Alva Review-Courier -

As I mentioned last week, I woke up Sunday June 18 with a painful cramp in my stomach. I thought maybe I had food poisoning. I threw up all day, but I did not have diarrhea.

Everything I've ever heard says drink plenty of fluids so you don't get dehydrated. But if I drank a tiny sip of water, my stomach would hurt more. I felt bloated. When I tried to eat the smallest bite of a cracker, I got more bloated.

So all day Sunday I lay on the motel bed, writhing in pain. I could eat and drink nothing. Throwing up was really just experiencing “dry heaves” because there was nothing to throw up.

Monday...