Travel sickness

Plan on having fun but what if…?  It is always good to be prepared. Pack Ciproflaxin tablets and rehydration salts and hand sanitizer. Get the recommended vaccines before you leave home. When attempting any physical exertion in the heat, guzzle some water before you start and then take a good amount of drinking water with you. (You never know when that detour or wrong turn is going to turn the two hour jaunt into four hours.) Always have hand sanitizer on your person; it comes in small packs or tiny bottles that are easy to have on hand. Then remember to use hand sanitizer. That includes before putting anything in your mouth and after touching any sort of animal. Take your daily vitamins and try to get enough sleep.  Even so, you may get sick. Don’t beat yourself up about it.

If you get overheated, put ice or cold water at knees, elbows, back of neck, feet and armpits. And drink lots of water, best with rehydration powers like a GatorAid. (In hot places, I seek out the local GatorAid type drink on day one.)  In other temperatures, if you start to shiver but don’t feel cold, put on a hat and get yourself a hot drink.  Always carry moleskin in case your Plan A foot protection doesn’t work out. Also helpful are manicure scissors to cut the moleskin. I recommend chewable Pepto Bismal tables for an upset stomach, but others swear by ginger. A magnifying mirror comes in handy for looking into an irritated eye. Tweezers help with splinters. A dental first aid kit for toothaches and lost fillings is something to carry and pray you never need to use. A heat patch takes very little luggage space.

When you find you have fallen beyond the pale, don’t panic. Best scenario is to find a secure place to be still. After a few hours, you may be able to take Cipro and keep it down. Your body won’t want anything so try to trick it by taking just a sip of water (with rehydrating additive) every quarter hour and see how that goes. Once you can keep water down, food will be helpful. If you can’t find any black tea and toast, try seeing if you can get some boiled potatoes or steamed rice. Again, take just a bite at intervals to see if you can lull your stomach into a false sense of security. I have personally been through this drill dozens of times. Always remember, this too shall pass. Try to maintain a positive attitude.

“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” —Fannie Lou Hamer

Tattoo—Journeys on My Mind by Tina Marie L. Lamb is available on Amazon and on iBooks and on Barnes and Noble. Get an ebook or paper book now.