Article August 24, 1998 Issue

Fearless in the sea

Jellyfish sting healed

By Linda Conradi

The water looked so inviting on an August day, and I had never been swimming in such warm ocean water. My son and I spent a long time jumping the rollers and lazily swimming, simply enjoying the beautiful day, and catching up on our lives, which intersected for a few days of vacation.

All of a sudden, I felt a sharp stinging sensation across the top of my thigh and let out a cry. I didn't see anything swimming near me, but my son, who was familiar with the waters from his wind surfing, calmly said, "Let's just go up on shore for a while, Mom." As I emerged from the water, I could see a wide swatch of red where my skin was burning. My son told me that I had probably been stung by a jellyfish. "But I didn't see anything!" I said. He replied, "You might not. They are transparent."

At first I was dismayed that the idyllic day had been interrupted like this, and then I became afraid. How could I enjoy swimming in the ocean ever again when things I couldn't even see could attack without warning? What had been a perfect day was now jarred with distrust and discomfort.

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