Is it possible to check for Food Poisoning, Days after I had my last bowel movement?

Question

I went on the Radiance of the Seas to have a decent Vacation. Over the last two days I've been imprisoned... Quarantined in my room because the Doctor though I have the Stomach Flu. Yes, I realize he's doing what's best for everyone else onboard, but my suspisions were answered today when I tried a little experiment. Each day I ate at the Onboard Cafe, I had diahrra afterwards. Yesterday I didn't eat at that Cafe, hence I didn't get sick.

I haven't been sick at all today, but then I'd decided I'd see if I actually had the Stomach Flu or actually Food Poisoning... So I tried some Lunch at the Cafe... And wouldn't you know it, I got Diahrrea. So did my Mom.. But we weren't sick yesterday. It gets better.. Apparently I went into the Medical Bay with that one Symptom at 1:30AM, telling them, according to their Log Book, that I had those Symptoms a half-hour later from the specified time.

Additionally, when I'd left the vessel to goto Sitka, I'd received a phone call on the dock AT SITKA, telling me that I couldn't leave the Ship because I might make other people on the ship Contagious, despite the fact that I was already on the dock in Sitka.

This would be more than enough evidence to have the Doctor release us from Quarantine to enjoy our last day on the Cruise Ship, but nope... He doesn't want to listen... So when we return to Vancouver, we'll be slapping a Lawsuit on the Cruise Line for Uncivilized Behaviour, Wrongful Imprisonment, as well as the Food Poisoning.. But what I want to know is... Can I goto the Doctor a couple of days after I had the Food Poisoning and have them confirm that I had Food Poisoning and not the Stomach Flu? Cuz otherwise it's the Doctor's word against mine.

(In reply to the post below)

How would you explain the fact that yesterday I had absolutely no symptoms, while today I hadn't experienced any symptoms until I ate at the Windjammer Cafe onboard. Once it's subsided I'll eat elsewhere and see if I get sick from it.

Answer 1

oh dear i cant offer much of a legal answer but my family had the food poisoning experience this past month omg i thought and felt like i wanted to die ~i wanted to go to the Dr but we all3 were so ill we would have had to call 3 different ambulances~it was running out the bottom and up from the tummy i feel so bad 4 u and i would try my darn est to sock it to them vacations now days are to far and few between and we work hard to get them i hope you have a good case i feel so bad for you ~~~~

Answer 2

Having studied the stomach flu (norovirus) and other enteric diseases, I think the ship doctor is right. So I recommend you not hire that lawyer unless you want to lose a lot of money.

YES, you can submit a stool specimen within a few days of the resolution of your symptoms. Norovirus can continue to shed up to a week after you recover. Salmonella and other bacterials can persist as well. The sooner you can provide a specimen, the likelier you will have an accurate culture result.

With that said, when people are ill with gastroenteritis, eating ANYTHING can upset their GI tracts and result in vomiting and diarrhea. Even if you feel better, if you eat something that disagrees with your recovering intestines, you can get a recurrence of the runs.

A margin of 30 minutes is still accurate enough for an onset. Why? Because foodborne illnesses take TIME to incubate. Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli take 1 to 3 days to kick in. Norovirus takes 12 to 72 hours (usually around 36 hours) to start. btw did you have a fever above 101ºF? if no, then it's probably norovirus. Bacterial infections (Salm, Shig, E. coli, etc.) often come with high fevers.

Norovirus is also extremely contagious. Simply being in your cabin taking care of you could have caused your mom to pick up the virus. It's not technically airborne, but it gets on surfaces really easily and cross contaminates things and heck, even gets accidentally ingested as droplet matter if it lingers in the air in your bathroom.

Sorry that your vacation sucked so bad, but yours really sounds like a typical case and the ship's doctor was doing the right thing. If you absolutely MUST know, then tell your doctor to test you for bacterial enterics AND norovirus. Not a lot of labs will test for noro, but if you need proof, you'll have to find one.

ADDENDUM TO ADDRESS NOTES: When you have gastroenteritis, the lining of your interstines suffers irritation and injury ("insult" so to speak). When you ease off the gut by eating less, or adhering to the BRAT diet, eating really bland foods or drinking lots of clear liquids you gut will start to recover. But it's not okay just yet. When you go back the next day and eat something normal, you could very well upset your intestines and experience more problems. This is typical, and I have dealt with many patients who have reported such.

It's like picking at a scab. Just 'cause it ain't bleeding anymore doesn't mean you can just pull off the scab and expect things to be totally healed. you have to give it time to recuperate.

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And besides, if you got sick from something at the Cafe, don't you suppose someone else who is unrelated to you would have gotten sick, too? I've investigated plenty of restaurant outbreaks. If you get sick from something in the food, generally so do a few other people.

Answer 3

DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! FOLLOW THROUGH AND SUE! You are smart and already did the 'experiment' and did probably have food poisoning and not a virus! I can't diagnose online but you seemed to have done your own good diagnosing on the boat. Take em for a BIG ride! These cruise ships that are having Noro-virus and then people fall over board and mysteriously disappear...they need to answer for some of it. Personally, I don't know why people go on cruises any more with all the rapes, and viruses and coverups going on, but it was your choice and you should have had a better option than being quarantined. Good luck!