Early Saturday morning, I woke up at dawn with a nasty pain in my stomach. After fitfully not quite sleeping for the next two hours, I finally got up and headed to make coffee. Before I could get to the kitchen, I stopped by the bathroom and dry heaved over the toilet bowl. Nothing came up, but I could taste the remnants of the salad from dinner the night before. I instantly knew I was probably dealing with food poisoning, likely from not properly washing the farmer’s market salad mix. (Dumb.)
Once I felt a bit better, I had coffee and a light breakfast, then headed to get dressed and head out for the Contest Interviews. Before I could get to the bedroom, I stopped by the bathroom and wet heaved up my coffee and breakfast. Not the best start for the day.
(I can’t think when the last time I puked was. Well, from being sick. Every couple years, I hit my gag reflex while sucking dick, but that’s a different scenario. And with a whole lot less volume.)
(Oh, and for what it’s worth, this was definitely not caused by contest anxiety. Between teaching country dancing — to over a hundred people at a shot at one event each year — and past leather and dance competitions, anxiety to the point of vomiting is not a problem I have. I used to get nosebleeds form anxiety, but even that ended nearly 20 years ago.)
No further vomiting for the rest of the day, but very low energy (too little sleep and no food do that!), plus a low fever, diarrhea, and the accordant dehydration. After a nap, I ate a peach and tried to have phở for dinner, but only managed to eat maybe a cup or so of it — no appetite. But the show must go on, so I kept going. I made it through the Contest, probably mostly on adrenaline, and put in appearances at the queer play party at the Center for Sex-Positive Culture and at the private one for the contest, but I sure wasn’t up for playing.
Sunday was only moderately better — poor sleep, no vomiting, same symptoms . After the Victory Brunch and getting fitted for my title vest, I rode out to Lake Cushman (via Olympia; 100 miles, a bit over two hours ride). Monday (riding back to Seattle) and Tuesday (back to work) saw gradual continued improvement, but still lousy sleep and gastric distress. I was finally able to get some yogurt late on Monday afternoon, and started hitting Immodium at 3 am on Tuesday. Now Wednesday night, I seem to be 90% back to normal. Thank God.
Mostly back to normal except for the constant low-level cramp in my left thigh and calf all day Wednesday and Thursday, that is. Vomiting causes potassium deficiency; a couple bananas seem to have resolved this. I also don’t recommend food poisoning as a weight loss technique. There have got to be more pleasant ways to drop 3–4 pounds.
I’m sure there’s a level of irony in this, to have my title contest Fantasy be a raunchy foodplay scene and me be fighting food poisoning at the same time.
Updated on September 8, 2011
Updated on September 13, 2011
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