When I woke up three days ago feeling faint, food poisoning didn’t immediately enter my mind. I didn’t have an appetite, and although I tried to eat, nothing seemed to help alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms I was experiencing. What I initially thought was low blood sugar developed into one of the most unpleasant illnesses I’ve ever experienced. The following information provides a firsthand account of food poisoning including symptoms and ways to cope with this very painful and potentially life-threatening medical condition.
Precautionary Statement
I chose not to seek medical treatment for my case of food poisoning, but if you suspect you have food poisoning it’s best to seek medical treatment as soon as symptoms occur. Some cases of food poisoning can be deadly, and the earlier treatment is administered, the better your chances are for a complete and rapid recovery.
Day One
Day one I woke up feeling a little dizzy and somewhat faint, and my body temperature didn’t feel quite right. I wondered if my symptoms had anything to do with the pain meds I took the night before, or my cervical spinal stenosis. I tried stretching before I got up that morning, and had even hung over the side of the bed in an attempt to align my spine. I thought maybe this was why I was feeling dizzy.
I attempted to eat a plum and a bowl of frosted flakes. Eating didn’t solve my problem, and I suddenly became fearful of passing out. I had an overwhelming feeling of impending doom, and I called my parents and told them something was wrong. They immediately came over to my home to see what they could do to help.
I vomited twice before my parents arrived, and this wasn’t ordinary vomiting. It was retching, and I was eventually vomiting a little blood along with a lot of stomach acid. I felt as if I had the flu but without the classic body aches and pains. I went from hot to cold many times, and my head hurt terribly. I knew this wasn’t the flu, and I also knew something was terribly wrong.
My dad is a diabetic, and I’ve experienced low blood sugar on many occasions. I had a piece of cake and a glass of lemonade early in the evening the night before, and I attributed my symptoms to a blood sugar problem. My parents and I thought I was experiencing low blood sugar, and my dad went to the store for pop, orange juice, and a bag of Lifesavers candy. If this was a case of low blood sugar, it was unlike my past experiences. I couldn’t keep the pop or the candy down. While they were at my home I continued vomiting, barely making it to the bathroom. At one point I was sitting on the toilet while vomiting into a bucket. I couldn’t have been more miserable, and I realized this wasn’t low blood sugar.
My parents offered to take me to the doctor, but I refused. I’m not eligible for health insurance for another two months, and I didn’t want the added expense, or a pre-existing condition on record. I opted to treat myself at home, and when I didn’t begin to feel better and continued to vomit, the thought of food poisoning began to enter my mind. I had all of the classic symptoms of food poisoning; vomiting, retching, diarrhea, a headache, and other flu-like symptoms. I knew a serious case of food poisoning could be deadly if untreated, and I decided I would see a doctor the next day if my symptoms didn’t begin to subside.
After thinking I might be suffering from a case of food poisoning, I began to think back on what I had eaten in the past 48 hours. Those who suffer from food poisoning don’t always immediately experience symptoms, and I had to figure out what I had recently eaten that no one else in my family had. The only foods I had eaten that my kids hadn’t was sour cream with salsa and homemade crab salad. A light went off in my head. I was almost certain the crab salad I had been eating for the past few days was causing my miserable symptoms.
I had purchased imitation crab meat from Wal-Mart’s fresh seafood counter the Saturday prior, and I had planned to cook it in butter the following evening. My husband and I ended up eating at my sister’s house, and we didn’t eat the imitation crab meat as planned. He left for his truck driving job on Monday morning, and I was left with a pound of imitation crab meat that I didn’t know what to do with.
On Tuesday, I shredded the crab meat, added diced celery, salt, sugar, and mayo. I ate it everyday thereafter until I finished it Thursday evening. It smelled fine when I finished it, and didn’t taste bad in the least, but I later found out that foods can be spoiled and result in food poisoning without looking or tasting bad or having a foul odor. Since my husband had eaten the sour cream without getting sick, and since I was the only one who ate the imitation crab meat salad, I determined this to be the source of my food poisoning.
I continued to become hot and cold, and I vomited at least six times on Friday. It was one of the most miserable days of my life, and when I wasn’t vomiting, I spent much of the day sleeping. I couldn’t even keep down water, and I wondered if I would be forced to go to the hospital. Dehydration is one of the most dangerous problems associated with food poisoning symptoms, and I felt my body growing weaker and weaker as the day progressed. I went to bed early, and although I felt terrible, I had no problems sleeping – until I woke up at 4:00 a.m.
Day Two
Four a.m. was day two of my food poisoning ordeal, and I went from vomiting to having stomach cramps and diarrhea. I was very weak and didn’t feel like getting out of bed, but I had to visit the bathroom. This seemed to be the better of two evils, but I felt as if my muscles had been compromised, and although my stomach felt a little better, I was extremely tired – more tired than ever, and the food poisoning symptoms were still quite bothersome. I ended up going back to sleep, and I didn’t wake up again until about 10:00 a.m. I knew I had to eat, and I knew I had to drink something in order to avoid a visit to the doctor or even worse, a hospital stay I couldn’t afford.
I began my day with a small bowl of cooked rice, and I spent the rest of the day sitting around, taking naps, eating popsicles, and drinking Gatorade. I still have a foul taste in my mouth, and my stomach still doesn’t feel quite right. I had diarrhea again throughout the day, and I had to keep pushing liquids to keep from becoming dehydrated. The diarrhea eventually subsided, and I was able to eat a small meal in the evening, even though I still didn’t feel good. Some of the food poisoning symptoms remain.
I am now positive I have food poisoning, and I realize it will take a few days to get the toxins completely out of my system. The more liquids the better, and this evening I was very thirsty. I’ve been downing glass after glass of water, and I’m beginning to feel better. I’m going to bed shortly, and hopefully I wake up feeling much better than I’ve felt over the past two days. Food poisoning is a miserable condition with highly uncomfortable symptoms that I hope I never experience again.
Day Three
My third day with food poisoning is much better than the past 48 hours of misery I have suffered. Although I couldn’t sleep last night, I feel considerable better than yesterday. My stomach still doesn’t feel quite right, and I’m still suffering from a slight case of diarrhea, but the other uncomfortable symptoms have subsided. I’ve been able to eat small meals, but my appetite isn’t what it was before I ate the tainted imitation crab meat salad. I’m sure that each day my food poisoning symptoms will become less and less until my bout with food poisoning becomes nothing but a very unpleasant but distant memory. Even still, I have no intentions of ever eating crab salad again!
