In this particular case, the nausea progressed by Saturday into some really gross stuff. I won't go into it, but most of the things I was eating came right back out in some way or another.
Now the dilemma. Of course, I tried at first to just let it run its course. When it kept up for more than 2 hours nonstop, I tried herbal teas (chamomile and ginger) and essential oils (peppermint, applied to the stomach area). After 5 hours, nothing had changed so I progressed to Pepto Bismol. Here's where it gets a little iffy for me. I get annoyed to be taking a medication at all. I mean, what is even IN that hot pink stuff? Why is it hot pink?!
But then again, how long can I really be spending in the bathroom with two small children? And how long until I dehydrate at this point?
Long story short, the Pepto seemed to work at first but then...didn't. Either that, or I ate "real" food (shrimp) too soon and made myself sick all over again. I progressed to Immodium AD. Reached the maximum dosage for that and still saw no improvement.
I was in communication all afternoon with my mom and my herbalist/crunchy friend. My mom (a Registered Nurse) suggested going to a doctor, who would definitely give me some kind of medicine with a long medicine-y name that contains who-knows-what but would probably fix my stomach. However, since I don't really have a primary care doctor it would be Urgent Care, which our insurance pretty much consistently refuses to pay for.
My crunchy friend recommended seeing the chiropractor I just took my son to when he had tummy issues. It's true that she seems to have "fixed" him. We will see next week. I have never been to a chiropractor myself, although I take my kids, because it is way more expensive for adults. Unfortunately, the chiropractor is kind of hard to get in to see on short notice, is a 40 minute drive away, and her office doesn't even open until 2pm on Mondays. Oh, and I have no childcare for my kids whether I go to a conventional doctor or a chiropractor. Let me remind you how amazingly fun it is to bring two toddlers into a waiting room and a patient care room for hours on end when you're already incapacitated. Not so much.
Politics aside, what is the point of having "the best health care in the world" in this country if I can't figure out a way to get convenient and affordable treatment in a timely manner? The "green" side of the question is why I can't get more natural health care treatment at all. Why do I have to ingest mysterious chemicals? If I want to see a chiropractor, why do I pay cash because my insurance doesn't even apply?
I'd like to hear from both the crunchy and the un-crunchy folks here. What is your approach - conventional or alternative? And is it even feasible for a SAHM to go to the doctor at all?
