Sick on vacation? Must haves to survive.
Aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents, all gathered into a spacious cabin to celebrate family. This was us a few years ago. My oldest brother was getting married and we had gathered to celebrate that and my parents 50th anniversary. We rented a large cabin and were having a good time.
At the wedding the groom was a little under the weather. We joked that it was just cold feet. 24 hours later, no one was in a joking mood. Our best bet is that we had norovirus. That lovely virus that sweeps cruise ships and is passed easily, had struck our family down. There were puking kids and adults everywhere. I wish I could say that this was the last time sickness came along on a family vacation. Unfortunately, it is starting to seem like a tradition.
This winter my son was marching with his marching band in the Rose Parade in Pasedena California. We decided to go watch him in this once in a lifetime experience and take the family to Disneyland while we were at it. They had never been and we were all looking forward to it. A few days into it, the kids were begging to stay at the hotel rather than go to Disneyland and before we were through, 3 of the 4 kids with us had thrown up and the everyone was down for at least a bit.
So, how do you do you survive a bout of sickness while you are away from home. Here is my list of essentials:
- Flexibility: We had purchased a multiple day pass to Disneyland but when everyone got sick, we realized that wasn’t happening. Rather than get upset and ruin the vacation, we did the best we could. We watched a lot of netflix. Ordered bland food from take out menus and tried to make the best of it.
- Be prepared. If you are in the midst of it, it is too late for this. Sorry. However, it is good idea on a family vacation to have the basics on hand. Having pain reliever and basic cold and stomach remedies on hand can save someone from having to go out or spend a fortune at the hotel shop for the necessities. If you have someone well enough to go out, a grocery store or pharmacy will be cheaper than the hotel.
- Entertainment: When my extended family was struck with Norovirus we had boardgames that were very low key that the sickies played. While you don’t want to pack your whole house. Having some down time activities on hand is a good idea, even if no one ends up getting sick. When we were stuck in California with a hotel room of sick kids, Netflix saved the day. The kids could watch their favorite shows from the comfort of bed and get the rest they needed to recuperate.
- Bland food: Whether it is chicken noodle soup for the bad cold or jello for an upset stomach, the right food can help an ailing person feel better, faster. Some easy ones to have on hand are crackers and applesauce packets. Staying hydrated is also important, no matter the type of sickness you face.
- Cleaning supplies: you want to be able to keep things as clean as possible to stop the further spread of illness. Sanitizing wipes make it easy to give things a once over. Small garbage bags or even plastic grocery bags can be a life saver to give to sick kids or bag up dirty
Unfortunately, I am writing this while lying in a hotel bed with a stomach ache. I am on a trip with my daughter. While she attends college orientation, I was supposed to relax and have some me time. Instead, I spent a lot of time sleeping and I had to venture out for some bland food and medicine.
Have you ever had sickness invade your vacation?
What helped you survive? What are your must haves?
