A Nausea Problem

warning: This entry involves words like Parasites and Poo, so if you´re not into these kind of stories don´t read further.

Wednesday night I went to sleep feeling fine but I woke up in the middle of the night feeling extremely nauseous. This is the 3rd time I´ve felt sick like this in 2 months. The first time this happened I was on a night bus coming back to site from Asuncion. I was with my Paraguayan contact and luckily another volunteer. We had just attended a 3 day workshop on youth employment skills. I took a benedryl and soon passed out for the 6 hour ride that left at 11pm. My two companions were also quickly dozing off. As the bus traveled further from Asuncion, more and more passengers began to load on. The seats were already filled so these passengers were forced to stand in the aisles. (The bus company still charges these people full price and they need to stand for the entire 5-6 hour ride)An hour or so into the trip, I woke up feeling sick, I began to search for a plastic bag in case i couldn´t make it to the bathroom at the back of the bus in time. Then I jumped out of my seat and pushed my way through the 20 or so people standing in the aisle, making my way to the back of the bus. I stepped over people attempting to sleep on the floor, over a sick child being comforted by his mother, and finally reached the bathroom only to find a man sitting in front of the door blocking my entrance. I covered my mouth and motioned him to move out of the way if he knew what was best for him, he quickly got up, and I threw the door open knowing I had only seconds before I couldn´t hold in my sickness any longer. As I opened the door, I was MORTIFIED to find a man in full military uniform sleeping on the toilet! I grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him awake as I simultaneously began to let forth the most horrific projectile vomitting scene anyone has ever seen. (Think the scene in The Excorsist) The man barely escaped receiving a direct hit but he still suffered some splashidge and I turned the bathroom into a mess. I continued to puke for 20 min and then I began to cry because I was stuck in the bathroom, a complete mess and there was no water, nor toilet paper, which is always the case on buses or in any public bathroom in Paraguay. Eventually my friend figured out I was sick but not because any Paraguayan let her know. Paraguayans I´m sure just sat in silence as they listened to me and thought "she´s surely dying....it must be God´s plan, we shall just stand here and watch and not tell her friend" When she knocked on the door and asked if i was ok I responded "NO, i´m not ok. I´m puking my guts, out, i have no water, or paper, there is a mess in here, and i´m pretty sure i puked on a military man" She then brought me a bottle of water and a roll of paper as fast as she could and I cleaned myself and the bathroom up as best I could. I sprayed water all over the bathroom then used wads of toilet paper to wipe it up. I couldn´t leave this pile of stuff in the bathroom for 50 other people to smell as they used the bathroom so I threw it out the window,(it´s amazing what you can get used to) I didn´t like littering but in a country where it´s the norm because trash cans simply don´t exist 95% of the time, i didn´t feel too guilty. Luckily I felt better immediately and went back to sleep.

Wednesday night I woke up in the middle of the night feeling the same way and had the same experience, minus the military man and the littering. I´m going to get tested for parasites next time i´m in Asuncion, since the likelihood of it being food poisening on several occasions in unlikely. If it is a parasite, that will count as the 3rd kind i´ve had during my service. I´ve had 14 pique (which are the little bugs that lay eggs in your foot) Number 14 crawled under my toe nail, and left me without a toe nail when I finally got it out :( I wasn´t too upset my this, since i was expecting to loose a toenail at some point during my marathon training but i thought it would be due to running instead of parasites. The other kind I´ve had is much worse-pin worm. If you´re not sure what that is, i´m not sure you want to know. It causes extreme itching during the night in your butt region because the worms are as the peace corps doctor said "active during the night" crawling out of your butt. This is really common in kids in Paraguay and you know they have it because they itch their butt. Well, then the eggs get under their fingernails, no one washes their hands, then they touch food, or your hand....and you guess what happens. I get it!! Teachers in the states may have to worry about catching colds from kids but at least they don´t have to worry about pinworm. I know, I know... Ewww. I scrub my hands and fingernails everyday now.

I don´t know what is living inside me right now, or if i´m even really motivated to bring 3 days worth of samples on a 6 hour bus ride to the capital for an exam. (That just sound like a reason I might puke on the bus again) but if i find out, i´ll let you know.