Need a handhold - alone abroad and sick

[HelloSunshin65]

I am abroad for work. I just woke up with what seems like D&V, vomiting yet to start but the nausea is awful. I feel so weak and dizzy and sweaty.

I am emetophobic, and all alone in an airbnb, meant to fly in a few hours.

I am worried I will pass out. This is one of my worst nightmares. Husband is asleep, I feel so alone.

Will I throw up? Will I be stuck here unable to fly? Will I end up in the streets tomorrow with food poisoning as I need to hand back the keys for the airbnb? So many questions.

Oh no. You poor thing. Do you have work colleagues nearby that you can message?

if you can sleep then try to drink a large glass of water and lie down.
if you feel bad when you wake up you may need to message air BnB and apologise and say you cannot leave because you are really sick?

alternatively this may pass and be nothing. So worrying about nothing ?

it did happen to me once. Luckily I was with a boyfriend. Caught gastro on the flight over.
I couldn’t fly home until a few days later than planned.
was a truly horrendous disaster and I could not have moved.
in fact I could barely get on the plane home when I did leave.

so I sympathise. Wishing you well.

Do you have health insurance for abroad. There may be a 24 hour doctor you can call or at least get to nearest pharmacy tomorrow.

Sorry you feel like that. It’s very scary I understand. You will be ok though. See how the night is and in the morning if you are unwell ask for a late check out. Have a look on your phone for nearby hotels you could check into tomorrow morning if needs be. A pharmacy can provide you with about sickness and anti diarrhoea medication. If you need to stay another night or two that will be far preferable to travelling while sick.

This also might pass. Just bring a bowl with you to bed and towel just in case. And try not to worry, because your phobia is probably the biggest issue for you right now.

She says her husband is asleep? So not alone or am I missing something?

I think she means she’s tried to call her husband at home and he’s asleep.

OP, if you’re there for work and can’t fly home, just check into the nearest decent hotel and work will presumably cover the cost?

Thank you so much. Everyone else has already gone unfortunately, and I was going to take the first flight out in the morning.

I hope it will be short lived but even then, I would need to leave for the airport in about 5 hours which seems ambitious 😥. I so wish I had a later flight.

Yes, not too worried about the costs at all since it is a work trip, more the practicalities of switching accomodation while so poorly.

I am pretty sure it is from a bad clam. I felt sick almost instantly and as I walked back to my airbnb I felt really woozy. I went to sleep and woke an hour later feeling horrendous. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing compared to a standard sickness bug. Might be more acute but more short lived?

Equally the weird woozy feeling is a bit worrying to me.

And yes, husband is asleep back home blissfully unaware.

Dont drink loads of water like someone has suggested.
Sips every now and then is best

Do you think your drink may have been spiked? You mentioned being dizzy and also feeling woozy walking back to Airbnb…

@HelloSunshin65

Can you ring your travel insurers to discuss changing your flight and extending your stay, OP?

Honestly I did wonder this as I walked back. It felt like I was super drunk but I had only had one glass of wine. I was messaging my brother and kept writing the wrong words like my brain just wasn't working right and I had to focus extra hard. But then AI told me toxins from seafood can cause neurological symptoms so who knows. It just isn't helping my panic about what's going on with me.

@HelloSunshin65 I didn’t mean to add to your panic, sorry. If it’s a work trip then travel insurance should be provided which is 24/7 for the duration of the trip. How are you feeling now, is there any improvement?

Matey, calm down. You haven't even puked yet. Get some sleep, taxi to the airport. Planes have sick bags. You'll get home.

I think her dh is asleep in another country, hence the thread title.

I would message the host and ask .if you pay for another day and change the flight, then you gave a day to recover without moving.
Have a look and see if property is still available for tommrow?

Op can you find the info pack that comes with the air BnB? There is usually info in there about emergency doctors. Or you can google it?

Are you in a country where doctors still do home visits?

If so they can check you out, reassure you, offer guidance and sometimes inject an anti-emetic.

I’m sorry you are feeling so ill and I understand you feeling vulnerable without your colleagues and family around you. 💐

When is check out time? I would start researching hotels a short taxi ride away?

Good luck 💐

Btw if you really think your drink has been spiked then you should probably get checked out at a hospital. I have no medical knowledge whatsoever though.

If there is a pharmacy at the airport, try & get some anti sickness medication & some diarrhoea capsules just to get you home. It's awful being ill when you are flying, I was once away with exh & ds who was only a toddler, half the flight had some kind of either food poisoning or stomach bug including exh, with only one toilet on the plane working. He hadn't thought to take something for the symptoms before we flew home & was in such a mess by the time we had got our bags back after landing I ended up rummaging for a set of clean clothes & told him to bin what he was wearing. The cabin crew must have made a fortune on selling perfume as everyone was buying it to cover up the awful stink of the plane toilet. It was the longest 3 hour flight I have ever known, it was late at night, ds was tired & miserable, luckily a couple across the aisle kept him entertained whilst I dealt with exh. Put some clean underwear & a clean set of clothes in your hand luggage in case of accidents & if you can get a pack of baby wipes. Keep sipping bottled water or weak squash if you can to keep yourself hydrated, take some paracetamol if you can keep them down.

Oh no don't worry I didn't mean you but the weird feeling in general was definitely making me overreact to what is probably standard food poisoning. I am actually starting to feel better (as long as I don't lie down or the nausea returns with a vengeance). But overall I think probably a short lived reaction to the seafood, fingers crossed!

Fingers crossed op and hope you feel even better in the morning! Try and get some sleep, even if propped upright! 😀

That’s good. Just keep taking small sips of water, not big gulps and you’ll be ok.

Hope you’ll be ok. I’d get to the airport and buy a sports drink for a bit of sugar- but sip it so your body can absorb it. If you drink large amounts quickly they will just flush through.

I have just managed to change flights for an afternoon one so I can still get home today but don't need to start trekking in a few hours. Moving around still makes me very nauseous right now, but I have managed a couple of sips of water with no ill effect so far.

It also means I can pop to a pharmacy before heading to the airport so I am quite reassured by this new plan. Hopefully just a small setback. Thanks for the advice and company in my hour of need!

Glad you’ve managed to change things. Pharmacy is a good shout. I really hope you feel better ASAP and your husband can spoil you when you get home