Getting sick on vacation is no fun at all. What do you do to make sure you stay feeling great when you travel?
I pack a virtual pharmacy in my vanity bag. My family often has fought the sniffles, pulled muscles, and had bad reactions to bug bites while in WDW. It seems like every time something happens, I add some sort of OTC med to the suitcase on future trips. Since we don't usually have a car to run off site to Walgreens I try my best to be prepared.
I'm alot like you - I pack ointments, creams, band-aids, Sudafed, Tums, Tylenol...everything that we usually might use if we ever get sick, have a cut, bug bite, etc.
I become fanatical the 2 weeks before we leave and Purell the hell out of myself. There area always sickies at work and I avoid them like the plague! Nothing gets touched without a paper towel 
If I even think I might feel like I am starting to get sick, I start taking things - Nyquil, Theraflu, whatever I think might work. Joe thinks I am nuts. He's probably right - but I WILL NOT GET SICK WHILE AT DISNEY! DAMMIT!
I avoid travel during the times of year my conditions are likely to give me fits. I try to maintain my normal exercise routine, and try to eat semi normal while on vacation too. I always allow for lots of rest with all the gogogo too.
Pi}{ie
Member of the ANRF Running Team. As a warrior of arthritis I encourage you to help us end this disease: http://www.active.com/donate/Racing4ACure/Run4Arthritis
Oh I also pack all my prescriptions, even the ones I use infrequently. You never know when you might need the extra oomf meds.
Pi}{ie
Member of the ANRF Running Team. As a warrior of arthritis I encourage you to help us end this disease: http://www.active.com/donate/Racing4ACure/Run4Arthritis
Last year the kids and I all came home from the first weekend of Food & Wine Festival sick as could be. We weren't alone either, so many folks on twitter said that they had picked up a bug. This year I'm determined to stay healthy, but I'm packing the pharmacy just in case 
I always carry "Purell" with me. Very helpful at the parks when you're touching railings, doors, etc.
We always pack a bag full of Tums, Tylenol for kids, and Motrin. You never know.......
Hand washing is number one. Purel is good, but there's no substitute for soap and water
Frequently! in cold and flu season I have to moisturize my hands or they shrivel.
My company had a health fair a couple of weeks ago. There were various vendors and health care companies giving out samples. One of the samples I got was a pack of hand sanitizing wipes. I was so excited. I told my co-workers that was going in my carry on bag when I go to Disney. I'll pack the liquid hand sanitizer in my checked bag. I got band-aids in a handy case to take with me too.
Yay for useful swag! I love going to fairs and stuff that give away promo items, but so often they're completely useless. My favorite swag was a little purse size sunscreen Useful swag is good!
I pack a pharmacy. Dave got sick on a trip..he had a stomach bug..and Pepto almost cost me my first born in the gift shop. I guess we don't particularly try to do anything special to avoid getting sick..just a lot of hope.
Bella
I'm looking at menus tonight planning ahead for my trip. Plus, I'm not sure about my Sunday ADRs. My friends are arriving in the afternoon and we have dinner reservations at Hollywood & Vine. I have breakfast reservations at Cape May Cafe. I'm not sure about having 2 buffets in one day. Anyway, I digress. I found this on the menu for the Wave.
I'm thinking one of these a day will keep the doctor away. Antioxidants are good, right?
Antioxidant Cocktail
Finlandia Wild Berries Vodka, Absolut Berri
Acai Vodka, Pomegranate, Lychee, and
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
I'm thinking one of these a day will keep the doctor away. Antioxidants are good, right?
Antioxidant Cocktail
Finlandia Wild Berries Vodka, Absolut Berri
Acai Vodka, Pomegranate, Lychee, and
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Excellent choices! Throw in an Appletini just for good measure and I'm sure you're golden!
Bella
JoAnn C wrote:
I'm thinking one of these a day will keep the doctor away. Antioxidants are good, right?
Antioxidant Cocktail
Finlandia Wild Berries Vodka, Absolut Berri
Acai Vodka, Pomegranate, Lychee, and
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Excellent choices! Throw in an Appletini just for good measure and I'm sure you're golden!
That's one drink with a lot of antioxidant possibilities. Good idea on the Appletini. I think we should throw in a banana daiquiri just for the potassium.
Bella wrote:JoAnn C wrote:
I'm thinking one of these a day will keep the doctor away. Antioxidants are good, right?
Antioxidant Cocktail
Finlandia Wild Berries Vodka, Absolut Berri
Acai Vodka, Pomegranate, Lychee, and
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Excellent choices! Throw in an Appletini just for good measure and I'm sure you're golden!
That's one drink with a lot of antioxidant possibilities. Good idea on the Appletini. I think we should throw in a banana daiquiri just for the potassium.
I think you're both brilliant.
This post is so funny to me. I, too, often pack as though I'm going to the remotest part of Antarctica where there are no CVSs or Targets. I take anything and everything that we might need, especially analgesics and allergy meds. What made me laugh when I read this, though, were my childhood memories. My mom is a nurse, so every vacay, she stocked her "train case" (remember that Samsonite, hard side, rectangle thing, with the flip buttons?) with all kinds of scary things, up to and including syringes full of benadryl (my brother was crazy allergic to bee stings.) I would be fascinated by all the paraphernalia. We never used any of it. Thank goodness. I really would have hated to get a shot on vacation!
So yes...I'm nearly as bad. And I thank my mother for that.
I don't get sick, but I do pack the purel for my husband. Any cold he catches goes straight to his chest 
Hand washing is number one. Frequently!
Definitely hand washing!!
It's important to lather for 15 - 30 seconds. I find singing one verse and chorus of "it's a small world" fills that time frame depending on how fast you sing it!
Always wash your hands before eating, be it a meal or a snack!
My hubby and I went so far as to sit down at a restaurant, choose our menu items, THEN go wash our hands while we were waiting for our order to arrive. This way, the menu germs (which i'm sure are as abundant as those on door handles) won't get on your food and into your mouth.
Also, keep your hands away from your face. Ride and bus surfaces are great spots to pick up nasty germs.
Vitamins, prescriptions, pain relievers, cold meds, bandages, antacids. Thinking a little hand sanitizer would not be a bad thing.
I think you can worry too much about these things. I don't do anything I wouldn't do at home and haven't had any problems (hoping I haven't jinxed myself by saying that).
I can only please one person per day. Today isn't your day... tomorrow doesn't look good either.
I think you can worry too much about these things. I don't do anything I wouldn't do at home and haven't had any problems (hoping I haven't jinxed myself by saying that).
My feelings exactly. 
I think you can worry too much about these things. I don't do anything I wouldn't do at home and haven't had any problems (hoping I haven't jinxed myself by saying that).
I don't do anything differently at DW than I do at home, either. But at home, I have supplies on hand in case I get sick or incur a minor injury. So I bring a little of that stuff along on trips, just to be safe.
I made it home from vacation without catching a bug this year! I did do things differently on this trip, like taking extra vitamin C for a week before hand, and washing/gelling my hands a lot more in the parks. I had the pharmacy packed just in case, but I didn't need it at all this trip.