Yes, I got well and truly dehydrated last week. I felt rotten for ages, and did try to drink plenty but didn't realize that with an ileostomy water is only part of the problem. With an ileostomy you can lose a teaspoon of salt a day, and if you drink water and don't replenish the salt you are going to feel very bad indeed. I got to the point of vomiting, feeling faint and dizzy and nearly got Oren to take me to Emergency. With all the water I was drinking my skin was still standing in humps when I pinched it, and my pulse was over 100. Luckily I had been for blood tests earlier that day and got the results online, saw that I was hyponatremic and realized what I was doing to myself. I got Oren to mix an isotonic solution up from a cup of orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and water to fill to a liter, and started chugging it down. It took a few hours but eventually I did start to feel better, and since then salt has become my best friend. Unfortunately this was on the eve of Passover, and we had to cancel our visit to Hilah and Eli's; I was fed up because all the girls were there and it was probably really good, but there was just no way I could do it. At least I managed not to end up in emergency!
So, it's been Passover week. For anyone not acquainted with the rather awkward dietary restrictions of Pesach, as it is called in Hebrew, let me explain; tasty things aren't allowed. That is basically it. No bread, nothing with flour, nothing which hasn't been specifically given a kosher for pesach certificate is sold almost anywhere. No beer either, although that bothers me less this year. Having been under the weather I hadn't prepared by buying stuff in, as about 50% of people do here, and got stuck with no bread AND NO PEANUT BUTTER!!!! in the middle of the week. This was serious, I doubted I could manage a week without peanut butter. Suddenly it seemed as though the world was crashing down round my shoulders! Why peanut butter isn't kosher for pesach god knows. Luckily there is a Russian owned supermarket in Hadera, Keshet Ta'amim, and they have no god. Fresh bread rolls, all the things which have disappeared from the shelves of all the other supermarkets and Peanut Butter. Ahhhhhh! And they have good frozen shrimp for a good price, and pork neck cutlets. And bacon. And imported cheese. In short, I took out a loyalty card. I will be back, I cackled as I scuttled home with my haul of goodies.
The funny thing is, I haven't actually opened the jar of peanut butter yet, and tomorrow is the last day of pesach. It just makes me feel better knowing I have it.
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