Traveling around the world should give anyone concern in any kind of weather. For the past few months I have lived in Nikolaev, Ukraine. While I am here working, I am planning my next vacation to Spain. Living in another country for any length of time should be a positive experience to remember. The thought of getting sick or spending my vacation in bed is something I worried about before I left home. I bought travel insurance just in case I got sick. Also, I received a flu shot and a few other shots as well. Before traveling out of any country, it’s a good idea to ask your doctor what type of vaccinations you might need.

Getting sick while living here, has not been a problem; but I watch what I eat. I always stay away from ice and drinks from the fountain in cafes. I drink only beverages that come from containers. Bottled water is something you will need to have on hand at all times and drink it often. Any type of bottled water is ok to drink as far as different brands go. If you travel to the Ukraine or Russia, you will soon learn most people drink bottled water with carbonation. This is referred to as bottled water with gas. Just ask for water without gas if you don’t care for carbonation.

A small amount of any water from a public source your body is not used to, can be a problem for your intestinal tract. When I travel, I try to be careful not to get water in my mouth when I shower. Even brushing my teeth with the water from the faucet is not a good idea; I rinse with bottled water. Here in the Ukraine, there have been several times I drank water after it was boiled and I seem to be fine. However, boiled water here is not very tasty.

Some of the foods I eat can create a slight upset stomach if I am not careful. I try to avoid eating green salads. Lettuce and vegetables are washed and rinsed with water from the faucet, so I try to eat cooked salads with potato or possibly prepared with vegetables from a can. Almost any type of cooked or prepared food should be fine; but eating a large variety of foods is not always a good idea either. I try to sample different foods in very small portions when there are too many to choose from salad bars. When I find what I like, I reach for more.

Any person who travels should pack an anti-diarrhea product with you. Most over the counter products are fine. I would also recommend bringing an anti gas product for your stomach and intestinal tract. These are things many people do not often think about until you really need it. These products are available at the local pharmacies here. I packed my suitcase full of just about anything I could think of as far as simple medicines to remember.

I have been lucky while traveling so far. I would recommend to anyone that has symptoms of diarrhea to take care of it right away. I remember traveling to Egypt in 1989 and watching a friend being carried out of the hotel on a stretcher to a hospital. Dehydration and the lack of fluid in a person’s body can be a very serious medical problem. It totally ruined his trip with his family. He told me later, he accidentally swallowed a little water when he was in the shower.

Next time, I will share my experience in the middle east.

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