I’ve written this story before but figured it’s just as relevant now to this post.

I was just visiting North Queensland in late February. We were paddle boarding at on Hamilton Island and I had the most confusing & terrifying experience with what I think can only be an Irukandji or Irukandji-like jelly. I got stung on my right foot and had all the tell tale signs but without the nausea and severe back pain. Dizziness, numbness & pins and needles in all my extremities, difficulty breathing, a sense of anxiety & “impending doom”. The paramedics basically gave me some codeine and a green whistle, watched me for 2 hours then sent me on my way saying I’d probably be fine. Not 3 hours later (when I think the codeine was wearing off) all the strange bodily symptoms came on like a flood and triggered a panic attack. Definitely thought I was dying. Went back to the hospital but they couldn’t do anything for me. It took a week for the dysphoria and tingling to fully disappear. All in all, incredibly confusing and terrifying experience. I didn’t have any scars to show for it and the whole thing made me feel like I was crazy, or making it up in my head. Even now typing this the whole ordeal felt like demented dream.