While I’ve been lucky enough to avoid certain travel nightmares like being robbed and ending up in the hospital, I’ve had my fair share of travel mishaps. Something that happens to me on nearly every trip is some sort of illness.
It ranges from a quick stomach bug to bizarre allergic reactions. Thankfully I’ve been lucky enough to find pharmacies that could give me something to clear up the problem and send me on my way.
Fat Lip, Thailand
On my trip to Thailand back in 2010, I had just landed in Chiang Mai a few days prior and was still adjusting to the time difference. After a lavish dinner at a lakeside restaurant, I woke up feeling odd. I couldn’t close my mouth all the way and it felt like my lip was about to burst.
I soon discovered why, as it had doubled in size. I looked like the Elephant Man, but my translator friend was able to find me some antihistamines at Tesco that fixed me up within an hour.
Dysentery, Australia
Wondering how I got something like this in a “first world” country? Me too. I’m not entirely sure if it was dysentery, but I know that I had extreme dehydration that led to severe stomach pains. When I finally went to the doctor in Sydney, he told me that it was from unclean drinking water or from vegetables in unclean water.
After my $50 uninsured doctor’s visit, I took my prescription in addition to the rehydration salts my doctor roommate gave me. After ingesting the salts and drinking at least four bottles of Powerade, I was back to normal.
Bruised foot, Australia
Something about traveling in Australia made me an idiot and my trip up the East Coast proves that. After a fuzzy night dancing on tables at Cheeky Monkey’s in Byron Bay, I woke up with a swollen hematoma on my foot which was spreading with time.
A doctor who happened to be standing at reception diagnosed me and told me that I needed to wrap it. I got a bandage and kept it on for the next few weeks until the swelling healed.
Eczema, Germany
Something had been going on with me for a while, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Last year when I went to Germany and Austria, my skin felt very dry in certain places. Despite using lotion and lip balm, it only seemed to make it worse.
I got a prescription for my rash when I was there, but it wasn’t until I got home that I finally got a diagnosis: eczema. Now I make sure to bring my creme with me on every trip because you never know what can bring on a reaction, including weather, clothing, and lotions.
Bug bites, Turkey
I’m prone to mosquito bites back home, so I’m used to scratching away all summer. Between my Turkey Adventure and Sail Turkey tours, I spent two days in Fethiye. After a trip to the Turkish bath scrubbed off layers of skin, I was feeling great.
That is until I woke up in the middle of the night with massive itching welts all over my body. These were different than your typical bug bites. They were almost an inch in size and were hot to the touch. They itched so much, I ended up covering them with toothpaste until I could find a better solution. Thankfully a visit to the pharmacy, where I proceeded to point at my bites, provided hydrocortisone cream.
Tips for Getting Sick on the Road
1. Bring the essentials with you like antibiotics, pain relievers and antihistamines.
2. If you’re prone to infections, bring your prescriptions with you as well as a doctor’s note in case you need to resupply while you’re away.
3. Give yourself time to heal. Whether it’s a stomach bug or a rash, give yourself a day or two for the medicine to kick in.
Had to laugh at the cheeky monkey injury. Was in Byron last month, it was an awesome bar.