Unpleasantness

Warning: Not for the squeamish!

Well the weekend progressed badly. I duly trotted off to bed at a reasonable hour on Friday night in anticipation of my 5am start and was promptly woken an hour later by PG throwing up!

Poor guy, this carried on all night as some heinous bug invaded his digestive system (no he was not drunk) and kept him bathroom bound for the duration. You know the scenario, just back into bed and settled down and up he was again while I listened to the associated horrible noises from bed. I did attempt to play Florence Nightingale on a number of occasions but he hates to be fussed over and I was duly dispatched back to bed. It was pointless, this is a small flat, the bathroom is next to the bedroom and noise travels easily.

PG is unfortunately prone to such invasions of the digestive system, courtesy of the job he does but also courtesy, two years ago, of becoming one of only a handful of people in Scotland to have contracted 'giardiasis' in the last ten years. Originally a tropical parasitic infection it is relatively rare, though I can find no figures for the UK but as an indication Washington US has approximately only 700 cases a year.

How this happened we never did discover but his diagnosis took two very painful and long weeks because no one even suspected giardia in Scotland. Fair comment, I don't consider the medical profession at fault here, it was just one of those things.

The general professional consensus was that he probably contracted it in London somewhere, we had visited the week before and eaten and drunk in many many places. However he came by this particularly nasty and dangerous little parasite it was most definitely not a pleasant time! I will spare you the details but suffice to say he lost 3 stone in eight days and the heavy duty antibiotic treatment did nothing to put weight back on him.

The whole experience was far from fun. PG was extremely ill for weeks and weeks and from the moment his test results returned with the diagnosis we became subject of big brother (quite rightly so I might add) in full swing. Environmental health were immediately notified, I was horrified, Ms obsessively clean and tidy here having her home tested by environmental health! Gah.... they might well have assured me it was highly unlikely to have stemmed from here but horrified I remained! Everyone we had been in contact with had to be notified and checked out by a doctor if they showed any symptoms, our water supply and sceptic tank had to be checked for contamination and everywhere we had been had to be notified and/or checked. This was no mean feat considering our recent visit to London. PG had to remain quarantined at home and I had to effectively practice professional levels of infection control. Visitors where not allowed.

The end result was inconclusive regarding the source of his infection, all they where sure of was it hadn't originated here or at his place of work despite his work having been their expected source. He was off work for over three months and only allowed back once not only his doctor, but also environmental health were satisfied by three sets of negative test results.

And it is thus that he now seems to suffer more than usual should he be bug ridden and it is also thus that I went to work yesterday morning on less than an hours sleep. It goes without saying that ontop of the current hormonal situation the day was not a good one for either of us. I staggered through the day and PG remained ailing in his bed.

By today, a vomit free and sleep filled night later, things are improving. My 'state' has reached the 'I feel like I'm getting flu' stage which thankfully means it will all be over soon and PG has managed to keep a small dinner in his stomach.....so far for 2 hours.....it's looking good! :o)