The culprit? Snails from the river. They call them churos (not the sweet Mexican thing with cinnamon). They were kind of like an Ecuadorian escargot, and I ate 20 of them.
The next day I got very VERY sick around 10am. It the pain, vomiting, diarrhea went on and around 2 I decided to do something. With my sister Erika's help, two paramedics came to the apartment, checked me out, gave me an IV of saline and told me to rest and drink Gatorade
I was doing better until about 6:30, when all of the symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and numbness in my hands, arms, and face came back. At 8 I decided I needed to go to a hospital. I called Chris and Trish, and Trish came quickly to take me to the Hospital Metropolitano.
The hospital was nice and as good as any American hospital. We were there from about 8:30 to 1am as the nurses and doctors did blood tests...etc. They perscribed three medications: Cipro, Buscapina, and Digespar.
The cost of everything? The visit, the nurse's and doctor's time? The medicine? $80.32. If you add in the cost of the paramedics who came to my house, it comes to $80.32...because it was free...because they are paid for with taxes...
So my four-day weekend has quickly turned into a six-day weekend. I'm sitting at home, eating toast and more Gatorade.