LOL, JJ5...so many people , I am sure, will know exactly what you mean!

Oh all these stories - I can truly sympathize!

When I went to Israel, I had been ill for a month previously and been to the doctor several times. He diagnosed it as "nerves" and told me I'd be fine. The second day there I got so dizzy I could barely stand (not even sure how I got into a taxi, much less to my hotel room!). After an hour in the hotel room with the A/C running full blast, and laying in my undies, and having taken meds for my dizziness (I do get spells on occasions), and nothing changing, I told my mother to get a doctor. I had images of being taken to an Israeli hospital, having a heart attack, who knew what else?

Doctor arrived, was very concerned about my elevated heart rate and did an EKG from the hotel room. (Did even know they could do that over telephone lines!) All was normal, and as he stood there looking at me, he asked if I'd ever had my thyroid checked. I just stared at him. He gave me a prescription for beta blockers to bring down my heart rate (also stopped the dizziness) and told me to have my thyroid checked when I got back to the states.

I had to take things easy the rest of the trip, as I could not get over-heated. (Yeah, like that's easy to do in Israel in August!) But at least the symptoms cleared up. And, when I got back to the states and checked with my doctor, I discovered I did in fact have a hyperactive thyroid that had gone undiagnosed for what must have been years! And it was attributed to "nerves."

And the best part? My medical care in Israel - including EKG and meds were free.

My brother got sick in Las Vegas and had to go to the hospital for two days. He had no problem with recovery, only problem was sorting out the hospital bills when he got back home. Home ins co. would not pay some of the bills because the out of state hospital was not on the plan...

About a year ago, my husband and I went to Antigua for a week. Two days before we left, I developed what I thought was a stomach virus. It was terrible not being at home in my own bed, but the worst part of it was the travel back to the U.S. Dragging myself out of bed out into the Caribbean heat to the airport and the flight back to Charlotte, NC was awful. Once we got to Charlotte, we had to go through about an hour long customs line. I laid down in the floor in the airport, and the airport employees were so nice - they brought me a wheelchair for my husband to wheel me to the car. We drove the four hours home (to Knoxville, TN) and the next day I went to the emergency room. Turns out my stomach virus was actually e. coli. Now I am very careful on my Caribbean vacations not to eat raw fruit and vegetables.

Oh these stories are awful! It is bad enough to be sick at home ,but traveling just makes it feel worse.

JJ5--OMG, how awful! I am glad you were able to at least ask for what you needed. Sometimes modesty just goes out the window, lol!

Scarlett--I think the worst thing about my incident is that my last meal before the symptoms began was seafood. Some shrimp something or others, and then fresh crab. I could not eat crab for about 6years after that!

I was on a tour my first Europe trip and about half the group got horribly sick..some sort of cold or something. A lot of them just stayed in bed when we got to Rome. Lucky for me, I didn't get it til I got home and it was horrible..that coughing, chest congestion, runny nose, stuffy head thing. Can't imagine what it would have been like to have to fly home with it.

mms, yes the pharmacy inquiry was so terrible that I almost cried when HE didn't get it right away. How do you mime that one? Thank God- I had been in pharmacy and knew which products that were similar to "point" out. But I was so embarrassed that I put it off a day which did not help.

My cousin was a real brick and tried to do it for me later in the trip when I ran out. I am no shrinking violet but she is quiet but forceful. She had the old tube to show them, but in Belgium the pharmacist did not "get" the German brand and misunderstood. She ended up buying the wrong thing and then taking it back and getting it right the second time.

There were a few days in there that I could hardly walk. But it didn't keep me off wine or beer. I think the beer cured me more than anything else did.

I learned how to say cranberry juice in German also.

Oh JJ5 I have tears running down my face from laughing so hard! Sorry! Maybe that should be added to the feminine supply list that is a must for packing for any trip. Why do we always learn the hard way? lol!

I am laughing my head off. What is it about sickness that is so funny? NOTHING when it is you that is sick...well until you can make it into a very funny story.

I've only been really sick once - food poisoning at Club Med. I was fine after 24 hours but 3 weeks later, when I was at home, I found out I had brought back a "buddy" in my tummy. The doctor said there was no meds to take and I had to wait it out. 2 more weeks of excruciating stomach aches!

My husband gets sick on vacation a lot!

When we had been dating 6 months he got
food poisoning in Jamaica. He was sick for days AND he fell down some steps and cut himself up!

About 5 years ago, he and buddies went to New Orleans. He got a twisted intestine and was in the hospital and was in agonizing pain the whole weekend.

2 years ago, we were on our first trip after our baby was born...A cruise to the Caribbean. Well, we found out that I don't get sea sick but he does. 20 foot waves pretty much ruined his vacation. I had to get the doctor to give him a shot to stop the throwing up!

Now, every time we go somewhere, I worry that he will get sick! And, it is not much fun being on vacation basically "alone!"

I've gotten the ol' food poisoning in Germany, Itay, and Egypt while on vacation. The embarrasing one was while I was staying with my cousin and his wife in Colorado. I was trying to hide it but they heard me in the bathroom throwing up. It was really embarrasing for everybody. But later it turned out that it came from my freshly opened bottle of St. Johns Wort vitamin suppliment (it happened again after the second time I took it). All of us were releaved that it had nothing to do with my host's cooking.

This was the most embarrasing visit incident I have ever had.

I forgot all about the following experience until just a few minutes ago...

When I was 10, my family went to Paris for 6 weeks. While there, we were invited to eat at a French family's home.

I LOVED all the food and they gave me a thimble of wine with each course, which I loved too! After 3 courses, I went to the bathroom and threw up! I was soooo embarrassed. They all knew and were very worried...until I came back and ate strawberries, whipped cream and brown sugar for dessert!

Worst sick on vacation story I ever heard was from a co-worker who went on a charter to the Canary Islands and Morroco. Their flight home was delayed so the charter company took the entire planeload of people over to a local hotel for a complimentary meal as they waited for the plane.
Apparently the meal, not so good, as almost everyone on that plane got food poisoning. Imagine a planeload of people sick from both ends, on a long flight home.
Airplane bathrooms are bad enough on a good day, but as they were so overused they couldn't hold up and became backed up.
Roger said it was the worst and longest plane ride of his life.
He was out of work recovering for two weeks when he got home.

My worst experience was a trip to Vegas and the Grand Canyon at the tale end of a respiratory illness. I too had one of those coughing up a lung coughs that would go on for a while at times. I think people thought I had the plague as whenever I sat somewhere and started my cough, they would all slowly move away to other seats. Fortunately that only lasted a couple of days.
KathyH

My worst fear along these lines is being terribly sick in a foreign country when traveling solo.

Fortunately moderate flu staying with friends in Europe is the closest I have come to that possibility.

"yes the pharmacy inquiry was so terrible that I almost cried when HE didn't get it right away. How do you mime that one?"

JJ5, you are killing me. I'm amazed that you survived it. If I ever travel to Germany, I will learn the right phrases JUST IN CASE! Even if I bring a tube with me!

Funniest medication: asked in Rome for equivalent of PrepH -- was sold a tube of "ProctoFlan."

Worst sickness: food poisoning in DisneyWorld. Worst treatment by hotel: in DisneyWorld -- being forced to come to desk (throwing up and running to john all the way) so I could sign the bill and travelers checks in person. Worst response after the fact: hostile, recorded call from Disney lawyers after I wrote a letter complaining of the treatment (and NOT the illness), warning me not to sue, which up to that moment I'd never considered.

Worst treatment by hosts: We'd been on the road for 12 hrs. driving to a friends' house. On arrival late at night, we discovered my 18 month old had a fever, and they went into a TIZZ (they had a 5-yr. old in normal health), went around wiping doorknobs after us and asked us to leave first thing in the morning, before breakfast.

Question: how readily would you consider moving to a motel (other than Disney) if you were sick and could afford it, rather than impose on your host/hostess?

Oh Cassandra that "host" that went around cleaning door knobs after you at night- how horrible! You never know, do you. How cold and rude!

I would never do that to a guest, and I have out of town guests frequently.

Yes, I would have considered a hotel room if someone acted like that while I was a guest.

And in my own life, it only happened one time that I wanted to get into a hotel- but I was "carless" and had to endure the extra day. Some people who are selfish and totally self concerned should not be hosts, period.

And for those of you who think my young German experience was funny- remember this. Monistat type products were not over the counter medications then AND the only person who spoke German with us was my elder and very proper father.

And it sounds real funny, but it was not at the time. I laugh now, but for three or four days there I was actually crying it hurt so much.

I am a very very light packer but my "medicine bag" is something I'd never go on a trip without. It contains Benadryl, Monistat, UTI antibiotics, motion-sickness meds, ibuprofen, Neosporin, band aids, and anti-diarrheal meds. I've needed ALL of them at some point over the years in my travels overseas.

Benadryl was the most necessary - my BF had allergic reactions to food FOUR times in Peru. And I thought I was going to die from allergies staying in a hut in the hills of Thailand with all the animals underneath I could see through the spaces in the floor. No pharmacy up there!

After a Mediterranean cruise last year, my mother was at the airport in Rome, ready to board their flight home when her left leg suddenly became very red and swollen. It was to the point that she could not walk to the terminal so my step father went off to find her a wheel chair.

Thankfully an airport employee came to their aid and denied her boarding and told them to get to the nearest hospital. It turned out she had a very serious blood clot and ended up spending the next 6 weeks in a hospital bed in Rome. It was very scary at the time, the Canadian Consulate had to get involved to do translation as most of the health care workers did not speak English.

Mom received excellent care though and finally flew home safe and sound.

JJ5 - wow! that takes the cake! You win the prize for funny post of the week. I'm sure at the time it was anything but funny though.

Just wondering, to those who had to go to the hospital while travelling, were there any problems witn ins company at home when bill paying time came?

Jeepers, you guys have some stories to share.

Just recently, I spent the night hurling a late evening meal instead of enjoying a romantic evening in NYC! It was not what my DH expected, that's for sure

Cassandra, make sure you keep your friend out of a school building, lol or that 5 year old will never receive an education