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From the suitcase that fails to appear on the carousel, to the four-star hotel that’s really a building site, we all have at least one holiday horror story. Your Crohn's or Colitis needn’t be one of them.
It is natural to worry about eating a meal with unfamiliar ingredients, asking for toilets in a foreign language, or even seeking medical help while abroad. Yet thinking carefully about where you are going to visit and planning for any situations your condition may cause means you can relax and enjoy the fun of a trip away. For Jessica Weatherby, a holiday to the Canary Islands was a welcome treat six months after having an ileostomy.
I felt ready
Jessica
Living with Crohn's
“I needed a holiday in the sun" says Jessica, who was originally diagnosed while travelling in New Zealand. "My doctors encouraged me to travel as life shouldn’t be put on hold. Live it to the fullest, bag or no bag.”
Choosing a holiday that will cater for your IBD is probably the biggest decision. This may be led by facilities, such as avoiding campsites or other places with shared toilets, or by cuisine. If spicy food causes your condition to flare up you’ll probably want a destination with a wide choice of meals. Once you have decided on the country, check if there are any health risks associated with that location before you book.
Some IBD medications can affect vaccinations so, if you are going to need jabs, speak to your IBD team beforehand. You should also ensure your travel insurance covers your condition and, once you reach your destination, think about how active you feel you can be. Jessica describes herself as “a bit of a water baby”. She was worried about how to enjoy the sea sports and swimming that she loves.
Having an ileostomy means you can only swim with your bag for about 45 minutes so I was quite conscious when swimming.
“I purchased some flattering swimsuits, so my bag was comfortably pressed against me, and it felt more secure," Jessica says. "On days at the pool, I wore bikinis, as I only went in for a dip to cool down.”
While some people would feel more comfortable hiding their bag, Jessica discovered she was happy with hers on display. “I did feel brave,” she says. “Actually, I felt more confident when people looked at me, as ostomies are not something you see every day walking down the beach and I felt like I was making people more aware of them just by me being there.”
Visiting a hospital abroad can be daunting. “Luckily, I fell ill in an English-speaking country with excellent health care,” says Jessica, who was flown between hospitals by air ambulance after her admittance to A&E in New Zealand while travelling in 2014. “If this wasn’t the case, I think I’d have found the experience more stressful, if that’s possible.”
Being on the other side of the world also meant there was a delay before her family were able to be by her side. “When I was first admitted I missed my family,” she says. “They were about two days’ travelling time away from me and I felt very alone."
I made a friend in the next bed who took the role as my mum, and she sat and hugged me when I was upset.
If the thought of seeking emergency care abroad worries you, visit IBDpassport, which has a global directory of IBD centres to enable easy referral. It may seem as though taking a holiday involves a huge amount of planning, but according to Jessica – who had a reversal last year and is now planning trips to New York, Bulgaria, Hong Kong and Thailand – it will always be worth it.
“You’ll have some worries but it’s the same as when you’re at home,” she says. “The main thing is you’re well prepared so pack plenty of bags, and medications and enjoy it. All the eventualities that kept you awake at night will probably never happen.”
