JUNE in the Philippines is rainy season, at least, that’s how we, baby boomers- born after WW 11, now Senzens- the term of endearment of your columnist- knew it, because after the April showers, come the first rains of May which would remind us to look for our bags, buy notebooks, pencils and crayons because soon, school would open.
Obviously, with the climate change, June may not be the rainy month we used to know, thus for many Filipinos, June is the right time to travel either to Europe or the United States because, there the summer sun would be shining brightly and the days are long for the enjoyment of tourist, visitors as well as locals.
However, travelers occasionally cope up with medical issues while away from home especially for those in their golden years, who may now have chronic illnesses or suffer from lower resiliency, thus there is an increased risk of untoward incidents, to say the least, and worse, hopefully not, some complications and even accidents.
Reality states that for most Senzens, they have five or more medicines to take on a daily basis. It is wise to pack more medications than your intended or planned stay away from home because there may be reasons for an extension like “force majure” weather or climatic issues, aircraft problems or even personal reasons. That holds true with how much medicines you have in your carry-on luggage because of some unforeseen circumstances which might delay your travel schedule for a few hours or a day- especially for patients with hypertension and diabetes.
To ensure that your drugs are not confiscated, keep the medicines in clearly labeled containers and packaging and most importantly, copy of the prescription of every drug you are taking.
Your columnist makes it a point to make a detailed data in their patient’s instruction- generic name of the medicine, because some trade names or the so-called proprietary name of a drug in the Philippines, may not be found in other countries, so the generic name- universal or standard or non-proprietary name of the drug would be extremely useful.
Also the indication or the reason for taking the medicine, route of administration- example, through the mouth, swallowed whole, not chewed etc.; when to take it, with antibiotics, there are specific times/hours to take them.
For those adventurous travelers who would rather visit countries, off the beaten track so to speak, like Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar, Moldova, Cyprus, Croatia to name a few, it would be wise to check with their embassy or consulate not only on visa requirements but also vaccination policies as well as restrictions on brought-in medications.
It is also reasonable to have a record of your medical needs and history, in case you experience an illness while on vacation. If you recently have had a medical issue or a hospital stay, and that your family doctor has given you the GO signal, bring Xeroxed copies of your medical records.
Patients with heart conditions should carry a copy of their most recent ECG tracing. Take photos of your records and make sure, your travel companions- a responsible reliable trustworthy one- would have access to your mobile device in case you become incapacitated.
A travel insurance is a MUST, and the price is nothing compared to the big expense if a tourist or a visitor in a foreign country gets sick or become a victim of accident. Get a policy the duration of which covers the time you step out of your door until the moment you are back in the comfort of your home- warm, safe and secure.
For those who buy their travel tickets- airline, cruise ship and the like- with their credit card, there is also some kind of travel benefits the passenger can avail of, if some unfortunate incidents crop up.
Be knowledgeable and aware of these privileges. Make sure that, even if you’re miles and miles away, you are connected with folks back home- information like your flight schedules ,going and coming, telephones of people you stay with abroad, or booked hotels should be given to them.
For all the developments in satellite communication, folks on Earth connect with each other as if they’re just in the neighborhood. Enjoy your vacation.
Next Week. Have a fun healthy vacation.