Today’s stats: 13 miles/700 ft elevation. Facing reality....
I am deeply touched by the compassionate hearts, kind concern, and practical advice.
Even though it was very hard for me to admit defeat, I listened. I sent my pack today (and will tomorrow, too.)

I’ve always had a misguided overconfidence in my strength, believing that I can force my body to the limit by sheer will. 

I’ve always been attuned to my feelings and needs. But I have struggled with listening to my body. What the heck does it even mean? When it comes to working out, pushing myself has always been my way to make progress toward my fitness goals. If I truly listened to my body, would I ever willingly do all of the things I do?

My challenge today was figuring out what’s enough and when’s too much. 
Thus, my first concession was sending my pack. The second was to take Imodium. I really agonized over this decision. There are two schools of thought regarding the Imodium type medication. The first cautions against taking it viewing diarrhea as the body’s natural way to get rid of toxins. The second is that sometimes the priority is just to stop it. As I was getting worse and worse, I gave in and started taking Imodium last night. Today was a better day. The Camino is about living in the moment. If I get awfully constipated later on, so be it.

Today we merged back with the “official” Camino when we got to Hospital de Órbigo. We had the spectacular view of the mountains all the way to Astorga. And that was my final concession. I was so looking forward to exploring Astorga - the cathedral, the house that Gaudi built, and the Museo Chocolate. I was strong enough to complete the walk, but true to my word, I am in bed giving my body the time to recover and heal.

I hope the worst is behind me. The takeaway from this unfortunate experience is to be far more careful regarding what I eat and drink. Also, talking to other people suffering diarrhea on the Camino, I am grateful to have had a private room with an ensuite bathroom. Sleeping in the dorms seems like a nightmare any time, but I cannot imagine going through this sleeping in a bunk bed. 
Here’s to good health and good spirits. Buen Camino!