Dehydration and Food poisoning

An update on the Gladys and Edward story. It is the new year and she is back in Lagos. I liked writing this part as I'm sure most of us can relate having been sick one time or the other. Enjoy...

Gladys turned over groggily on the bed as the door to her room opened. She looked up and broke into a weak smile when she recognized Jennifer and Ayo.

“And we thought you were invincible!” Jennifer exclaimed as she quickly took the only armchair in the spacious room.

Ayo came closer and perched on the bed. “I hope you’re not infectious? I can stand if that’s the case.”

Gladys laughed. Just last Sunday at their outing after the church service, she’d bragged of never being sick after a year in Lagos. Alas she spoke too soon! Around lunch time at work on Tuesday, she’d started to feel ill, and it got worse to the point that she was miserable by afternoon. She had chills all over her body, a terrible headache, and felt faint. Ola took her home ahead of the usual time and waited until Aunt Isioma came back. The fever receded but in the evening; she had barely started a phone call with Edward before her stomach turned to liquid.

When she spent most of the night in the toilet, her aunt had brought her to Reddington Hospital for a checkup. She had ended up being admitted for observation because based on the blood tests; she had a very high white blood cell count. That was yesterday.

“Sorry we couldn’t come to see you earlier. We decided to come together after work.”

“No problem at all, thanks for coming.” Gladys had called them both this morning. She’d been too weak yesterday to think of even raising a finger.

“So what exactly is wrong? You look terrible.”

“I’m surprised to be alive. I puked out everything in me, and from both ends too.”

“Eewwww,” Ayo groaned. “Too much information; please enough of that.”

Gladys laughed, “But you asked. You should have seen me yesterday. I looked like death warmed over and I couldn’t eat a thing. Once I was admitted, they started me on IV antibiotics and fluids because of the fever and the chills, and I was dehydrated too.”

“So what caused all that?”

“The doctor said it is dehydration and food poisoning. I must have eaten something that did not agree with my stomach. As for the dehydration, the sun this January has been horrible.” Her hands kneaded her stomach as she sat up on the bed.

Ayo plumped the pillows behind her. “You can say that again. How do you feel now?”

“I feel better today; the treatments must be working.”

“And you have this cool room to get well in. How lucky!”

Gladys smiled. Jennifer had always been lively but she was even bouncier these days. “Yeah, that was fortunate. These rooms on the 6th floor are the Royal Suites and I get to stay here because the normal suites are full. As for the food, I’d rather be home eating Tolani’s spaghetti and chicken. That girl has her issues but cooking is definitely not one of them.”