THIS BLOG WILL NOT BE FOR EVERYONE. This blog post goes into depth regarding my worst experience I have had. I wrote it to let people know they are not alone as so many people go through the same experience. Or if you like just have a laugh at it.
LOCATION: Siem Reap, Cambodia
You might be able to tell where this is going to go already. We had been one week into our eight month long trip, just over. We had had some amazing food so far from all different kinds of restaurants and food stalls. I had drank more beer in that first week than I had in my whole life so far, had felt fine up until this point, but now it was time to go lay down.
We walked back to the hostel from the pub street, where we had just finished a lovely meal. I walked up to the form room and Nia, my travel companion, left me to my own devices. I curled up in my bed and started falling in and out of sleep. Suddenly, it was the next morning, it was raining in Cambodia which made me feel better about staying in bed all day watching Netflix. At this point my stomach was doing somersaults throughout the day, I didn’t even want to drink water just cause I didn’t want to add something else to the churning. Big, big mistake.
Nia would come up and check I was still alive before going off again enjoying her full health. I had a huge *FOMO moment where I just wanted to be involved but I wasn’t quite sure I would be able to get myself up. *FEAR OF MISSING OUT
That night the stomach ache feeling had turned into a sicky feeling in my throat. Oh no. It was stuffy up in the attic so the only thing I could do was go down outside and get some fresh air. It was around eleven PM at the time, so people were either out down Pub Street, drinking in the pool garden, or asleep. This was good for me. I felt horrendous, the worst I have ever felt in my life so far. I’d never felt this ill before.
I called my mum which was probably the worst thing to do in that state and told her about it. She of course bought up the subject of flying home and going back out when I felt better. It bought on tears and I started to shake as well. “Omg maybe I’m going to die”. It was dramatic, I know, but when you are in that scenario that you haven’t been in before, for the first time, you just don’t know what to do, think or feel.
God, I laugh at myself now of how pathetic I was. Particularly with all the new knowledge I have built up since. Which is why I want to share this. If you are ever in the same boat just know you have not been the only one. It will be ok. Time will heal you. It seems very slow in that moment but it will.
Anyway, so I had been sat on this bench outside the hostel in the garden (not by the pool where everyone was but close to the dorm and most importantly the toilet). If you didn’t see where this was going, you probably have a good idea now. Nia came over and wasn’t feeling great herself so wanted an earlyish night rather than staying up until four AM like usual. She sat with me for a bit outside until the sudden urge hit me.
I ran to the loo, bent straight to my knees, and luckily lifted the lid up in time to projectile vomit right into the bowl. Considering I hadn’t eaten anything substantial for about thirty hours I was confused where this was all coming from. After I had thrown up three full chunders it was time to sit down and have the same liquid form come out the other end. It was nasty. I felt dirty, I was worried everyone in their beds could hear me, I felt embarrassed that it was happening.
There were a few people who came to the bathroom area and asked if I had water, if I wanted anything. I know they were being nice, but I would have preferred it if they weren’t by the bathroom door listening to me! They knew what I was going through though, this is why they asked. They knew exactly how I was feeling. I guarantee that if you haven’t already, you will experience this at least once in Asia, or a similar experience.
I’m not going to go into any more details but I must have swapped positions (kneeling and sitting) three or four more times before everything came to a standstill. And oh my gosh did I feel so much better. I went straight upstairs slept the rest of the night to the following midday and when I woke up I felt like a whole new woman.
This above was my only very, very bad experience I have had being ill aboard. Touch wood. That type of ill where you did think you may pass out at some point. I have no idea what triggered it but for the whole rest of the eight months away I wasn’t ill like this again. Nor anywhere else I have travelled to since. I hope that it was a once in a life time, now it’s over and done with, will never happen again, sort of thing. Hopefully my body has gone through that stress once and that’s all it needs.
Here’s to hoping.
LEAH HANCOX 