by Lexi Hanson (Missouri, U.S.A.)
A graphic from Lexi, entitled “Everything I Did to Prepare for my Trip to Southeast Asia (Chronically Ill Edition).” In the background is the sky with a blue to orange gradient, the sun is in the bottom right corner. A photo of Lexi (a young black woman with short curly hair, round glasses, a white tank top, and light jeans) is in the middle of the page. Around her are photos related to her tips for travel, including a glass of water, a pill container, and a bunch of grapes. Text is included below.
Everything I Did to Prepare for my Trip to Southeast Asia (Chronically Ill Edition):
I made sure I had a plan for hydrating and receiving my water intake. Tap water in the parts of Asia I was traveling was not safe to drink. I also needed a liquid to take my medications daily. 7-11 and other nearby stores had many options and I made sure to always have a bottle with me.
I requested vacation override with my health insurance company to ensure I had enough medications for my trip (and then some). If you’re taking medications, I’m sure you understand the daily/weekly/monthly struggle with pharmacies and/or insurance companies to fill your prescriptions, so make sure to get a head start on this one!
I educated myself on street food safety and what I needed to do to stay healthy, while also experiencing the culture! I did not accept any fruits that were unpeeled or could be washed with tap/unclean water. I was careful about meat at street food markets, and spoke with my tour guide about how to identify whether food was sitting out for long periods of time and deemed not fresh.
Tip: Make sure you’re familiar with the vaccines that are necessary and highly suggested in the area(s) you are traveling. Most importantly, check with your doctor about if any of your medications make it unsafe to receive a live vaccine.