...I have learned in the past few months.
Did you know that vomit comes in layers? That is, the contents of your stomach empty out in layers. The top layer is pure liquid, and if you've been lucky enough to drink plenty of water before commencing puking, you might get away with liquid-only barf. The next layer is whatever once-solid contents you've consumed recently (and surprisingly, sometimes not so recently). The final layer -- and the only layer you get if you are unfortunate enough to not have anything in your stomach prior to vomiting -- are good ol' stomach juices and acids. If you get to this point, you are not a happy camper. This is the really loud, heaving, awful level of vomit. For me, this level is often accompanied by a tinge of blood, since by this point my throat is not happy at all.
Did you also know that there are varying degrees of effort required to vomit? With the liquid layer, sometimes its just a matter of open the mouth and out-it-streams. Very Linda Blair. The other layers are more gut wrenching and loud, and often leave me red-faced and teary.
Did you also know that vomiting with force will cause the toilet water to splash back and hit you in the face? For me, this just leads to a vicious cycle of more vomiting. I polled some folks on the pregnancy boards, and I am going to try the two best suggestions I have gotten so far: (1) flush as you go so there is less water to splash back, or (2) float TP on the top of the water to deaden the fall. I'll let you know if either works, feel free to add your own suggestions below.
Did you know the smell of vomit is difficult to remove from your hands, even after soap and water? I've learned to make sure to do a sniff test. If the soap didn't do it, rinsing my hands with mouthwash (which thankfully is readily available in the bathrooms in my office) does. Of course, better timing in getting to the bathroom in the first place takes away this concern, but that just isn't always possible.
And now you know all that I know about vomit. Aren't you glad you asked?
I recently learned about the three layers of vomit the morning of my rehearsal dinner approximately four weeks ago. The third layer came in the car in a Walgreens bag in a gooey bright yellow stomach acid mass on the way to my bridesmaid's luncheon. After that sickness subsided and I was able to enjoy my roasted chicken salad (imagine that). Did I mention it was the morning after my bachelorette party...
How come vomiting accompanies so many of life's stepping stones?
Posted by: Katie Sunstrom on June 13, 2003 06:30 PM