Beattys Overseas

Monday night, our last night in Arramonches, we went to a supermarket in Bayeaux and grabbed some groceries for a dinner in our B&B room.  We ate the exact same things, but somehow Whitney wound up with a stomach flu that could kick your ass from here to Jupiter.  Violently ill from 11pm until 10am, she was so exhausted that standing up straight was a dizzying task.  John made the executive decision to go into nearby Bayeaux, for a check with the Emergency Room.  She was extremely uncomfortable and obviously very dehydrated, so we figured a fluid IV would help all the pain go away. 

However, the staff at the hospital, which is housed in a historic building in Bayeaux, decided that there was an easier solution to her ailments.  A bottle of Coca Cola.  That's right.  They took her passport, brought her into an examination room, had her get undressed & put on one of those robes and lie on the bed with the wheels, all to serve her a soft drink.  The doctor [who looked to be a 15-year old girl] said that sugary water was the best thing for her to recover, and a few 'bon bons' wouldn't hurt either.  While she sipped on her Coke, John ran across the street to a market and asked the shopkeeper, "Uh, Bon bons?" And the shopkeeper pointed to his aisle of candies.  Alright!  He brought back dozens of packages of gummy bears and jelly beans, and a Twix Bar for himself. 

All in all, it was a 50 minute experience at the hospital.  But, like we said, better safe than sorry.  If this had happened in New York, Whitney would have laid in bed for a day and been fine.  But, while you're abroad, it's tough to gauge how sick you are (or if there are other factors contributing to your symptons that are specific to your location).  Plus, we have Traveller's Insurance, and this is the reason you get it in the first place.