One Of My Worst Nights

This post contains graphic descriptions of what I assume was food poisoning.  The squeamish may want to continue to the next post.

I laid there in bed feeling a bit out of sorts and listening to the rain.  Then I felt a sudden urge to throw up.  I went to the bathroom and out came a few chunks of the beef Stroganoff.  They got stuck in my throat.  I felt a little better having gotten rid of something my body was rejecting and went back to the bed.  But when I laid down, I couldn't really get into a position where my stomach felt OK. I was also starting to get pretty thirsty.  I had a half of a 1.5 liter bottle of water.  I tasted it to see what effect it would have on my stomach.  A few minutes later, it didn't seem my stomach was worse off for having had a little water, so I had more.  Then I waited and felt no worse, so I had a little more.

At this point, it is very dark.  My bathroom light doesn't work.  The door is very sticky and takes some effort to open.  I laid there on my back trying different positions to see if my stomach could feel a bit of relief.

Then, after an hour, I started feeling nausea again--it started slow, then it hit hard.  I started spewing vomit as I was getting out of bed.  The door wouldn't open.  I was spewing on the door.  I pushed harder--it opened.  I aimed my face at the toilet.  Three good heaves and my stomach felt empty.  There was a lot of water and lots of beef chunks.  Vomit was all over the floor, my legs, all over the toilet, but there was no light.  It would have to wait for the morning.  I washed my mouth and went back to the bed.  I laid down.  I spent another hour looking for positions to reduce the strain on my tummy.  Nothing worked.  I didn't have much water left.  And was really thirsty--dehydrated.  I took small sips of water.  They were so refreshing, and seemed OK on my stomach.  The last vomit was a stomach emptying one, anyway.  Then the third and final nausea wave hit me.  I stiff-armed the door and aimed my face at the toilet.  Again, chucks of meat were still coming out.  And the water was coming out.  This had to the end of the beef Stroganoff.

I did feel better.  But I was very thirsty and had almost no bottled water left.  I cleaned off my cup attached to my backpack and decided that I had no choice but to risk the tap water.  I spent the next several hours getting up at intervals to have one or two cups of water.  The thirst didn't ever seem to go away.  Finally, at some time in the wee hours of the morning--I could feel the hydration start to kick in.

On top of this, for some reason, my room was filled with mosquitoes.  They would buzz around my ear and I could feel them trying to land on me.  I was constantly swatting.  All night.  I didn't sleep a wink until after the 5am muezzin call from the mosque.

August 15, 2008 10:55 Gambian local time