A few months later, Etna got severe diarrhea and had to return to Mexico. E.coli was the culprit but she had no idea and continued to get sicker.
"It was awful, I felt so weak and was very dehydrated," she says. "I went to my family doctor but he couldn't figure out what was the matter with me. One day I had a fever and the next day I was fine, but the headaches were constant. He took a blood sample but found nothing untoward. I went back to California and didn't change my diet. Why would I think there was any danger in eating spinach? On the contrary, it is supposed to be good for you.The prescription he gave me would help for a few hours, but I still had diarrhea. So I went back to Mexico again (I don't have medical insurance) and saw another doctor. This time I had a more thorough exam: I had to give him a stool sample and urine sample and he took three vials of blood. By now I had a few more symptoms: my neck was really hurting and I had a severe sore throat. He told me that my thyroid gland was inflamed. When my blood tests came back, it was determined that I had anemia. I was given shot of vitamins and iron right away and started to feel a bit better. But a few weeks later I got diarrhea back again, so I had to take more antibiotics. By now I had lost almost 40 pounds!
All this time I still don't know what is causing my illness, but all the tests hadn't come back from the lab. Then, in September, I was in Mexico City and watched the news on television about spinach and how it had caused an e.coli outbreak. I said 'ohmigod'! All this time, we could never figure out why I was so sick, not even the doctors. I phoned my family doctor after I figured out this was the cause of my illness. He told me that, because I was sick for so long, I had passed the dangerous stage but he also told me that I could have died. When my test results came back, it was determined that I had an E.coli infection.
I don't remember what brand of bagged spinach I bought, but if I see the package again, I will recognize it - that is, if I ever see it again as they have been pulled from the shelf. I don't even want to think about eating spinach or anything like it, including lettuce or chard - just the thought of eating spinach makes me ill.
Because I don't have medical insurance, going back to Mexico to see a doctor was very expensive. I missed about 60 days of work in total because I couldn't do anything for so long, my legs would shake if I stood up for any length of time, it was like I lost my muscle control.
Because I took so many days off work, I also lost my job - and right now I am unemployed. It's going to take time. I feel really upset - I can't even explain in English my frustration. How could this happen? I could have died. I have since learned that this problem started years ago and they didn't put in any controls - it was like a time bomb, bound to explode sooner or later. Food distributors have to be more careful - why isn't produce regulated like beef?"