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This entry details some of the unpleasant effects of my food poisoning; I do not recommend eating while you read it.
At this time a week ago, I was sitting at a table with Erin, three of her work associates, and the girlfriend of one of those associates at House of Prime Rib in San Francisco. Erin's boss kindly and generously took us all out for dinner in appreciation of her team.
The quality of the food seemed good while we were in the restaurant, but late that night—in the wee hours of the morning—I found myself feeling sick to my stomach. I felt as though I might vomit, but I never did even though I felt acutely ill through Sunday to the point of not eating anything until very late at night, when I tentatively tried my first food since the previous night's dinner: an apple then some cold cereal.
Unfortunately, other unpleasant effects of food poisoning did take hold of me. My stomach has been gurgling and growling regardless of what I have put into it for the past week and I have had both gas and diarrhea so often and with such similar pressure that I have been afraid to fart without first sitting on the toilet. And although I admit the humor in that last part, I swear it is true; I removed myself from typing this entry to present the porcelain receptacle with nothing more than gas not once, but twice three times.
After a few days of these symptoms, late on Thursday night—the worst day for my upset stomach since Sunday—I acted on Erin's suggestion try some of that pink medicine that supposedly treats both upset stomach and diarrhea. Since I am poor and in debt, I did not buy Pepto-Bismol proper, but a considerably less expensive yet supposedly comparable store brand. It seemed to help somewhat with both symptoms—not completely, but somewhat—so I bought a second twelve-ounce bottle after the first one ran out (a different supposedly comparable store brand since the nearer store was closed at that hour).
Per the directions on the bottles, I took doses of the medicine fairly frequently late on Thursday night and yesterday morning, but much less since then and only once or twice this morning because my stomach was upset. Hopefully, I will have no further need of it, but it remains to be seen whether my symptoms will continue to improve without it.
My appetite has come and gone all week. On Sunday, I wanted nothing to do with food for most of the day. On Monday, I felt starved. Yesterday, I could eat only a couple slices of bread and a small fraction of a perfectly good personal-sized vegetable pizza for a three o'clock lunch at Los Gatos Brewing Company even though the only thing I had thus far eaten for the day was a bear claw at Great Bear Coffee (along with a delicious mocha, of course) a few hours earlier. Then last night, I devoured countless little cookies and saltine crackers. Today, my appetite has been light again and even though it was late afternoon before I decided to eat lunch, it took me some time to finish a bowl of noodle soup at a local noodle house.
Despite recent efforts to prepare more food at home, I have been eating out too much over the past week, largely because I have simply not felt like preparing much food at home while I have been ill. Yesterday, however, I ate out at the coffee shop and the brewing company because I spent part of the day visiting with Kristen and the cats in Los Gatos (I felt much better during the first half or so of the day) while today, soup just sounded good. As for tonight's dinner, I cannot say what it will be, but it is likely to involve an apple, some crackers, or both.
I hope this roller coaster of illness ends soon; I have had more than enough of this ride.
