Well I finally stopped being a tough gal and went to the doctor. yeah, I have the classic Mexican traveler’s bug, which pure & simply stinks.

I’m told I have a ‘mild’ case. Symptoms were coming & going, at first I though I was just eating too many beans, but about three days ago in Cautla I was in nearly intolerable pain. I stopped early that night, short of my destination: Oaxaca. Teh next day I called Ruben, my host here in Oaxaca, and he rode ~150 miles out to meet me on the road and ride in with me. They had chicken soup waiting for me! I almost cried. Next day I felt better, ate a whole bunch, then yesterday my breakfast sat in my stomach all-day-long. Oofa.

After being up all night I finally cried mercy. The doctor says I have to have a purely liquid diet for the next 3 days, 1 liter gatorade every day plus copious water, no milk or dairy for 2 weeks. He said the pharmacist (in Mexico you can walk into any pharmacy and ask for any drug you like) over-medicated me and it’s stripped my stomach and to stop taking them and THAT is compounding the problem and why I am in so much pain and cannot tolerate food. He gave me an anti-diarrheal and a very mild antibiotic to replace the the other.

So I might be in Oaxaca for yet another day–my hosts are so great. They help so much, and visit / entertain me when I am good and let me rest when I feel poorly. Something about friendly faces / people–when I first talked to Ruben on the telephone he asked if I was ready to be spoiled…when we hung up I CRIED!

There’s something about being taken care of when everything is unfamiliar–I don’t know how to repay them…