Date: 2019-04-25
From: Max Patch

To: Hot Springs (again)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Well folks, I got norovirus. I guess it was only a matter of time. When I had my tummy pain the other day, I thought I had escaped it. Nope! I woke up at 2am and threw up outside my tent. There was no way I¢d make it any further from my tent. I find throwing up to be really painful and I was slightly moaning because it hurt. Prometheus woke up and came over into my tent. He truly is such an angel. He ripped off toilet paper for me to wipe my mouth and he rubbed my back and sat with me. I got sick a few more times and then stopped and he went back to his tent.The fun part of norovirus is that you have it coming out of both ends. Really fun with no toilet accessible. I walked out of my tent for number two and literally sat in the grass because there was nowhere else to go. I made it back into my tent and passed out for a little bit, but woke up throwing up again. My tent door was open all night. I know it¢s all gross, but again, reality of the trail here folks. Prometheus came back and this time he brought his sleeping bag and stayed a while. He held my hair as I threw up. #friendshipgoals. He¢s the best. He went back to his tent again and I passed out again. I woke up after the sunrise happened, but it was starting to rain, so I guess I didn¢t miss much. I felt horrible. My body felt drained and my stomach felt like period cramps x 10. I lay there for a while, debating my options. I threw up again and this time it was extra painful because there was really nothing left to come up so it was green and it felt like my body was trying to throw up my whole throat. I¢m sorry, I know. I kinda knew I had to get off trail now. Prometheus and Hot Sauce were worried and thought I might need to go to a doctor, but as money-stingy as I am, the doctor was the last place I was going. I felt okay after throwing up actually because it released more of the pain I guess, so I sat up and packed up. I got everything into my bag and Prometheus called a shuttle for me. Hot Sauce walked down with me. I was pretty slow and my hair was greasy and sticky and smelly from being sick and I probably looked like a situation, but I was looking forward to town. Thankfully there was a parking lot to walk down to. I sat my pack down and went to the bathroom in the grass nearby. My shuttle showed up, but we were waiting for Prometheus. He was packing my tent up for me. Again angel. He also cleaned up my vomit and honestly I don¢t even know how to thank him for what he did. It¢s beyond what anyone should have to do on this trail and he¢s already got his own daily things to worry about. There was a couple in the parking lot and they gave me two Nuun tablets for electrolytes. I put one in the half bottle of water I had left. They gave me a banana too. It was too soon to eat, but I held onto it. Prometheus showed up with my tent all neatly wrapped. I thanked him and Hot Sauce profusely. I seriously would¢ve been in trouble without their help. And I was fretting about money too. I knew going off trail would cost me. But I knew it would help me too. I got in the shuttle and the driver was nice. He mumbled the whole time and I could barely hear him. It was a bumpy road and I did not like that, but my tummy was okay. He drove incredibly slowly and I was getting frustrated and anxious because I just wanted to be in town. Once we were on the main road, there was a whole line of cars behind us. He was really going slowly. He seemed uncomfortable with the driving and kept remarking on how he had only been up here a few times in his life. He was a bit interesting and asked for my Facebook. I literally was dying in the backseat and this guy wants to be my Facebook friend. Lol okay?! He told me I looked like a ghost. Thank you, Captain Obvious. Finally I got to town. He dropped me off at the Laughing Heart Hostel. I know I looked like a situation, as I said earlier, but they knew it here for sure. The owner met me and said ¢are you sick?¢ And I said yes I was sick and just needed to sleep and she gave me a private room. She gave me a discount because I was sick. Another angel today. I lay in that bed for so long and slept. I tried to slowly sip the water, but really didn¢t want to throw up again. My temperature was all off. Ever since last night, it was up and down. I had the chills and then fever and then chills and then fever and it was just annoying. I woke up in the afternoon and ate the banana. It went down without a problem! Ahh. I fell asleep again. I woke up late at night overheated and dehydrated. I went to the kitchen and found ice and I put it in a towel and some in a mug of water. The cold water tasted so amazing. I put the ice all over my body and turned the AC on in my room. I was cooling down and that helped. I ate some more crackers and finished that water with the tablet in it. What a day. I¢m happy I¢m in a safe place with a bed and shower and water, but it was rough getting sick on the mountain like that and I had a hard night. Thank you to all those supporting me back home. Hoping this ordeal is done soon and I¢ll become immune for a little bit, or so I¢ve heard. Little Debbie