lessons learned feeling sick abroad

Now that we’ve been living abroad for about seven months, I’ve noticed that we’ve been sick here more often than we were in the US. Maybe we’re just having an off-year. But I suspect that the combination of new diet, different germs, and running around trying to soak in the sights has made us more sick-prone (Dr. Google didn’t offer much insight on my theory). Whatever the cause, we’ve tackled everything from colds, to neck and back issues, sports injuries, and a couple nasty flus. Through each one, here are some things I’ve noticed:

Chicken soup isn’t universal.

Remedies, no matter who they come from – the doctor, pharmacist, or grandma down the street – are different abroad. Not all drugs approved or used in the US are available in other places or in the same doses (Ibuprofen pills here are 600mg. That seems like a lot, right?). In the best cases, you might find something better than what you can get at home. Other times you can’t find the medication you really want. Personally, I still wish I could get my hands on good sinus decongestant in Spain! And sometimes you don’t even realize what medication you’re taking. Spaniards swear by “paracetamol” to cure almost any ailment. It took about 6mos before we found out that miracle paracetamol is Spanish generic Tylenol.

Home remedies are different too. Turns out that chicken noodle soup is very much an American thing – seems obvious, but it didn’t occur to me until I had a cold. Another time, I couldn’t help but laugh when our local family gave me some advice about what to eat while recovering from food poisoning: rice, potatoes, fish, and maybe cooked ham. I stuck with rice and saltines.

FOMO is real.

Obviously, there’s never a good time to get sick. But when you’re abroad, instead of taking full advantage of the time you have to travel, you’re stuck at home… in bed or in the bathroom. On its own, that sucks. And contrasted with all the things you probably want to go explore, wasting time being sick is extra frustrating. To make it worse, your traveling companion is kind of stuck too.

There is a silver-lining.

I can’t exactly explain it, but managing the stress of being sick abroad is different than managing other types of travel stress. But once you’re on the mend, it’s really empowering to know you can handle being sick in a foreign place, navigate a new medical system, or muddle through a conversation with a pharmacist in a different language. It’s also a kind of warped bonding experience with travel companions. I know Julien and I both feel so grateful to each other for help during our most difficult and gross moments. I’d rather not experience another virus or ER visit, but I’m much more confident now that we’ll get through it if we have to.