At first you think you've only been pinched then soon a deep painful toxin moves about the wounded area. The solution is to get your wound into hot water as soon as possible.
I found myself falling to my knees this last time I was hit. Stingrays are no joke, and we have to take their lessons seriously. Making sure to take proper care of the wound after it heals is a large part of the journey and the deep awareness they bring. I was out 2 days ago, checking in on our instructor and friend Nic, it was so quick I tried to pretend it hadn't happened at first, but soon the heat swelled into my foot and I was experiencing a new pain.
I've been hit 5 times before this. I remember each one but don't recall any of them nearing the amount of strength needed to overcome the first hour of the sting. I was able to get to hot water and after a couple hours the pain let up. My foot swelled and I continued to rest while taking time to reheat, elevate, and ice. I'm on my 3rd day now and the swelling has gone down enough to see that the barb doesn't seem to be lodged inside but I will continue to rest for a few days longer. The area surrounding the sting doesn't seem infected but there is still deep swelling around the Achilles. I have a lot to be grateful for and I hope to get through this stingray wound the same as the last, but this one has found me more humble than ever before. Mother Nature speaks loudly and we are just apart of her giant magical kingdom. Today she sent me a great teacher. The stingray.