[cantwait2bmommy]

I have had diarrhea for a week now; however, I was back from Guate for 3 weeks before it started. Did your bug take a while to materialize or were you sick right away? Did you have other symptoms? Did you feel fluish? I am under an unbelievable amount of stress (moving, starting a business, taking care of dd by myself while dh works 24/7, helping him with the 24/7 work, dealing with abandonment case for ds) and other than the diarrhea, I have no symptoms. I don't feel sick. No loss of appetite (I wish!). I am sleeping great. Dh and dd haven't had any symptoms. I went to the doc today. She gave me the kit to run the cultures for parasites, but she doesn't think that is the issue. I am just curious what having a Guate bug is like. I guess I am trying to not do the kit if it is avoidable. Probably not and I should just suck it up and do the kit. ICK!

TIA!
Chris

[NJRach]

My 12 yr old ds and I had a weird bug after our pick-up trip. It felt like dry heaves of the intestines. It was painful!! Our appetites were fine, but our intestines were definitely not. You felt like you had to go to the bathroom incredibly bad, then you couldn't go. We didn't get it right awaw , but about a week after we came home. The doctor said it was bacterial, as the parasite test turned up nothing.

We think it was from some sort of meat we ate there, becausemy 14 yr old daughter, who is a vegetarian, didn't get it. Neither did my husband, but he has a digestive system that is impervious to everything.

I hope you feel better soon. You have a lot to deal with. {{{{Hugs}}}.

P.S. The parasite kit is about the most disgusting thing I've ever had to deal with - I'd rather change a dozen nasty baby diapers.

Rachael

[matthewsmom0505]

I didn't have any issues, but after our first trip DH started the "big D" after being home about 2 weeks. Finally after lasting almost 2 more weeks (I basically said no more--go!) he left a sample at the lab, but never called to get the results. The doctor highly suspected that it was a parasite and put him on Cipro before even reading the sample. After about a week or so he was fine, but had he not gone to the doc, I'm not sure how bad it would have gotten.

He said he never had cramps or anything, just loose stools several times per day. I hope you feel better soon!

[frankiegirl]

I got the bug or something the night before we were leaving GC at pickup. We were getting up at 4am to get ready and leave for the airport the next morning. About 9p the night before our flight I was getting sick and had D all night long. I did not go to sleep. I was still getting sick at the airport leaving GC. I just wanted to get out of GC incase I needed to go the hospital …I wanted it to be in the states. Thank goodness we had first class seats. The flight attendance were wonderful. My DH would not let me touch my daughter the whole way home. We ended up due to bad weather and airline problems traveling for a total of 24hrs so by the time I hit WA State I was feeling much better.
I hope you feel better soon. I use to work for a GI Dr. and I know how awful it is too do the kit. Hang in there.

[HopeandaPrayer]

Both my husband and I got really sick after we got home from our first visit trip in November of last year. It started around a week after we got home. We were both always running to the bathroom. No throwing up though. I had very bad stomach cramping and felt generally just lousy (flu like). My husband also had flu like symptoms but his stomach did not seem to cramping like mine. It lasted about a week for both of us. We did not go to the doctor-just let it run its course.

Then when I went in April I started feeling the same thing coming on while in Antigua about half way through my trip. My Mom mentioned it to some doctors who were staying at our hotel and they were kind enough to give me two Cipro pills which nipped it in the bud.

Hubby and I went to Guatemala a couple of weeks ago and thankfully had no problems whatsoever either during or after the trip.

Terri

[arthymom]

Yup, my entire family lived at Quest Diagnostics after our pick up trip. Every time I walked in there I could just see the diagnosticians looking at themselves and thinking "here comes the poop lady again!"

Be sure to test for Cryptosporidium. Dd tested positive for something that looked like it, although when we retested it had worked its way out.

None of the rest of us tested positive for anything and it was self-limiting for us, thank goodness. Dd had chronic diarrhea for 6 months after homecoming but was diagnosed w/toddler's diarrhea. She is totally fine now a year later.

Best wishes,

[joyloo]

Well... DH felt fine until halfway home on the plane from our pickup trip with DS. He had diarrhea and was throwing up on the plane ( my personal nightmare ). He threw up again at the airport while we were getting our baggage and several times on the way home. Then I woke up the next morning feeling sick like I had the flu. I also had diarrhea ( no throwing up ). We were both so sick we had to call my sister to ask her to come take care of DS. Not exactly a picture perfect homecoming! On top of it all our agency required that we take DS to the pediatrician the day we got home and DH kept having to run to the bathroom there to throw up and I could barely sit up straight. Then we found out DS had a double ear infection. We never figured out why we got so sick. It could have been something we ate in Guatemala ( although our symptoms were a little different ) or it could have just been a flu we caught on the plane. Fun fun.

[sferrick]

Sounds like stress to me. God speed! Susie

[kathleenmag]

Visitedd Guatemala 6 times. Got the guatapoo after
pick up. Home 3 days, high fever, poo, and vomiting
for about 24 hrs. My partner was flat on her back in bed 4 days of pick up. No appetite for five days.
Kathleen

[Slatond10]

No issues when I went for visit but we ate all meals @ the hotel. However, on pickup we ventured more... McD's lunch one day and then lunch in Antigua one day. I believe I mistakenly ate a salad or my meal had something on it? ( don't remember now) but had some major GI issues for about 3 weeks that started as soon as I got home. Luckily it finally passed. I didn't go to the Dr because it was all I could do to be a single older first time parent first home w/ child and deal w/ that and the sleep deprivation.

[Call6]

I took probiotics a month before I went (the pill form) the first time. I always eat a lot of yogurt anyways...but the extra pills I sure are helpful...I still take them and my six year old does as well (there is a chewable starwbewrry one...yummy).