Joys of Being Sick Traveling
Oh the joys of being sick while traveling. Sadly I am extremely experienced in this arena. The longer your trip the higher the probability really. You see, every time you see new friends they want to “take you out” and go “have a good time”. I love a good time as much as the next guy, arguably more.
The issue of time compounds the problem. The longer you’re traveling the longer you have to lack sleep until ~1-2 weeks into a trip you’ve realized you’ve slept an average of ~4-6 hours a night and gone to bed with your energy depleted each time. As a result your immune system becomes weaker and weaker until you run across some type of virus or bacteria that normally would be no big deal but it manifests in you. It manifests in you because your immune system is the one that’s taken a beating. It’s quite simple really, the longer you treat your body like a circus the higher the chances are you’re going to get sick.
As a result of this most untimely illness I have no stories or hyjinx to share, just me “sweating it out” on a friends pull out. The worst part is I just met his roomate, who is a cool guy but I’m sure he isn’t thrilled having a diseased traveler on his couch, I mean, it’s only natural.
Truth be told, I’m not so annoyed about getting sick, sure it sucks that I have strep and if the anti-biotics dont’ work it could be the flu. However I can use this as a reminder not to “play the fool” overseas and take the time required to rest up when required. The reality is, if you don’t take care of yourself, don’t eat a balanced diet and don’t get enough sleep, it’s only a matter of time until you get sick. I’d much rather be sick here than somewhere in Asia.
I’m seriously hoping that it is strep or tonsilitus as this “not being able to swallow without excruciating pain” is getting old. The sweats, body aches, I can deal but the swallowing… That said it’s also a good reminder of what it’s like for people who smoke a lifetime and get throat cancer or something else that is grizzly like that. It would really suck to feel this way and know it’s not getting better.
Just told some friends I won’t be going golfing and I have no one to blame but myself. Hopefully this will be feeling considerably better tomorrow and “life can go on”. Until then I’m in some quasi dimension which expands from the pull-out couch, the bathroom, the kitchen and the occasional time warp to the pharmacy where there is a beautician who helps me find everything even if I know where it is who could only be described as “intriguing”.
In closing, being sick sucks, being sick on the road is worse and being sick in a foreign country is even worse. I’ve been in Panama and gone “overboard” at the all inclusive and had something similar to this. We take our health for granted and it’s similar to a fishing. You got your health until you don’t, just like a lure isn’t working until it is.
Ever gotten sick while traveling?
