I’m always a big ball of anxious energy the day before a trip, and this time was no exception: organizing, buying last-minute supplies, practicing packing everything into the duffle bag, switching to the wheeled bag, back to the duffle and back to the wheels … and then picking up a cheap salad for dinner on the run.
(Insert foreboding music here.)
I was leaving for El Salvador on a red-eye the following night, scheduled to be greeted upon arrival by a flurry of non-stop activity for a week of filming and interviewing. So I knew my introverted soul needed to take advantage of the last night in my own bed.
(Spoiler alert. The following might actually spoil your appetite.)
Around midnight the salad began its offensive. The rumbling started. The forces were amassing on the front lines. I couldn’t quite get comfortable. No amount of re-positioning helped. Then the rumbles began their march upward and that sinking feeling became anything but.
No, no, no… this can’t be happening. You’re not supposed to get sick BEFORE you reach the land of unfamiliar micro-organisms. But, sure enough, I found myself eye-to-eye with the bottom of the porcelain bowl …
[I’ll leave the gory details to your imagination … and yes, they were gory.]
… every 30 minutes throughout the night …
Poor neighbor.
I live in a duplex and my bathroom shares a wall with my neighbor’s bedroom.
At around 3 a.m. she sent me a text:
“I hope you feel better for your flight tomorrow!”
The following morning I was depleted. A few more sputters with the porcelain, but there was nothing more to expel. I could barely move. I had no appetite. I was weak from dehydration.
It took me 20 minutes just to brush my teeth. After taking the five steps to the living room, I had to collapse on the couch for a half hour to rest.
The thought of what lay ahead that day made me want to cry.
I could barely carry one load of laundry – how could I get myself to the airport, through security, onto the plane, onto the second plane, through customs in El Salvador, and then jump right into filming? (Definitely the wheeled bag and not the duffle, that’s for sure.)
I seriously considered scrapping the whole trip. All I wanted to do was stay in bed. But I also knew that if I woke up feeling fine the next day, I would hate myself for canceling.
Is it stupid of me to get on a plane feeling like I do?
Or would it be stupid to be a wimp and cancel?
I wasn’t contagious. I was no longer spewing toxic waste. I was simply weak (and for a while there, really felt like dying would feel better).
I drank a quart of Pedialyte that day to get my electrolytes back in balance (a hearty thanks to my friend Lilli for suggesting it and for bringing me the bottles). That helped more than I could have imagined.
I decided to go.
By the time I was standing in the security line at LAX, some of my pre-trip excitement was returning. When we reached El Salvador I was fine.
What should you do if you get sick right before a big trip?
I asked my friend Don Thomas, MD, an ER doc for 35 years and a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at USC.
He said I did the right thing with the Pedialyte. Replenishing electrolytes is crucial. But overall, when it comes to food poisoning, he said if you don’t have a fever and if six hours before the flight you can hold water and you’re no longer expelling fluids, you’re probably good to go (no pun intended).
He was careful to say that every situation is unique, and if he were advising a patient he’d err on the side of caution – especially for anyone over 50 or under 3. “It’s wise to see a doctor or go to urgent care if you’re unsure. Plus, if it turns out you need to cancel or postpone, you’ll need a doctor’s note to deal with the airline.”
For most healthy adults, as long as your symptoms are receding by the time you’re ready to board the plane, that’s a good sign. If they haven’t improved or if they’ve gotten worse, take heed. And consider your destination – what medical resources will be available to you where you’re headed?
Here are some resources to consult if you get sick while traveling:
Have you ever gotten sick right before a trip? What did you do? Please share!
