wear that amazingly gorgeous dress WITH spanx to the spaghetti dinner so I can see it? It is so pretty! And hey, those old guys would certainly give you an extra piece of garlic bread if you did... although I assume you would NOT get a free dessert from the ladies LOL!

[mm]

Ok the very second I saw the sting rays I thought about Steve Irwin. And then you mention the sting. Scared the bejeezus out of me I'll tell you. We only found out my son had a shellfish allergy when he was playing with sand dollars on the beach and got all this wonky red blotches all over his body.
The good news is you got away for a few days, rain or no, and he has pretty much recovered from this. Thankfully.

[Megan]

OMFG. I knew when I saw the words "Swim with the Stingrays" that this was nothing I'd ever do. I can't even bring myself to pet them. After the Steve Irwin story, I became slightly scared of stingrays but my bigger irrational nature fears were still sharks and alligators...now I think stingrays might just take the place of alligators, anyway. I am so glad your husband is okay. And this is a particular gem of a blog entry -- turns a scary situation that turned out okay into something well-told and humorous. If you ever enter any of your entries into blog contests, this should be one of them.

[UKCraftySal]

This was certainly a holiday you won't forget in a hurry! Glad he is almost better, and hope the allergy doesn't materialise.

BTW, loved the first photo of the storm-lashed palm trees.

[maggie]

Sounds like you had quite the time! I'm happy to hear that hubby's hand is getting better, what a scary experience. Aside from this, I'm glad you guys had some r&r and enjoyed the trip!

[xenia katie]

I can't believe they let people "swim/play" with stingrays. That's crazy! Maybe stings are extremely rare, but still. Sorry your hubby had to be the one to "beat the odds!" Luck of the Irish, eh? :)

[elz]

I thought about Steve Irwin too. Sounds like a crazy "vacation." It was definitely a good thing that the kids weren't with you.

[Karen]

Rain and a stingray run-in -- boy that really sucks! But at least you had fun with your friends.

[Deborah]

Wow! I think I would have freaked out alittle! Glad to know your hubby is okay. What a vacation!

[Pat]

I'm glad you enjoyed the view--I have SAD and looking out the window at that for any length of time would drive me bonkers!

[Young Wife]

Oh. My. Gosh. That stinks! Steve Irwin died but that's because he pulled the barb out. You know how they say if a kid stabs a pencil in his eye don't pull it out let the doctor do it? Same thing goes for your heart. I swam with stingrays and LOVED it, but wow. I am so sorry about your husband!

[shizzknits]

Yikes!!!! Never a dull moment for you guys! I'm glad everything has turned out well so far...keep an eye on your poor hubby and hopefully the rest of the vacay is 1000X better!