A live update from the trip I’m on…it really stinks to be sick, but at least I’m sick in a comfortable place.
You may have noticed that posting has been delayed and more limited this week. That was not the plan, but I’ve been sick…something hit me very hard.
On Sunday I was fine. On Monday things turned bad, fast. I want to blame the manti (a Turkish, dumpling-like pasta dish), but this could have been a virus I picked up long before that only manifested itself later. But whether it it was food poisoning, a virus, or something else, I’ve been very sick.
I won’t describe the symptoms, but let’s just say I’ve been too dizzy to get out of bed, yet nature has forced many trips to the restroom.
All of this from the Four Seasons Bosphorus in Istanbul, one of my favorite hotels in the world that I returned to this year after a great stay last year.
It’s really sad to be sick when you’re staying in a lovely city and in a lovely hotel. I’m not taking advantage of any amenities like breakfast, the spa, or the the beautiful patio overlooking the Bosphorus or finding new coffee shops in this amazing city.
At the same time, I can’t think of anywhere other than home I’d rather convalesce than in a five-star hotel. I’ve had no appetite at all, but whenever I need anything, I just have to call room service. The bed is comfortable. The room cold. There’s plenty of water (which I cannot even keep down now). I’m sleeping a lot…and hoping this will soon pass.
You could say I am not totally lost…I’ve still mustered up the energy to type this out. But let’s hope that whatever is in me will quickly dissipate.
In the meantime, I’m thankful for my Four Seasons convalescence hospital.
I have always said that I would rather be in a high-end hotel than a hospital if I was ever ill. Hotels cost a lot less; and you get much better service.
Unfortunately, many of the necessary things which are needed to improve health are at a hospital and not at a hotel — but still…
…I hope you feel better as soon as possible, Matthew.
You’re in a developing nation, the travelers diarrhea is likely ETEC (a form of E coli) rather than viral. Your symptoms may improve quicker with azithro or cipro, can get over-the-counter there. Hope you feel better soon!
Sorry you’re not well. Ciprofloxcin is a traveler’s best friend.
There is a “black box” warning for Cipro: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a688016.html
I have taken it in the past while traveling for traveler’s diarrhea. But I know two people who needed surgery to repair the tendon damage caused by Cipro. There are any number of better alternatives!
Allah is punishing you for eating and not making oruç during Ramadan.
Hope you get better soon. That reminds me of a disastrous trip to Kuala Lumpur for a 2 day meeting. Arrived on a Saturday and on Sunday did some sightseeing and tried some Malaysian food. Ouch!!!! Sunday evening things turned bad and my room at the Mandarin Oriental turned into a war zone if you know what I mean. On Monday I was so bad I called the front desk and they sent me a doctor. I remember me crawling from the bed to open the door. The doctor looked at me and said “Ohh, you don’t look good!!”. Gave me some medicine, some fluids and told me to rest. By Wednesday I was feeling a bit better and could at least walk. On Thursday, 10 lbs lighter, I was able to catch my flight home. I got upgraded from business to first class in CX all the way to the US. All I could eat was white bread and drink water. Missed all meetings so it was a total waste of time and money.
Hopefully you’ll recover soon. Being sick is awful when you’re traveling. But then again, that’s all you do. Maybe, just maybe, you should try staying home once and awhile.
You need to report this to the hotel as it could be Covid or contagious. You could transmit to room service staff which is unfair and selfish.
I was tested earlier today out of an abundance of caution (PCR). Not COVID-19 symptoms. I was negative.
“I was tested…” implies the hotel is aware of your distress. Did the hotel’s physician see you as well?
A speedy recovery to you, and an uneventful journey home.
Matthew, your symptoms do sound like friends’ recent COVID cases, and one friend said tests didn’t turn positive for a few days after his symptoms started. Please don’t stop at one test. DO feel better fast, and DO remember that if this might be viral, whatever the virus, wearing a mask protects those around you, not just you.
Yes, Matthew, please make sure you remain triple-masked while in your room alone. Your mask protects me!
Yes, because when you eat bad food that is Covid related. Follow the science.
No guarantee it was or wasn’t the food. Leave the science to the scientists, please.
EVERYTHING is Covid to you Aaron. Can only imagine the pile of tissues you went through when you heard the mask mandate is extended.
Come on Dave there’s no reason for personal attacks.
You be you and let others by who they are…..
Lol. Not, not everything is COVID related to me. I will need those tissue to wipe the tears of joy once the mask mandate ends. I will apologize for not being as pro-plague as you are, though.
Aaron’s favorite scientist must be Trofim Lysenko. Surely Comrade Lysenko could help us avert food shortages caused by imperialist running dog Trump, I mean Biden, I mean the foothills of the Himalayas…
He is so irresponsible it probably is Covid and he is putting others lives at risk. This travels through air vents. They usually have rooms set aside for Covid far from others, I’m calling the hotel and their corporate office and sending them this post, so they ban him in the future for not reporting it.
Yay! Another pro-plague enthusiast.
Hang in, Matthew. It’s gonna pass (no pun intended). Beats the flu at a Courtyard Marriott in Oklahoma City! Ya know, gotta look at the bright side.
In the meantime Santastico and I can do posts for you in a counter viewpoint manner that focuses on masking, Covid, and travel restrictions. With Joe Chivas as a special commentator. Don’t worry about a thing…we got your back and what could possibly go wrong?
I support this!
My deveoping country pharma mainstays: Prophylactic doses of Bactrim …. and Imodium for lower G/I issues. I got something similar in India years ago and was totally miserable. Hope you feel better soon.
Taking unnecessary Bactrim is foolhardy. It can cause death 20 years later. Ask me how.
My bad. I was thinking of Macrodantin. But still, pill popping is not always good.
Sorry, This comes right from the CDC. It’s not pill popping. So you advocate only taking the Malaria prophylactic drug AFTER you get Malaria ?
The same CDC that said not to wear masks and then to wear multiple masks? The same CDC whose director cries out of fear of the Black Death known as COVID-19 and repeatedly makes utterly false assertions no one with a three-digit IQ should believe? Even that MAGA rag the Atlantic called out Walensky for her nonsensical school masking policy (courtesy of our hallowed teachers’ unions).
Lol Not, not everything is COVID related to me. I will need those tissue to wipe the tears of joy once the mask mandate ends. I will apologize for not being as pro-plague as you are, though.
I got very sick on a trip to Istanbul as well.
In fact, as a child I would visit Istanbul frequently and always got a bout of montezumas revenge for the first few days.
I remember drinking bottled water instead of tap – even for brushing teeth.
In addition to the medication suggestions on here, I would also recommend yoghurt and a probiotic. Kefir is also widely available in Istanbul. If your condition doesn’t change, I highly recommend a visit (the hotel can arrange) to the American Hospital in Istanbul’s Nisantasi neighborhood – locally know as the Amerikan Hastanesi. They provide world class medicine and even operated on my father’s hand when he got it stuck in a limo door a couple years ago.
Even if you take bottled-water precautions, you would be surprised what did it for me on my last visit two years ago – I had a salad and the lettuce was washed in tap water! Most good restaurants use bottled water in food prep and ice cubes production,
And if you don’t find kefir, ayran is absolutely everywhere. Hope you feel better soon!
I lived in remote Africa and simple rehydration drink is water with some salt but not too salty and small amount of sugar. Sip slowly. I saw lives saved with this
I hope you will get the best medical care possible and will get well soon.
Then don’t forget to give credit to god and religious faith to have saved you like some of the religious $%^%””$ on the right do. Even better if you get free healthcare and then rant about the freeloaders using up all the resources like the white Republican male $%%^%$” do on television.
I feel your pain, so sorry! Whenever I feel ill, I just repeat the following phrase in my mind: “This too shall pass”, hope you feel better soon!
Do you travel with an antibiotic? I get one from my doctor just in case. I tell them I travel frequently and need it if I get food poisoning or worse. It has saved several trips from disaster!
Ugh! Feel better Matthew
LOL!! Tell that to our Government. So now if you have diarrhea and vomit that is Covid? Tell me a symptom that you don’t think it is Covid related? BTW, mental health is not Covid related but affects people that got brainwashed by the “science”.
Not as bad as how brainwashed the anti-science pro-plague people are…
Take a look at the symptoms of long COVID and then wonder what isn’t long COVID.
Hope you feel better soon Matthew!
Get well soon Matthew!
Get well soon my friend, and stay well. Take care.
Bummer, Matthew. Get well soon!
In November, I spent my test-on-arrival quarantine at the Four Seasons. It was absolutely divine.
Get better soon. If you are self medicating with antibiotics, know how your body reacts to them. Some are very powerful and could be dangerous. Prescribed ciprofloxacin was that way for me. My chart now says last resort only. My experience with powerful antibiotics is that it may take several weeks to recover from them.
I know a cold room seems great but while you are sick it may not be the best idea. I usually eat some sort of chicken soup for recovery as it is easy on my stomach. In Southeast Asia that may be a rice noodle soup or a rice soup or a rice porridge. I have had great luck with loperamide (Imodium is a brand of it) for diarrhea control but I use it after I am fully flushed. If you don’t have experience with it, consult with a medical professional.
I try to make sure I get very hot food if I am getting it from an unknown source. I got typhoid once, but that was from a sit down restaurant in Thailand. I prefer street food overseas as I can see how it is prepared. Lines of locals getting food at the same place is a good sign.
Your post made me think of a couple of experiences I had several years ago.
I’ve had back surgery twice in my life. The first time at Cedars Sinai where I convalesced for a week before heading home. Although I was in a private suite and at a fancy hospital, it was impossible to sleep, the food was awful, and my recovery was slow. The second surgery (with the same surgeon) was done at an outpatient hospital in Beverly Hills that sent me to a 5 star hotel down the street to convalesce for a week (with a private nurse and room service) before heading home. Second surgery recovery was fast, comfortable, and I was up moving around before I left the hotel. Recovery from my first procedure cost my insurance company $45k a day (yes, a day….I will never forget that bill), and the second cost my insurance company less than $5k a day.
So when I’ve been sick and cannot convalesce in my home I vote for the hotel.
I hope you feel better soon. Being sick while away from home sucks. Take care – get well soon.