Trip planning is an art under the best of circumstances, but mapping out the family holiday when someone is battling a serious illness can be a huge challenge.
We hope the following might be of help in making those special plans a reality.
Tips for travelling with an illness
- Choose destinations where you’ll have room to breathe and avoid crowds. More people = more germs and that can be huge problem for those whose immune systems have been compromised by such treatments as chemotherapy. Ask your doctor about taking along prescription antibiotics to combat any infections that might arise. If your child’s heart is set on a theme park holiday and nothing else will do, wear masks to minimize the possibility of germ transmission and be sure to take one with you to the airport as well.
- Plan your travel around your healthiest times, rather than as a pick-me-up following strenuous treatment. While it might seem a great idea to plan a get-away as a means of moving away from the illness, blood counts can be low – particularly following chemotherapy – opening the door to infection and complications.
Consider traveling by car, rather than by air if possible. It’s simple to stop at a roadside rest area if someone is feeling ill and making time to stretch and move will significantly reduce the possibility that your patient/traveler will develop blood clots, called deep venous thrombosis or DVT- Choose vacation adventures that are fun, but won’t cause bruising or bleeding. Save the more vigorous activities for a future trip.
- Be as prepared as possible. Anticipate the questions might want answers to, and have a letter from your doctor describing your prescription medications, including brand and generic names, dosages, number of pills you take each day, and the need for any refills while traveling. If you have a tissue expander, or any implanted metal device, such as an intravenous access port or a pacemaker, your doctor should mention that too so you’ll be able to explain why you’re setting off the detectors at security. Make sure you have your doctor’s address and telephone number and take the time to have the most pertinent medical information translated into the language of the country you’ll be visiting. Leave a copy with a good friend who can fax or email it you if you should lose yours. Check to ensure that your medication is legal in the country you are visiting by contacting their embassy or consulate office. Restrictions can vary greatly particularly regarding drugs that contain morphine and codeine, as well as those delivered by injection.
- If you don’t have out-of-country health insurance, get it. Your travel insurance program – obtained through your booking agency or travel agent – may have you covered already.
- Bring more medication than you need. If your return travel plans are delayed, you don’t want to be in a panic.
- Keep medications in their original containers to avoid suspicious questioning at border crossings and keep all meds cool. Don’t store any drugs in the trunk of a car or a glove compartment where they might be damaged by heat.
- Medication should travel in your carry-on bag, since a dose may be needed while you’re in transit. Remember, if your checked luggage gets lost, you could risk being without vital prescriptions for several days.
- Heading for the sun? Wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 since some medications increase your skin’s sensitivity.
- Give yourself extra time to get through security at the airport and give some thought to whether a wheelchair might make the process more comfortable and convenient. If so, airport staff can help to provide both the chair and a wheeler!
- Make an appointment for a checkup for your return home. With any luck, you won’t have anything to talk about other than the great adventures you had on your trip!
Planning a trip? Use the tripatlas.com/new Trip Builder to get tips, advice & pricing on any destination in the world from travel professionals and tour operators.
Liz Fleming is an award-winning Canadian travel journalist who specializes in adventure, health and wellness and learning travel. For more from Liz, go to: Liz Fleming’s Travel Tales