Sick

Getting sick when you travel feels shocking, but it shouldn't. Your schedule is different. Your food is different. Your water is different. Even the germs in the air are different. All these add up to potential for trouble.

In our family, I'm the one who gets what I not-so-affectionately call the plague. It's made me a reluctant expert on how to deal with getting sick, although -- and this is important -- it has never stopped me from traveling.

Note: this is about everyday yuckiness, not violent, life-threatening illness or injury (like the real-life plague that I joke about and which, by the way, you can catch in the U.S., too). Even if you do catch the literal plague, you can cure it swiftly with a round of antibiotics. See? No problem.

If you're worrying about getting sick on vacation, you need to realize three things.

First, you're very unlikely to die.

Second, you're not going to ruin the getaway.

Third, your getaway will be just fine if you need to take a day off.

So what are your options?

• stock your over-the-counter medications

• stock your first aid kit

• scout out the nearest pharmacies ahead of time

• wash your hands wash your hands wash your hands

• know your insurance coverage, just in case

• know what's just worrisome and what's absolutely terrifying

Stock your over-the-counter medications

You already know what works for occasional yuckiness at home; this is what you want to take when you travel. My "favorites" are bismuth subsalicylate (brand name: Pepto Bismol), loperamide (brand name: Imodium), loratadine (brand names: Claritin, Alavert), omeprazole (brand name, among many: Prilosec OTC), and a lot of headache relief or painkiller, of which you probably already have your favorites.

I also pack lidocaine, the active ingredient in Anbesol and Orajel, because -- confession time -- I live in fear that I'll get a toothache on the plane when the air pressure changes. This has never happened to me, but it takes so little space that I don't feel guilty.

If you're breaking into a cold sweat just from looking at this list, relax. You almost certainly won't need all these medications on one trip, and you may not need any of them. It's just nice to know they're there. I like to take Pepto Bismol on the plane, for example, to ease the transition to a new place. Everything else I take as needed, and the need is uncommon.

Stock your first aid kit

The No. 1 travel "injury:" Blisters from miles of walking.

There are all sorts of treatments for these, and I've tried most of them, but I haven't found anything more effective than plain old adhesive bandages, better known as Band-Aids. Pack plenty of them; I've never had any left over after a trip.

You know what your "favorite" injuries are, so stock your first aid kit accordingly. I pack an ankle brace and I wear shoes or boots that have good ankle support, because I get horrific ankle sprains. You know better than anyone what your signature move is (or maybe you're less clumsy than I am and you glide through life with no silliness: Congratulations!).

Scout out the nearest pharmacy

When you travel, know where your nearest pharmacy is; it probably has a red cross or "plus sign" on a white background.

Inside the pharmacy, you'll find a bunch of remedies you've never heard of, but you'll also discover that other countries' pharmacists often have wider-reaching powers than in the U.S. In some countries, you can go to a pharmacist, tell him/her your symptoms, and get prescribed something on the spot.

It's magic.

Wash your hands wash your hands wash...

You get the idea.

Know your insurance coverage

You are very unlikely to need to go to a hospital, but just in case, know what your insurance coverage is. It's probable that you'll pay upfront, get an itemized receipt, and request reimbursement from your insurance carrier when you return. Just as likely, your treatment on "vacation" will cost less than what you would pay in the U.S. - maybe substantially less - and you won't owe anything beyond what you might be required to pay in cash at the time services are rendered.

It's all OK.

Know what's worrisome and what's alarming

This is tricky, because your imagination is rich and comprehensive. Hint: Tell someone else what's going on, just to keep things in perspective.

I once lurched through the streets of Manchester, England for about eight hours, enduring one of my "Top Ten" plague days. You should never want to participate in a Top Ten competition like this, but if you do, you should just let me win, because winning = losing.

I left one of our daughters at a store, hobbled around the downtown area hunting for places to be inconspicuously sick and tried (unsuccessfully) to disguise how awful felt. However sick you might imagine I felt, I was worse. Much worse. That afternoon, because I hadn't died yet, I confessed to my husband what was going on. I was sure that I was going to be taken to the hospital, possibly flown home, and the whole family's time would be ruined - especially if I died (could I force myself to not die for a week, so they could enjoy the rest of the trip?). Instead of panicking, my husband nodded and said, "That's not a big deal. It's happened to me, too."

I curled up in our hostel bed for a few hours, woke up feeling 100 percent better, and had not a moment's trouble for the next 10 days. Another reason for guilt-free unscheduled days.

By contrast, if you're sicker than you've ever been, or if you're experiencing something that you know is bizarre, it may be something more serious. This is where being close to a pharmacy is smart. It probably isn't serious, but better safe than sorry.

A final piece of advice

Getting a little sick is OK. Your body is letting you know that you need to rest, or it needs a little help, for a little while, to keep you healthy. You will still have a good time. Hang in there.