Me and my salmonella poisoning
There was a work dinner and several of us attended. The service was so terrible that the restaurant picked up the tab for everything but the drinks. All the food was exactly the same and really not very good except for this one dish of hummus with pomegranate seeds and ground lamb but the next day I was as sick as a dog and everyone else felt fine. I felt worse and worse as the day went on and the next day it was no better. The third day was worse still and then the action started. Lots of action. Lots of stomach pain. I called my doctor who was on call that weekend and he said to lay off fruits, veggies, and dairy and to drink a lot of Gatorade and water.
The next day things were worse yet with a low-grade fever. I called my doc again and when he called me back he asked what the temperature was. I said I didn't know as we have no thermometer at work. I said, "But, oh, look, here comes my Boo. He will tell me." Boo touched my head and agreed it was a low-grade fever and my doctor probably thought it was one of the next weirdest medical things he'd ever experienced. "When you get home and your temperature is 100.5º or more, then call me back. Otherwise, it sounds like you're on the mend." He'd no idea what this was.
The next day? Just as bad but no fever, which had broken the day before. Then I realized what it was. I'd had a Scotch Sour at the restaurant and it's the fashion these days to add an egg white to the drink. It was the egg white and this was salmonella poisoning. I went to bed somewhat hopeful that things would improve.
The next day was the 4th of July and at 3am things were terrible. The stomach pains? Worse. The action? Increased. It was 98º outside that day and the sole thing I did was walk to the grocery store and score Gatorade, low-sugar variety. How could this be worse? But it was.
For my return to work on Thursday, things were pretty bad, and on Friday, I scored a bagel, no butter or cream cheese for lunch, and sent my doc a note through the patient portal.
My doc has told me more than once, "Stay off the internet." He might have once said, "Stay off the damn internet." Self-diagnosis is not his favorite thing. So I detailed what I thought I had and how I got it and he wrote back and agreed with my diagnosis! A first! This did not make things better but I knew I was correct.
Salmonella poisoning takes 5-7 days to go through the system and yesterday was day 9. I still had stomach pains but the action had ceased. I had a craving for something from a restaurant downtown that has a lot of rice and had to get a prescription filled so I went and got them. I ate the thing when I got home and then had a nap. I awakened to find that things had gone south again and for dinner I had nothing but some Gatorade and water.
This morning things are much improved! MUCH improved. The pains are not constant and the production is more normal. I am hoping that this is the actual end of it and that in a few days I will be 100% again.
So, ladies and gentlemen, as much as I like having an egg white in an alcoholic beverage because of the lovely froth, it's just not a good idea when you're up against a place that has gone from being very good to the exact opposite of that. I thought a Scotch Sour had scotch and sour mix with maybe a cherry or two. It will from now on, I assure you.
The next day things were worse yet with a low-grade fever. I called my doc again and when he called me back he asked what the temperature was. I said I didn't know as we have no thermometer at work. I said, "But, oh, look, here comes my Boo. He will tell me." Boo touched my head and agreed it was a low-grade fever and my doctor probably thought it was one of the next weirdest medical things he'd ever experienced. "When you get home and your temperature is 100.5º or more, then call me back. Otherwise, it sounds like you're on the mend." He'd no idea what this was.
The next day? Just as bad but no fever, which had broken the day before. Then I realized what it was. I'd had a Scotch Sour at the restaurant and it's the fashion these days to add an egg white to the drink. It was the egg white and this was salmonella poisoning. I went to bed somewhat hopeful that things would improve.
The next day was the 4th of July and at 3am things were terrible. The stomach pains? Worse. The action? Increased. It was 98º outside that day and the sole thing I did was walk to the grocery store and score Gatorade, low-sugar variety. How could this be worse? But it was.
For my return to work on Thursday, things were pretty bad, and on Friday, I scored a bagel, no butter or cream cheese for lunch, and sent my doc a note through the patient portal.
My doc has told me more than once, "Stay off the internet." He might have once said, "Stay off the damn internet." Self-diagnosis is not his favorite thing. So I detailed what I thought I had and how I got it and he wrote back and agreed with my diagnosis! A first! This did not make things better but I knew I was correct.
Salmonella poisoning takes 5-7 days to go through the system and yesterday was day 9. I still had stomach pains but the action had ceased. I had a craving for something from a restaurant downtown that has a lot of rice and had to get a prescription filled so I went and got them. I ate the thing when I got home and then had a nap. I awakened to find that things had gone south again and for dinner I had nothing but some Gatorade and water.
This morning things are much improved! MUCH improved. The pains are not constant and the production is more normal. I am hoping that this is the actual end of it and that in a few days I will be 100% again.
So, ladies and gentlemen, as much as I like having an egg white in an alcoholic beverage because of the lovely froth, it's just not a good idea when you're up against a place that has gone from being very good to the exact opposite of that. I thought a Scotch Sour had scotch and sour mix with maybe a cherry or two. It will from now on, I assure you.
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