Day 6- pretty much the worse day ever

Bags got picked up at 6am. Went and had a cup of tea and was able to choke down 1/2 bowl of porridge. Then the stomach went sideways and not to be out done the bowels opened up. GREAT!

They say at altitude you don't make the smartest decisions. I can't say for sure its the altitude but my immodium was in my bag on the way, I didn't go see the docs, and I went to the start line. I did however buy a fresh roll of toilet paper!

I had not slept and had not consumed anything in 36hrs, so it was no surprise that I was DFL (Last) within 100m. This was fortuitous as the trail ,crossed a flat section and rose to a western part of town on some switch backs. I made it this far before I was panicking to get the zipper down and the bibs off for my first turd deposit in the Bank of Nepal. I am sure the residents of Manang, while having their morning tea, were all wondering why the moon was so low, full and white!

I would love to tell you about the scenery and such but I I don't really recall much except my feet and the trail underneath them. But I will give a brief account of my day travelling 16km from 3500m elevation to 4500m.

My stomach would begin to ache, then pain, then cramp, then I would throw up, I would feel better, my bowels would churn, then  pain, then release, i would feel better, repeat every 30min. I was the most uncomfortable day on a bike ever, oh wait, I wasn't on the bike as I was to weak to pedal so I pushed instead. With a single minded determination I just put one foot in front of the other and tried not to stop, except when nature called. They say the altitude makes you feel bad but I couldnt realy distinguish that from how shifty I felt from being sick.

Somewhere near Thorong Phedi, base camp for the 18,000ft pass I stopped my cycle of purging. I think I killed the little bugs by not feeding them anything and carrying on.  I did pass a Yak, I was only aware of this as he was snorting at me and coming towards me. Probably saying "hey smelly guy, get off my path".

I rolled into the tea house went straight to my room and lied down. Gerry came by and put covers on me, Erik checked on me, Kate got my bag, Garrit brought me some immodium and took the pathetic photo of what I had become. It was all I could do to lie there. I was shelled. Gutted. Done.

I started to drink water and nibble on Kate's chocolate coated digestive cookies. 48hrs no food, it amazing how you feel with 2 cookies and 500ml of water in you. I dragged myself to dinner and was given the obligatory nod for those who had been thru this and the sympathetic " are you okay" from those who hadn't. Its like a clique, that once you have been sick on a trip like this those who have gone before you don't offer sympathy, just ideas on how you might get over it.

I was able to get a samll amount of tomato soup and a cup of fired rice in me before I felt like I was greatly distended in the bowel region.

Back to the room where I begrudgingly got everything ready for the next day. I was not sure if I was gong to go but inaction in its self, is an action.

Will i go or will I  stay now....?