For many of us, including me, this last week was (largely) an absolute nightmare. When I would empty the contents of my stomach, experience five minutes of ‘euphoria’, lay around writhing while I waited to exorcise more of myself, and eventually do so, I had a lot of fucking time to think. Among the memorable trains of thought was my fever-dream-esque vision about medicine; more specifically, Andean medicine. Slumped against my porcelain throne, I became curious about treatments used for more extreme cases of nausea (the coca leaf could be an example), vomiting, and uncontrollable pooping. Especially as Pepto Bismol, extreme-strength 500mg Tylenol, various sleeping pills, and Gatorade failed to alleviate my suffering, I questioned the effectiveness of the Western medicine that I’ve been raised on. Of course, assuming that someone from the Andes would get food poisoning like I did from eating an Andean diet is a bit dumb. But surely they’ve had bouts of food poisoning before, just as I’ve had it at home. What were their forms of caring for and eventually healing someone with a nasty case of food poisoning? This is probably research I could’ve done on my own, but oh well. I like to ask questions in my blog posts. In fact, writing this post about sickness and the Andes has got the gears in my brain turning. Before conquest, how did Indigenous societies in the Andes deal with epidemics? Were epidemics commonplace? My impression of European societies around this time is tainted by the bubonic plague, so perhaps I’m holding other societies of that time to the same standard of ‘coping with epidemic’. There is the obvious epidemic of smallpox and other European-borne diseases that decimated countless Indigenous populations, but what about before that? As a side note, I’m really glad I didn’t think about the bubonic plague while I was ill. Regarding my non-ill spells this week, I had a wonderful time. The soccer game against the staff of the Pisac Inn was an absolute joy and one of my favorite moments of this trip so far. Apparently, they’ve nicknamed me Messi! I like that one more than ‘Kid’ (Jon). And, while the only reason I can include this is because of the tardiness of this post, I have to mention how much I enjoyed ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’. I love the actor who played Che Guevara and I found the story to be so very interesting, especially because it was largely truthful; I’m sure there were some dramatizations. Hopefully, the next time I go backpacking I’ll be inspired to start a revolution as well.
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Fourth Sunday reflection; my Western intestines
3 replies on “Fourth Sunday reflection; my Western intestines”
Hi Julian, I’m sorry you had such a tough time last week but I am happy to see you up and alive strolling the streets! I am exclusively calling my toilet a “porcelain throne”, that is really clever so thanks for the inspiration. I’m glad you were able to live up to your (self-made) reputation of being a great soccer player and that you had a great time playing with the staff 🙂 They said they had a great time playing with you too so thanks for contributing to our team’s success! Regarding your questions about how the Andean people dealt with diseases and illnesses, when we re-visited the Kusi Kawsay school, we were taught about how the knowledge of the curative properties of plants was passed down through the generations since many communities did not have immediate access to hospitals. Therefore, I suspect that they had herbal remedies for these maladies. Again, happy to see you alive and hope you continue taking care of yourself!
A philosopher famously said: “No one knows what a body can do.” And that also makes me think about the limits we have. I am very sorry that you have suffered the so-called “Revenge of the Inca” in such a rude way. It would have been interesting to look for local alternatives in Pisac given the discomfort you suffered. It didn’t occur to me personally and I apologize for that. Has your relationship with your own body changed after these misfortunes?
Hi Julian,
I talked a bit with my mom and apparently Peru is useless at a lot of things (healthcare-wise), but not dealing with an upset stomach. They have so much experience dealing with tourists who are going through it. I doubt that you would have gotten better treatment in Canada or the US. I think it really is a matter of getting accustomed to the food. Not only that, but Peruvian food is very diverse, so you’re not just getting accustomed to one thing but to many. I was personally a bit surprised when I came back to Vancouver and my parents remarked “you’re skinnier!” This isn’t something to mess around with, as you know.