Food Poisoning and More

This actually started with this entry and continues for the next few months, I mean, if you want to follow the whole story (actually the little bits and pieces I record here in this blog when I remember this blog exists because I stop ignoring the body talk). C.Diff is a bitch.

Last Tuesday night, really Wednesday midnight-ish, I was struck by the worst food poisoning I've experienced in many many year. The cast iron gut collapsed and died. Maybe it was the antibiotic I pushed the five days before, but the infected leg needed that. Anyway, I did not want food Wednesday or Thursday and Friday I ate light, a Wawa rice bowl and some oatmeal, until dinner when I ate a bacon cheeseburger. Saturday I played a softball tournament and felt fine, weak and tired, but fine. Hungry enough for two lunches at the Village Inn, then a later dinner of many foods at a German restaurant Saturday night. Sunday I had a breakfast wrap from Wawa and decided it was time to rest the gut and drop some eight so since then, next to nada.

No appetite, bloat, and major pressing diarrhea.

Yes, so no appetite last week due to the food poisoning. The appetite was back on Friday and Saturday and Sunday, but gone since I've been back here. The diarrhea was gone Friday and Saturday and Sunday, but back since I've been back here and I am barely putting anything into the system to come out, yet I can barely hold in the liquid after eating or drinking. All week I've had two packets of instant oatmeal, a Muscle Milk eat day (two on Tuesday, but that's all I had), and a can of chicken Wednesday, Thursday, and just finishing a second can today. Today is the most I ate all week. I'm forcing it in, no appetite and feeling bloated. I'll have a muscle milk before softball.

I am ruling out the flu because I don't have a fever and felt good enough to play (well) six games of softball over the weekend, four on Saturday and two on Sunday with less than 6 hours sleep each night. I haven't had any antibiotics since last week. With less than 500 calories a day for 5 straight days, I should be losing bloat, but I feel as bloated as ever and the belt agrees.

And no appetite.

So what is it? A psychological reaction (or over-reaction) to being back here in this unhealthy living environment? Some sort of parasite or disease of the gut? Kidneys? (they don't feel great and the kidney doctor wants me to go for re-tests on my blood work next week, so what's up with that? The Nurse who called gave no suggestion of checking anything specific and said the Kidney levels were great, better than 6 months ago. Something else in the lab work they are not mentioning? I must get a copy of the results to see for myself. I also must renew the BP meds. Hopefully he will do both if I ask nicely.

Of course I need a primary care doctor to coordinate all the specialists, but the earliest appointment I could get was for May. The past few years, primary care doctors seem scarce and by the time the appointment comes around, I forget and have to start the search for one all over. I want to interview a doctor who I am going to trust with my life and primary care, but the system is not set up for the patient's needs. So I go begging for a BP med refill each year and pay more than I should for a prescription. The American system of medical care is an assembly line industry that, by design or lack of concern, aides in a person's death much more than it keeps a person in a good quality of life.

Wa wa wah, and all that jazz.

Softball in a couple of hours, time to head out and pick up more nutrient drinks and hope I don't crap my pants on the field. Life for this body is a challenging experience these days.

So how are you?

Narf :)