SELF-DIAGNOSING MY ILLNESS

Several people have questioned me about my illness in Florida. If it were a virus, why didn't anyone else get it? If it were food poisoning, why did it last so long? If it were salmonella-caused, it would have lasted longer, according to three medical people in my family. So I set out to do some research.

These are the facts in the case: 1) I ate raw oysters on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at two different restaurants. 2) On Saturday morning I woke up to diarrhea and fever. 3) The illness lasted five days.

According to my calculations, 86 hours passed between eating the first batch of oysters and the onset of symptoms. The second batch was eaten 62 hours before Saturday morning. The second restaurant was definitely not very clean; Brenda and I noticed some unsanitary practices when we ate there another night.

Now on to the research. I looked up salmonellosis (the virus caused by the salmonella germ) and it is caused from eating raw foods, such as eggs or oysters. The incubation period is anywhere from 12 - 72 hours. And it lasts from 4-7 days.

I'm convinced if anyone else isn't.

No more raw oysters (sob!!) for me!!