I've been wrestling with this a lot lately, thinking about where I might feel safe as well as BE safe. I know it could be dangerous, but traveling in this country can be, too. The worst part for me is the anxiety until I get there and see that where we're staying is okay, but that happens in the U.S., too. I would only recommend travel of any kind to people who are very stable and have symptoms well-controlled by medicine.
I have a list of doctors in most countries who have studied medicine in an English-speaking country and who speak fluent English (through IAMAT), but that isn't in every city. This is frustrating, because my bucket list is full of trips to remote places!
And, I'd love to go someplace warm in the winter!
My doctor said he thinks developed countries will be okay, as long as I take a variety of meds with me (including antibiotics, prednisone, and epipens), am careful about diet, and not too far from a hospital or medical facility. He even suggested I take a sterile IV needle and tubing with me, just in case. Chile has good medical care in the cities, as does Argentina, but I haven't checked anywhere else yet. We could go stay near Lisa in Brazil, since she knows all the good doctors and hospitals!!
(Don't worry, Lisa, I'm just kidding!)
The trouble is that we like to get away from big cities and get to know the people who live there. Lately, I've been wondering if we should stay in a city and only take day trips further away.
I'm just dying to go to the Galapagos and Machu Picchu, but I don't want to die in the Galapagos. My friend suggested I go see it at an IMAX.
I have degranulations at higher elevations (above 11,000 ft.) so I guess Machu Picchu is out. I don't understand why they affect me like that, unless it's the stress of less oxygen.
We took a lot of trips out of the country before I was diagnosed and did pretty well with just Benadryl, Zyrtec, and Pepcid PRN. I think I could do okay, but there's always the things we don't anticipate....
In case people don't know, it's important to carry a letter about your meds and a signed prescription for them if you travel outside the U.S. A lot of countries will check visitors' bags when they arrive, and you need documentation to prove that you're meds are legal. The last thing anyone wants is to have meds taken away at Customs.