Salmonella food poisoning victim Mathew Easton feels lucky to be alive following his Nile cruise nightmare.
His life has changed for the worse since his ordeal started on the last day of a week-long, Thomson four-star Nile Egyptian cruise.
The 40-year-old Walmer civil servant still suffers unpleasant symptoms following last September’s holiday. He is seeking compensation and is concerned about lasting effects on his health.
Foods he once loved are now banned or strictly limited, including dairy products, spicy food, wheat and carbohydrates like potatoes.
It is a deprivation for Mr Easton. He has lost 3.5 stone from his strapping 6ft 2in frame since contracting salmonella.
Travel legal experts are demanding answers from tour operator Thomson about how a passenger on the Nile Commodore could get poisoned.
Mr Easton said he knows of at least three other people with similar problems on the same trip and wants any others affected to come forward.
He said the £600 holiday had been great until his illness which he attributes to eating a piece of "strange-tasting" battered fish.
Soon afterwards, he suffered severe sickness, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and sweats.
At the most extreme moments he said: "I really felt like I was going to die."
Salmonella can lead to serious complications and ultimately prove fatal.
Travel law specialists at Irwin Mitchell have urged the tour operator to ensure strict health and safety procedures are put in place to reassure passengers in the future.
So far Thomson have not commented as the Mercury went to press.
See this week's East Kent Mercury for more details.