Food poisoning when otr is not fun.

That's tough, hope you get to feeling better!! I've been through that one time. And that was one time to many.

 

I had the worst stomach bug of my life years ago. It started instantly with out warning. I felt nauseous, so I laid down. Then, I couldn't hold it and got up and threw up. Then, I had it coming out both ends, I was littering taking puking and leaking water out the wrong hole!! In 10 minutes, I was throwing up and doing this and I had no idea how this could happen, it was so much. Back to the story, within 10 minutes of this starting, I was so weak to the point I called a family member to come over and make sure I did not pass out. I could barely get out of the car or work, it was such a painful and un-imaginable experience. I went to the ER but left after a few hours of waiting, I wanted to get an IV. I couldn't keep any fluids down either.

I ended up taking some Pepto Bismol and started hydrating a little a time. Also ate a little oat meal with zero appetite. I could barely swallow due to my poor appetite. It took a couple days, but I healed.

You think its bad being a truck driver and getting food poisoning, try being a passenger on a Greyhound bus. Also happened to me. Feel better.

 

Im' living in the moment, They got you too. Landing gear checks, Need Depends. Never eat Bran Oatmeal & get 15' from a bathroom/out under the trailer. Your weak system don't match our food. Maggie said that,3 decades ago. Brought some "Hot Sauce" Load some Taco's & send them this way. Oh Lord, don't let me eat Bran Oatmeal, ever again. AMEN.

 

Nothing worse than being sick and not being home. Had this happen to me around 2 christmas' ago. Woke up in the early morning and just puked my brains out while I was sitting on the bowl. The smell made it worse and made me sick to point of dry heaving. Talk about total energy loss. Feel better packrat!

 

Slow Death. Call someone and let them know where youre at. And reject all loads. Dont try to drive, it only prolongs the sickness.

Happened to me in January. Got some bad food. Bought some Pepto, some crackers and a 2 litre ginger ale when I felt it coming. Suddenly, youre blowing and blowing and blowing. Your strength leaves you quickly. Too weak to walk, too sick to do anything, absolutely no appetite. Mine hit on a Sunday. Monday, I told my travel agent that I was passing on all loads and to take me out of service. Aint no way I could even think about driving. By Wednesday, I quit blowing. I was able to walk into the truckstop. Got a bowl of chicken noodle soup, crackers and a coke. Walked back out to the truck. Thursday, I was finally strong enough, IMO to drive. Still didnt have much of an appetite.

 

Just happened to me bout a week ago. Greensburg, IN. I was puking every 10 mins, but I was out of it to the point I started to try and walk to hospital and didn't know who I was etc. Regained enough composure to send dispatch message to call 911 for me. They did. Wife was sleeping. Didn't wake up till ambulance got there. Found out later was puking so much had small heart attack like event. Was on a Wednesday. Went back to work on Saturday.

 

Yeah, any kind of medical emergency on the road is tough. One of my first OTR trips I was down in Louisiana and I got the worst toothache/headache of my life. I've been a hockey player my entire life so pain is something that comes naturally and I've been through many serious and painful situations in my life, but this was just unbearable. I couldn't get relief in any way. I finally called an ambulance from a Pilot because I was frankly scared and didn't know what else to do. I made a call to my employer and told them I would be leaving the truck and going to the hospital and sure enough (and this is completely my fault for not knowing) they told me I didn't have any kind of medical coverage in the US.

Needless to say, I let the paramedics do a quick check on me and I called a number in Ontario to speak with a registered nurse. They gave me a few suggestions for the pain, I delivered the load and high tailed it back to Canada for an emergency dental visit. Turns out I needed a root canal in the worst of ways and I was on prescription medication for a few days, so at least I got a little vacation out of it.

 

Funnily enough last Friday I was working at my new local gig when I started getting the queasiest of stomachs. I started developing cold sweats, dizziness, fatigue, stomach cramps and started vomiting. I called my boss who promptly told me to stay where I was. He drove about 30 minutes to pick me up, drove me home and made sure I was okay before he dropped me off. I thought I was okay so I tried to sleep it off, but when I awoke I still felt a great deal of pain in my abdomen. I went to the emergency room and sure enough after some ultrasounds and blood work I found out I needed to have my appendix removed. It was in quite the acute stage but luckily it hadn't burst. The only bad part is that I'm now sidelined from work for a couple of weeks, but they're offering to let me take part in office duties until I'm physically ready to get back in the saddle. It's nice to have an employer that cares about you.

Couldn't imagine how scary this would have been if I was on the road.

 

Mine was bad raw oysters (roysters we call 'em) down at a place I shouldn't have stopped at in LA (not Los Angeles or Lower Alabama) which I shall not name The House The Of Rising Sun but it should be. Same as everyone else; quick, fast, sudden and completely debilitating in (to me) a VERY scary way. I thought some bad boudain was something to dread and I was more than a little scared I took in something else playing in a playground I shouldn't have been. , but D@mmneed the food and . . . uh . . . atmosphere was awesome.

Checked in with a truck stop Doc at a big TA (they hadn't long bought out 76 so that tells you the when). BTW, those guys are kinda useless unless you want to buy a medical card. He said it was food poisoning and he could either have me check into an ER that would give me an IV for a couple days or tell me to keep it going in as fast as it was coming out for a few days until it purged and give me a medical pass for staying off driving. A dr's excuse, and (this was Monday - yeah I know I was a bad boy at HOTRS on a Sunday to boot - I paid for it. Trust me on that.) if I pointed my truck out he'd come bang on the door if I was still there Wednesday to check on me.

I chose that option and learned a few things that have really stuck with me. The School of Hard Knocks is a tough one, but the lessons learned last a lifetime:

1. Every indulgence has a hidden price.
2. The company doesn't care about your health problems. Only the loads they are missing really matter.
3. Truckstop Docs are pretty much useless.
4. Always roll with every cubby stuffed with as many PLASTIC grocery bags as you can cram in them. Screw the landfill. Paper bags are USELESS as truckstop Docs.
5. Four one gallon jugs full of drinkable water onboard at all times is not an option. It's standard.
6. There's a reason you don't eat roysters in any month that doesn't have an R in it. It has to do with temperature and shallow water beds. Shallow water beds get exposed to air at low tide. That's OK during months with an R because those are cool temperature months. Cool temps keep killer bacteria away. Months without an R are warm months that bacteria that take you out thrive in.
7. Community Coffee and boudain will cure any ill faster than chicken or matzah ball soup. Just don't ask what's in the boudain. You really don't want to know. Just enjoy it in the bliss of ignorance.
8. When they write a song about a place; listen to the lyrics. They might contain an important message, like, you know . . . don't go there.

Here's to ya Dino; When you can start forcing fluid again and hold it, good pulpy OJ is a breath of fresh air going down and the little acid finishes off the stragglers and the pulp is cellulose which passes through without breaking down much so it starts to thicken things a bit. Sip slowly, though. Too much, too fast and it'll just come right back up. Like all things: moderation is the key. Sincerely hoping you recover fast.