Travel with Chronic Illness

Elizabeth - My oldest daughter uses a wheelchair, my youngest daughter has asthma and allergies and my husband is currently in a walking cast. We have taken many trips and the best advice I would give you is to have all of your medical information (allergies, medications, phone numbers of doctors, insurance info., etc.) on one sheet of paper in a couple of places in your luggage. Take extra medications that you may require, talk to your doctor about any preventative things you can do prior to the trip. Take things a little slower, rest when you need to, research the places you'll be going to and staying at so you'll know what to expect when you get there and most of all enjoy yourself.

Should I attempt to have a letter translated from your doctor? Just go on Babblefish or wherever and translate it yourself? It could detail my condition and treatment.

We've been as far as Hawaii, and I did just fine. I don't know why the language barrier is making me nervous.

thanks!

Here is a list from the UK embassy of English speaking doctors in Rome.

http://ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/when-things-go-wrong/if-you-need-doctor/doctors-dentists-in-rome

Depending on where you are going in Italy, you might be able to google similiar lists for other cities or check with the U.S. embassy.

I would definitely recommend purchasing travel insurance, including a cancellation policy in case anything goes wrong. Be sure to schedule your trip with plenty of rest and don't push yourself too hard.

Google "traveling with chronic illness" and you'll get a list of websites devoted to that exact thing. You should be able to find a wealth of information there - maybe even some specific to your problem.

Also talk to your health insurance provider about how to deal with any medical visits overseas. You will probably have to pay out of pocket and then request reimbursement. Make sure you know EXACTLY what they require for this or you could get stuck with the full bill. My provider also offers a toll-free contact number (through a third party vendor) for overseas emergencies (help you find an English speaking doctor, etc.)

Whatever the case, go with a good attitude, understand your personal physical limitations (they'll be the same overseas as at home), and take it easy if you need to.

Hi,, rest lots,, even though you are having fun,, build in serious down time.

Also, get your pharmacist to list your medicines generic names,, not just the brand you get at home.

Have fun,, and don't worry too much, if for any reason you need care in Europe you will likely find it as good or better then what you can get in North America.

Taking a short transalated letter may be helpful too.

Elizabeth,

I wouldn't recommend using Babelfish or other computer translators for something like this, as I doubt they would do a good job of translating detailed and technical medical terminology.

The first step should be to speak with your Family Physician and ask for any suggestions or concerns on travel with whatever condition you have. Make sure you have enough prescription medication for the duration of the trip, and I'd recommend taking a copy of your prescription(s) as well, "just in case".

You should also determine what your options are with respect to travel medical insurance. Some providers have exclusions for pre-existing conditions but you'll want to make sure you have adequate coverage in case of falls or other accidents.

If you're concerned about "the language barrier", you might have a look at www.iamat.org which provides a list of English-speaking Physicians in various countries who will provide "basic" treatments for a set fee (as I recall, it's the range of US$50-75).

Good luck!

I have asthma. It's pretty well-controlled so I am not quite in the position you are, but I have had occasional problems.

Some of the things I do are write down the name of my illness in the language of the country I am visiting (although asthma is quite an easy one to mime!). I also make sure I know the generic names of the drugs I am on, not just the brand names.

I find I don't have the stamina of other people so I tend to arrange my days so that I don't do too many strenous things in a row. E.g. on Monday I might arrange a big trip, but on Tuesday I will get up a little later and wander around the local area etc.

My son got sick on our trip to Ireland and Germany this summer. We decided to see a doctor in Dublin the day before we left, before we went to a non-English speaking country. They had a great service that provided home visits for 70 euro.

The only medication we needed was something for his fever (we ran out of children's Tylenol after a couple of days), but if I went to a pharmacy and asked what to give my son, they were able to steer me in the right direction. But I'm pretty comfortable with speaking German, so that helped. But knowing the generic name for any medications you might need would be good. They had ibuprofen in Germany.

You may want to look online for small folding chairs that you can easily carry with you. There are some small tripod ones out there that are smaller than your typical camping chair. If you start getting dizzy, you may not always be in a place where you can easily find a seat.

Hi Elizabeth-

I have a chronic immune disorder that causes pain, occasional mobility issues during a flare-up and fatigue.

Ken's suggestions were excellent.

When traveling abroad, I make sure to have both enough of my medications to last the duration of the trip and an original copy of my written prescriptions. I bring a list of English speaking doctors in the area with me. And in terms of the stress and strenuousness, I build in slow days and down time into my itinerary. I try to schedule only 1 major activity per day now instead of several. If I'm feeling good and can fit more in I do, but if not I enjoy the things I am able to do.