Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Oh Alanis

I've been surprisingly healthy during my stay here in India. I've certainly had my share of pollution headaches and head colds, but I'd never suffered from the serious stomach upset for which India is famous. My friends joked that I had a stomach of steel... I could travel anywhere and I'd never gotten food poisoning. In fact, the one time I've ever thrown up in India was when I was swallowing a Cipro for a minor infection and it hit my gag reflex inducing me to vomit. Nope, not food poisoning, and no, I didn't spend hours worshipping the porcelain goddess. Just a simple gag reflex.

Well, now that I've lived in India for a full year, eaten street food, drank tap water, and had full meals costing less than $0.50, I got sick. I got an intestinal infection after blowing $50 on cocktails and appetizers at the one upscale restaurant in the city that caters to foreigners. I'd eaten there before with no problem and had even hosted a party there for over 100 people. It was one of the "safe" restaurants to eat at in the city and I wasn't going to take any chances the night before my wedding. Oh how wrong I was. After 5 days of diarrhea, Umes insisted on taking me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with "normal intestinal infection from eating outside food" and given three different prescriptions to clear it up. I'm now on a restricted diet of yoghurt and parathas as my stomache recovers.

Vomiting from Cipro.
Stomach infection from food at the "expat restaurant."

Isn't it ironic. Dontcha think?

1 comment:

Lauren and Lula said...

Oh stomach of steel I'm sorry that you have been defeated. May your recovery be quick so that your final days of good daal and curry be enjoyed.