Giardia sucks

“Well, I got it.... I had to come home from my shift early because of it. The doc gave me Flagyl and it took almost two days before I felt human again. I still am living on Jello and soup and just now I'm starting to think a BLT sandwich would sure taste good.

While I was under the worst of its effects, I was reminded of the Stephen King book/movie Dreamcatcher.....

The irony of all this is, where I think I got it from......my own damn well! It tested positive for biological contaminates (It costs a bundle to find exactly what the biological contaminates are) What with the timing between trips, it looks like I actually got it at home

We believe the problem with the well started when we had the pump changed...about that time Shasta Dam

I gotta stay out in the woods more......”

“Wow of all the places to get it from. Hope you feel better.”

“OK, I never finished the part about Shasta Dam...it had to do with the rivers rising and many of the wells in the area pumping discolored water for a few weeks.”

“That does suck, mtnsteve!
Hope you get over it fast.”

“I feel a bunch better today...the Flagyl apparently takes 24/48 hours to kick in.”

“Glad your starting to feel better.
What did you do about the well? Chemicals? Filter?”

“And the good part is that your immune system will be better off!!

Get well soon, maybe some alcohol would help kill off the bugs??!!”

“Sure am sorry to hear that, Steve. To have the stuff hit you in your own backyard like that....”

“could be, the combo of rising water and the changing of the pump coulda let some stuff into the well.

feel better soon”

“I liked the movie, "DreamCatcher"...especially the part where the pilots were blasting the aliens. :o)

Get well soon mtnsteve...next time drink beer instead of well water.”

“....and the smell of those farts, they dont even smell like your own.

........and those stool samples you need to collect. There is nothing like putting your own crab in thos tiny specimin vials.

Laughing at you only because Ive been there!! Good Luck”

“yum!”

“The title of this thread really should be: Giardia Blows!!!”

“The dog and cat would get up and leave.



We're going to shock treat the well...hope that takes care of it. It's going to take some time, if ever, before we drink from the tap again.”

“Sorry to hear all this, mtnsteve!



(Memo to self: never go backpacking to mtnsteve's house....)”

“Aw, blow it out your ass!







Just kidding man...glad you're feeling better. I've heard that's an awful experience.”

“FLMAO @ TANGO!


Ya beat me to it.....!”

“Feel better, Steve.

The doc is sure it's giardiasis?”

“Had it twice myself in India over 30 years ago..and, it's amazing, in this world of drugs, that the only medication that kills it is still Flagyl's..some things never change..I sure hope you're feeling better..”

“You have my sympathies. I had it 2 yrs ago.”

“Get well, mt. steve!!”

“Get Well Soon Steve!”

“I am among the living again. I even had my BLT for dinner (against my wifes better judgment)


Phaedrus...The doctor never got to run the tests he wanted. I had it once before, years ago and was aware of the symptoms. We discussed the tests, but it takes 3 to 4 days to run them and I needed the meds, like now!

I argued that by the time he got his test's back I would have suffered for 3 or 4 days, also my wife wasnt going to be home for a couple days and I was too sick to run them down to the lab myself...he agreed. He gave me the prescription and checked me out again today. He was confident that it was Giardia and decided not to have me do the test's right now.”

“Delays.... I think much of this world lives for delays.... but there is a good argument to be sure about some things. I think you did the right thing by syaing why should I suffer for 4 days before you give me the meds. It's not like the meds would kill you or addict you if you did not have the big G.”

“Wanna know what the common side effects of Flagyl are.....

Diarrhea
dizziness or lightheadedness
headache
loss of appetite
nausea or vomiting
stomach pain or cramps


Ironic, huh”

“man, i tried to tallya to stay away from the brown acid........”

“I got it at Savage Gulf, TN a few years ago...I was desperate and used a questionable water source...it was rather dry out that time of the year so I had to take what I could find. I was using a squeeze bottle with a water filter and I guess it didn't do a very good job.

After I got over the worst part of it the symptoms lasted for about a year afterwards. YOU DON'T WANT IT! Although the bacteria was gone it really did a number on me. I guess I really didn't tell any of my hiking buddies about it because the subject just never came up. I actually was just getting over it when I went on a AT section hike with a bunch of TT'ers. I had to ...um... stop several times a day and take care of business and it sucked big time.

I've since changed the way I filter my water and I'm probably too careful but then again...YOU DON'T WANT IT!”

“ewwwwww, sorry to hear that it got you. I am glad you are feeling better now!

It is scary to hear that the source may have been your own house! It is one thing to brag: "we were doing this hellacious trek in the high peaks, with clothes-shearing winds, uphill both ways, bear attacks, various other turmoil, etc. (the usual, haha) and had to drink water from a mud puddle made by a moose footprint..."
A story that would mesmerize your non-backpacking friends and coworkers. Also, the kind of tale that would surely exhalt you to superhero status. But when the story goes..."we were just sitting at home drinking some tapwater" that's just WRONG!

Get well soon!!
>:D”

“Thats Kind of gross. I still haven't gotten over the idea of, well, you know, pooping, in the woods. So far on all my hikes I have been able to hold it untill I ma back at the trail head.”

“thats not very good for you diz :)

once you've done it a couple of times, its no big deal.”

“It's only bad if your my buddy WB..who had G all summer...and he was constantly running off the trail all summer..lol. And then he had an encounter with the grossest privy-it was alive with maggots, swarming, buzzing. Lol...gross, but funny!

PS: Pooing gets easier over time...and Hwy, you are disgusting :-P”

“It doesn't have to be overly complex or anything, just get behind a tree and go -- just remember to dig yourself a hole or kick up a rock (and put it back afterwards -- that step is very important, folks) -- because no one wants land mines all over the forest...

...Gross.”

“Besides, it's costs your body extra energy to hold it in -- wasted energy that could probably be used to keep you warmer in that sleeping bag overnight...”

“Hey there's a pretty big cyclosporidia outbreak in my town. About 40 confirmed cases, so far. So, for all those people who use public restrooms around here...

WASH YOUR FREAKIN' HANDS!”

“ewwwwwwww!!!!”

“I hate when people don't wash their hands. I reported a Dairy Queen employee to her boss for not washing her hands. Disgusting!”

“I too am the "I'll wait if possible" type. Then again I havent gone on anything long yet either.
last edited: 5/06/05 1:04:51 PM”

“Really gets to me when you're sitting in a stall, and hear the person next to you get up, flush, and walk right out the door. AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH. Didn't they pay attention to Biology in High School?”

“Taking my dog to the vet tomorrow afternoon. I think she may be infected. We went out on the Fiery Gizzard last week and she splashed and drank in every single place the creek was accessable. The poor thing has had diarrhea for 2 days now.

Yes I'm making sure she drinks plenty of water. Her appetite hasn't been diminished yet.”

“Good luck giving her Flagyl.”

“why?”

“Cramming pills down a shepherd's throat?”

“that is why they make pill guns”

“that's why they make cheese!

When she got hit by a car back in April, we perfected our pill giving technique. Kamper wraps it in cheese or sliced turkey. I just stuck the pills in the back of her throat. We had to give her pain killers, sedatives, anti-inflamatories, & antibiotics several times a day for a couple of months. I'm a frickin pro now.”

“That is also why they made canned dog food (hide the pills in there), peanut butter, cheeses of different kinds, and ground beef.”

“sadly she doesn't like peanut butter.


Speaking of ground beef. I need to dehydrate some for this weekend.”

“i like peanut butter...”

“for what???


ummmm better not answer that BM”

“Liver sausage works well too.”

“She eventually let us put the pills in the back of her throat where she couldn't spit them back out.
I hope it's just her new kibble, but this is really bad.”