An Experience I will never forget!

I lay still sprawled on my back on the carpet floor, barely breathing or moving. NO! I wasn't trying to commit suicide by asphyxiating. In the middle of my abdomen was a spasm that had contracted so much that the pain was almost unbearable. It was a good agonizing seven minutes before it finally subsided, leaving my abdominal muscles sore as never before.

Outside the mercury rose in the sweltering Vietnamese heat as midday approached. I was in Vietnam participating in a Junior Ranking Tennis event. My second match that day was a grueling three set doubles match that ended late that afternoon. Every now and then the spasms had shown a mild appearance in my legs during the match.

The enervating climate was taking its toll on me, every muscle in my body was fatigued from severe dehydration. My body had to cool off quickly and I had to re-hydrate fast. I was vulnerable to cramping again, only this time surely a lot worse than earlier that day.

Once inside my A.C room I took off my shirt and started to down water like a camel. All of a sudden it hit me. This time on my forearm, unable to bear the weight of the bottle I let it drop: it hit the floor with an inaudible thud. I cried out in pain. My roommate, resting on the other side of the room rushed to my aid and helped me straighten out my cramping arm. Just as I straightened it out, another one was triggered on my right quadricep. Now this was serious, the extent to which I had been dehydrated was evident now, any movement I made meant a muscle contraction and before I knew it a painful spasm would hit me on that part. It was all over my body now, creeping in from one part to another.

I had started sweating again, the last thing I needed at a time like this; loss of more fluids. There was no hospital for miles around, besides I could not dare risk anymore movement. My roommate had to feed me the fluids and I had to replenish them fast. My coach was by my side now and he tried to ease the pain by icing the spasming