daisy

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Well, after nearly 10 years in the hobby, and six years with corals, I have joined the elite club of those of us stung by our charges.

....only it took me three days to realize that it was a sting and not just eczema because I am one of the "lucky few" with wicked ridiculous allergies - I get rashy from just about anything. contact dermatitis and I are well acquainted....

so it wasn't until three days later that i figured out what it was -- I woke up in the middle of the night days after it had happened (not really entirely woke up, actually) and I went rooting around the apartment looking for a straight blade to just shave off the whole raised area - it stung and itched and burned SO badly!

so i was holding my finger really, really tightly, preparing to stab or shear the skin or something - and that's when I saw the symmetry of the inflammation for the first time. THAT woke me up.

see, eczema is rarely symmetrical.

i put the pin down (couldn't find a blade, so i figured i'd just stab the hell out of my finger and maybe whatever was hurting would stop -- remember, i wasn't exactly awake....) and went to the tank with a flashlight, looking for the bugger that had stung me....

and i found it.


this pic is today - maybe four days after the sting?

I know what stung me - can you figure it out?
 

daisy

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...and the pic....
 

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Awibrandy

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Sorry to hear Tahl! I'm still applying neosporine to my stings. Mine did take a turn to an infection, but after two days of the neosporine the infection has gone bye bye. I am now left with the itch that comes on every so often, and just about to drive you insane.:)
What got you? Mine was my hammer! I guess it got tired of being disturbed.lol
 

daisy

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aptasia was actually my first thought, too. but i've had close encounters with aptasia before - highly unlikely that it would have been that.

but that fits the pattern better - except for the sting in the middle. aptasia does not have a tentacle in the middle.....
 

Awibrandy

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Tahl, I had had many encounters with my hammer in the past year, and it had never stung me before. I think my hammer was ticked at me since it spent a day, and a night in the rubbermaid tub while I got the engineer gobie out. By the way, my arm was next to it again yesterday, and it did not sting me..;)
 

daisy

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RBTA

just added it - probably happened when i put it into the tank - did a slow acclimation and it did great, but i know i fumbled it in the process - it felt so fragile that i let it slip as i lifted it out of the water from the acclimation container to place it into my tank.

i'm sure what i probably did also was to keep my finger on it to give it a second to attach to the rock i thought it might like....

it ~did~ in fact like the spot i chose for it - it might have moved a grand total of an inch from the spot i chose for it... but for my troubles - a week of itch, burn and pain to the touch.

live and learn. at least it stayed in my finger. it's still swollen and still itches like mad. the burning is less, and it's worse at night. i'd hate to come into contact with a big one! OUCH!
 

Awibrandy

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Tahl, please apply some neosporine, or an antibacterial oitment to your finger. You don't want it to get infected. My rbta has never stung me, but you never know when these animals are upset.lol
Feel better darling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:hug:
 

daisy

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awilda, i needed that hug. thanks!

a friend of mine is a physician, so i showed it to her just kind of like - hey - look what happened to me, ha ha. and she looks at it and says, what are you going to do?

and I thought, do? do? wait for it to heal, of course.

i'm a dummy.
 

Awibrandy

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Your not a dummy Tahl! My immunity is a little low due to the chemo & such so I knew I might be headed for trouble.;) But it won't hurt to apply something to it. I know if one of your girls got a minor scrape you'd be applying an antiseptic to that little scrape. That's what we mom's do! We just don't do the same for ourselfs.lol
 

cybermeez

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These pretty little anemone's can pack quite a whollop if they get you in a soft spot or you are particularly sensitive. I've been stung my my RBTA several times. Usually on my forearm. Ouch! The first time it happened I was a little surprised because they are known for being one of the most "mild mannered" of the anemones.
 
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daisy

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"mild mannered"???? I have a whole new respect for these suckers, let me tell you.

ouch!

It still itches like mad :(

then again, I am ridiculously itch-prone. :( oh well.

i guess i need to get those ridiculous finger to shoulder gloves.... sigh.
 

masterswimmer

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When my anemone sting occurred, the result was a swollen thumb. I couldn't bend the thumb for almost three weeks.

I wonder if Benadryl will work for you.......not while driving though ;)

swimmer
 

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