Friday, July 11, 2008

Bad Thai Food Play-by-Play

We just had Thai food delivered and we're both having awful stomach cramps. What should we do? The order got here by 7pm, less than 30 minutes after I called. It's almost 8pm now and we're not feeling so hot. Do I call the place and tell them that their food made us sick? What would be the point? A refund? We paid in cash, so I woudn't expect my $20 back.

It was vegetable curry, thai summer rolls, and Karen had some curry chicken puff appetizer. I didn't eat the chicken (but Karen said it was like a Thai-spiced samosa and heavenly), so it had to be the curry or the rolls or maybe one of the dipping sauces. What bad food causes a reaction that quick? Could it be the shrimp in the summer roll? That'd be seriously bad news, huh?

Anyhow, I'm not keen on posting the name of the place, because I'd rather resolve the situation than simply talk a bunch of shit online (so don't guess in the comments, please). I'll be updating this post with developments (without too many gastro-intestinal details), especially make a suggestion that I wanna pursue.

9:22: Still loads of tummy trouble. Mostly a dull ache, nausea, temptation to... well, you know. Feels like this thing wants to run its course. Took a couple antacids. Haven't called the restaurant. Guess that's where this blog post would get exciting. Hmmm... Public health and public amusement, or suffer and save myself some embarrassment. Thoughts?

" Just spit-up and you'll feel better." (notice authoritative drool )

10:15: Queezy, but Karen feels better. Trying not to think about salmonella. Not interested in complaining. Watching Sigur Ros: Helma movie, adding to weird feeling. Ate some ice cream. Guess that means I'm not gonna die. Drinking peppermint tea. Maybe I should go to bed early. Sorry no Muy Thai throwdown over funky curry.

Sleeping it off...

The next day: Well, I did not snuff it. My stomach is a little tentative. May try some Wheaties and soy milk in a bit. Threw out the leftover curry in the fridge (rather than send it to the lab for analysis). Shoulda called the restaurant, but didn't. Really not sure how to deal with the awkwardness of these situations. It's really too bad, because I like their "drunken noodle jae" (w/tofu). I wish there was Vietnamese delivery around here. Maybe one of those places on Grace Street...

Saturday night: I've had a headache all day. Being prone to migraines, I didn't think anything of it, but just thought I'd document it. Ya know, in case I need to record a sworn affidavit. Ate collard greens from the garden for lunch and dinner. Then I ripped the plants out of the ground as they'd gone to seed and weren't producing anymore. Maybe I'd grow my own cilantro and serrano peppers until the salmonella scare is over. Got tomatoes out the wazzoo though. If I grow my own food, what will I complain about on my blog?

Sunday AM: No headache (yet). Slept in. Drank an enormous smoothie filled with everything under the sun (including fresh collard greens and grapefruit and hemp protein powder) and some honey to make it go down "smooth." Leaving doors open to my house. Dogs laying about, MMA fights on the tele, toiling over my research paper. Did I mention that Jasper and Karen are out of town? This is how I'm spending my solitude (w/o Thai food).

Sunday PM: I know the opportune time to take action is probably passed, but readers are welcome to respond to the hypothetical situation of a tummy-ache caused by bad food. Surely it's happend to you at least once. Do you just let it slide? Complain? Boycott? Blog about it? Devulge the name of the restaurant? Approximately 48hrs later, my stomach is hurting some more. It hadn't healed up enough to handle strong coffee. Hate that feeling. What to do? Next Food Network Star, anyone?

13 comments:

  1. The big salmonella outbreak over the last month or so may be linked to peppers... Thai food... peppers...

    Sounds like an evening of flat 7-up to me... (not sure if that actually helps but it's what my mom gave me when I had an upset tummy)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just read this: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080711/NEWS06/80711056/1033/BUSINESS
    and now I'm completely paranoid. Cilantro was also named. The summer rolls had the stuff sticking out of each end (w/stems, yuck). Got no 7-up or ginger ale in the house. Head starting to hurt.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Puke now. Get it over with!

    ReplyDelete
  4. No puking. Too busy relishing slow death. Not the best development I could have asked for this evening. Got lots of work to do.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hope everyone is felling better this morning. Did you call the restaurant? Typically when something goes wrong in a restaurant like this it effects a large number of people. If you let them know they may be able to prevent others from your queasy fate.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I should follow my own advice. Silence is complicity. Well, no consumer advocacy would likely make my belly feel more stable today. Just gotta recuperate. (updates in the body of the post, w/pictures)

    ReplyDelete
  7. So sorry to hear you guys have been so sick over the weekend. :( Hopefully you're feeling a little better?

    In case you're still feeling yucky, I've found that hot water bottles or warm baths can help with these types of stomach cramps.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think that is too quick for a reaction unless you are really allergic to the food. What did you eat before that meal?
    I am so sorry for what is happening...that is no fun at all :(. Hope you are feeling better.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. more info: if the symptoms occur withing 1-6 hours then it is more of a bacteria toxin (don't know what that means) or a chemical toxin not live bacteria.
    And the incubation period for salmonella is 8 hrs to 3 days. So I hope it makes you feel better that it's not salmonella.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Not to contradict Veron but from the article I found food poisoning symptoms can start in about 30 minutes.

    http://www.emedicinehealth.com/food_poisoning/page3_em.htm#Food%20Poisoning%20Symptoms

    Of course if you look hard enough on the interent you can find just about anything to fit any premise so take it how you will...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous11:39 PM

    To answer the question you posed, I wouldn't complain to the restuarant. I never do because I don't know 100% what actually caused it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous8:14 AM

    not to correct bookstore piet but food poisoning is not the same as salmonella

    ReplyDelete

This site has moved to http://www.rvafoodie.com
Please comment there instead.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.