In the lead-up to our trip, I told Joy that I knew something unpleasant and unexpected was inevitable. (This isn’t so much a vacation as real life on another continent—and annoying things happen in real life, right?)
Her response? “Well… at least it’ll be happening in Europe!”
Fast forward to this morning.
I’m writing this on the other side of a full-blown Nurse-Mom marathon: a floor covered in vomit (along with clothes and sheets), at least four showers for the patient, two loads of laundry (handled by John), and essentially zero sleep. How glamourous…
So yes—we’re wandering historic boulevards and soaking in beautiful views… AND I’m running on fumes. I’ve had two full nights of sleep since we landed (for various reasons), and now I’m bracing for what feels like an inevitable stomach bug tour of the entire family. (Please, no.)
I collapsed into bed around 6 am, woke up at 9:30, and feel completely discombobulated. I’m not used to starting the day this late, and everything feels off.
Small victories? Our AirBnB has an excellent coffee maker and I’m about to head over to pour my third mug.
There are more cheerful, touristy recaps to come. I might even post one later today; at this rate, I suspect we could be housebound for the next day or so!
But hey… at least it’s happening in Europe?!
Your turn:
- Have you ever gotten sick on a trip?
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At least it’s happening in Europe, Elisabeth!!
The upside of such a long stay is that a couple of slower days really don’t matter. You’ve got the luxury of time, and some proper rest can work wonders.
Wishing a speedy recovery to all the sick!!
YES! I am so glad this didn’t happen in Munich (or en route). Of all the places and all the times, this is a “good” point in our trip to get sick.
We have lots of time to take things slowly when health or other circumstances demand it!
Oh no! At least there’s Laundry facilities close at hand!
When the kids were younger, we had one trip to visit family where we all came down the a stomach virus which had symptoms at both ends. About 5 or 6 of us went down domino style. Not the best vacation. Another where one daughter spent most of her time sick – I think that’s when she started developing gluten sensitivity.
Hang in there – get some sleep when you can. Prayers!
I am SO thankful for having an in-apartment laundry machine. I cannot even imagine tackling a stomach bug without it.
Ugh. I live in fear of the domino effect! I remember one Christmas we were away when Belle was young and she was sick for THREE weeks. When we arrived at our first stop, within minutes she threw up all over the floor and basically never was well. That was also the year every single leg of our journey involved driving through snow storms. Then and there we vowed NEVER to travel for Christmas again 😉
The coffee is propelling me now. I have zero get up and go; really should rally and head out to grab a few groceries. My planned supper is NOT sensitive stomach friendly, so I need to rethink food plans for the day.
Every single one of us is still in PJs, though, and it’s a bit cozy (now that the vomit has stopped!!)
Oh no! I sincerely hope the rest of you can avoid the bug. I have gotten food poisoning on so many trips that I can hardly bear eating out. I prefer to get stuff at a grocery store, and I’ve never gotten sick since. (Knock on wood!) But a bug can come from anywhere, not just food, and there’s not much to do but rest and hope it passes quickly. Hang in there!
Eeks! Food poisoning sounds TERRIBLE and to have had it happen multiple times is positively awful, Michelle. I’ve never knowingly had food poisoning. I wonder if it’s all the public transit we’re taking? Lots of bugs circulating, I’m sure and in confined spaces.
Thankfully, the worst seems to be behind us (at least for Patient 0)
When I was 10, going on 11, my parents sent me alone to France to visit a family whose daughter we had hosted through an exchange program. I had just learned to ride a bike, and ended up falling off a bike and getting ten stitches in my forehead and a two-day stay in a hospital. I remember doctors and nurses crowding in the doorway to peer at me while the one doctor who spoke English chatted with me. He said they had never seen a little American girl on her own in their country. Suffice to say I do not recommend being alone, a child, and in a foreign hospital! Later I went back to France as a teenager and got very ill from the water or something in Nice, but it was a one-day thing.
Oh my goodness that sounds HORRIBLE!
Hmmm. I’m thinking France might need to go on your Do Not Visit list. Eeks.
Consider having all other families start a regime of purple grape juice a couple times a day. Some say it is preventive. If not, it is at least a yummy Old Wives Tale. I’ve used it many times with success.
I have never heard of such a thing! Fascinating. And, like you say, even if it doesn’t work, it’s very delicious!
Yipes! Yes at least it’s in Europe, and at least it’s early in the trip so the kiddos can be sick and get it over with. Hopefully the tummy bug will keep itself to the one kid.
Yes. The timing is pretty good. We’ve settled in and knew how to operate the washing machine and get to the grocery store BUT we don’t have a time crunch. Hoping it only impacts one child and that it’s over quickly. Said child has been bed-bound and hasn’t touched a single piece of food all day, but no more vomit, so I’m cautiously optimistic the worst is behind us… at least for them.
If there’s radio silence on the blog for a few days, you can guess what may have happened to me!
ARRG! Well, thank goodness you’re there for a long stretch- imagine if you had one week to explore Vienna and this happened. I hope the rest of the family doesn’t get it (is that even possible???)
This is weird, but I can’t remember getting sick on a trip. Everyone else has such colorful stories. I guess this is a good thing to be boring with.
Looking forward to more recaps!!!
Oh my goodness, yes. I am so thankful we have lots of time to explore and this day “off” doesn’t really impact our ability to see/do things.
I think that’s a great statistic to have in your corner. Being sick is horrible at the worst of times, but being away from home making it doubly uncomfortable!
Oh NO. I think anyone who’s ever taken care of a child can sympathize wholeheartedly. The dread of germs, the worry for the “patient,” and as you said, the running on fumes! Hope everyone gets well soon.
So much dread. That said, I feel much more optimistic in the light of day. It was a long night!
Ugh I’m so sorry! Trying to do “normal” things in a new place is hard, so it’s that much harder when something goes wrong. Praying the illness is contained to just one family member!
Thanks for the prayers; I am very much hoping it’s an isolated case of sickness! Will report back 🙂
Hope Pepto and/or immodium are on hand…and that ir’s a quick bug. Wishing you sleep.
I’m functioning okay right now (we’ve taken it VERY easy today). The proof will be in the bedtime pudding. Can I get a solid night of sleep tonight? Time will tell…
Oh no! I hate throwing up; I’ve never had to look after someone else doing so but I can’t imagine it’s pleasant. At least it’s early on in the trip! A drink like pepsi or ginger ale tends to settle my stomach after being sick. I hope everyone feels better soon!
You guessed correctly: it’s not pleasant but definitely part of parenting that you just have to muscle through! I find my kids tend to be very docile and appreciative of TLC so there are some silver linings. Extra cuddles and my energetic kids sometimes even nap when sick!!
Ugh! I was hoping it wasn’t a stomach bug! What a drag!! Hoping and praying it passes with as little drama as possible! Seems to be going around everywhere lately and I’m bracing for it to sweet my family too.
Eeks! I hope you’re spared!!! It’s such a miserable thing to deal with and I think the dread is nearly as bad as the actual illness!!
Oh, dear. That knocks the wind out of your sails, doesn’t it. Good thing you have so much practice looking for silver linings and happy things! It is kind of amazing how many things really can be put on hold when something like this happens. I’m glad for your sake that it happened during a calmer part of your trip!
Yes! I cannot imagine having dealt with this in a single hotel room in Munich (with no laundry facilities). Or, even worse, on the airplane here.
Lots to be thankful for and today was an exceptionally calm day for everyone because of this bug.
Noooooooooo! I feel like vomit should be illegal when one is traveling. ILLEGAL. Sending you all the healthy vomit free thoughts. xxoo
I’ll support that legislation 🙂
Nooo! Not vomit! That sounds awful! I have not had stomach issues while traveling but I did start to come down with a cold virus when I was flying to Germany for the Berlin/Prague/Munich/Zurich trip back in 2004. I felt so terrible and then I got a UTI. So it was rough. I lost my voice so my friend had to order for me in restaurants, etc. I was not a fun hang!
It was pretty awful, but I’m glad it started before I headed to bed (a silver lining for sure—I HATE being woken from sleep and immediately jumping into helping a sick child).
Ugh, a cold is especially miserable on the road. And airplanes and other forms of public transit always make it so much worse with the cabin pressure and drafts. I’m glad you had a friend along to help <3
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
At least it didn’t happen on the plane, I guess?
OH MY GOODNESS, PRAISE THE LORD. This is what happened to John en route back from Rwanda and I wanted to die on his behalf. Being deathly ill on a plane literally sounds like my worst nightmare.
So yes, I am THRILLED we were settled in our apartment. It could have been so much worse.
Oh no! I’m so sorry. This sounds dreadful. When we were in Italy at this time last year, Mini got the Norovirus – the day after we checked out of the hotel that had 2 bathrooms and separate sleeping spaces/rooms almost for us. It was a long and horrible night. We had to be on a train early the next morning. It wasn’t pretty. Fortunately, Coach and I didn’t catch it. He’d just had it a month or more before we visited her. I hope not everyone gets sick.
I remember you blogging about that. UGH! How terrible, especially since you were out of your hotel.
While I wish no one had gotten sick, the circumstances are pretty good overall. A two-bedroom apartment and laundry facilities.
Both kids are recovering now, but John and I are both feeling queasy. Eeks. It’s the waiting that I hate!
Aww. So sorry. I hope everyone is up to par soon and you can have some more fabulous adventures 🙂
Both kids have been sick and are now recovered; time will tell how John and I make out…
Oh no, yikes! I hope the patient is much improved by now and nobody else got it / has it!
I got sick the first time I traveled to the US for a conference, gastroenteritis. Vomit was involved, as well as a hospital visit (actually got driven there by somebody from the hotel and they picked me up as well!) . Thank the universe my insurance picked up all the costs.
And second story, we flew to Jersey (the small island in the north sea) for a holiday when the youngest was about 1. The day before leaving she got sick, as well as my husband. At the airport, after check in, she threw up. On me. And I had no spare clothes left. And believe it or not, the airport had ZERO shops at that point with clothes or even touristy t-shirts. I have never been so glad to get home, shower and change.
Well, the second child has now been sick… but John and I are fine (for now).
Oh no! A hospital visit! Eeks. I am so, so glad that didn’t happen this time. We have insurance, but I’m glad we didn’t have to test it.
OH MY GOODNESS. Being covered in vomit and not being able to change sounds like a literal nightmare, Elinoora. How awful. That shower must have felt incredible.
Oh no! Stomach bugs are the absolute worst!! At least you have proper accommodation with laundry possibilities!! Sadly this time of the year is party time for the norovirus in Europe. You’re very lucky if you and John don’t get it but sometimes it magically skips a person.
We got a stomach bug when we were in Italy once. Or, something. Luckily no vomiting but only at the other end. My husband got it first and then I started having fever, I can’t even remember if I got anything else than fever and nausea. We were sick a couple of days and could barely get out of bed. The thing is, we had had a pizza night with the owners of the agriturismo, and we didn’t know they had been sick, and they probably weren’t aware how contagious it is and that you basically need to be in quarantine a few days after you recover. While we were sick, Mr Agriturismo owner came with gentle food twice a day (a bit of shame and guilt there, I think), and the dog stayed with us ALL day as to look after us, and waited outside the door every morning. It’s sort of an ugly memory but also sweet in a way, and that was the year I fell in love with that dog (I’m not much of a dog person otherwise).
Laundry makes SUCH A difference with a stomach bug. I am feeling very grateful for that and limitless hot water.
Awww. I can see why the dog left a lasting impact on you. And I totally get the ugly/sweet sides of the proverbial coin with being sick.
Oh man! This is not fun at all, but at least it happened NOW and when you had a good Airbnb to stay at so it wasn’t as miserable as it could have been (while still being PLENTY miserable, I’m sure!)
I’ve broken an ankle a FEW times while on vacation (literally the only time I’ve ever fractured it, I was on vacation). Never been sick! Although my mom got ill on our last vacation in London, which was not fun, especially because we were in a small hotel room and I couldn’t really escape, lol.
Wait, you’ve had MULTIPLE broken ankles on vacation. That is horrible. I’ve never broken my ankle at all.
I remember your mom got sick in London. Ugh 🙁
Oh no! This is the worst — but I do love your appreciation for laundry facilities and a good coffee maker.
I’m praying the bug stays with one person only. (I just had it myself, this past weekend)
My husband had terrible food poisoning in Portugal, and I had a terrible stomach bug in Spain, within days of each other—it was horrible!
I remember you both getting sick. Ugh.
John and I are still healthy so maybe we managed to miss this bug????