A posting on PPF made me realize that I am not the only one who worries (incessantly) when a loved one goes traveling during these uncertain times. It can help MY comfort level if my DH has things in his travel kit. The things include gloves, N95 mask, soaps, sanitizer, vitamins, vitamin D (good for respiratory system), extra cash and, if possible Relenza or an RX for Tamiflu — when my HMO doc will not or cannot grant my RX wishes, I have been known to go to a “doc in a box” or walk in clinic. This costs dollars upfront but the seedier the part of town, the more hard luck stories they hear and I often get what I want.
Any other tips out there?
My son is going to Africa on his honeymoon next month. He is home this weekend and I just gave him a baggie filled with things to pack in his luggage.I included several pairs of nitrile gloves, N95 respirator masks, and sanitizers. I also included a roll of surgical tape ( the kind you can tear) to be used to seal the the outside perimeter of the mask to the face and 2 pairs of racer style swim goggles with clear lenses. He has been to an MD travel specialist plus 2 others and they would not give him a tamiflu script. I will tell him to try a “doc in the box”, thanks for the info.
We are planning a trip to Indiana for the week of Thanksgiving. Its a 14 hour drive one way for us. We were thinking of taking the train, but if TSHTF while we are there, we have a better chance of getting home in our own car. I’ll be packing extras too, our medical bug out bag and extra food and maybe gas so we don’t have to stop on the way home if its bad. We normally wouldn’t be going this year (we only go every other year) but I want to go home to visit while we still can.
I keep telling myself that odds are we will be fine, but it doesn’t help much LOL
Carrey in VA – at 20:46
I read your post too fast and thought it said you were planning a trip to INDIA. Didn’t make sense knowing how cautious you are!
Indiana’s more like it!
Just be ready to cancel your plans if things are looking too wonky. You are on the wiki enough to be able to gauge what’s going on.
DH is planing a trip to Maylasia for business. I’m not happy about it at all! We went to the doctors today to get tetanus and his hepatitis shots. Our doc was great, wrote me a bunch of scripts to add to my collection and tamiflu for DH. I’ve already told DH he’ll be set up in the garage for two weeks when he comes back if the world goes down hill while he’s gone. Although, that’s not a bad deal since it has a frig, half my preps, TV, phone and no kids! I will probably have an ulcer by the time he gets back.
My friends DH is off to southern China for two weeks, ugh. Just thinking about these trips makes me sick to my stomach. All these parents on travel makes our school a giant pitri dish.
Carrey in VA – at 20:46
I’ll wave as we pass by ya. I’m thinking about going to PA from Illinois for Thanksgiving, I’ll gladly stay at my folks house out in the country if we have to SIP. Lots of fresh game, canned fruits and veggies in the basement! I figure I can call my neighbors back here and tell them where they can find lots of beans and rice :-)
Edna Mode – at 21:26
You are so right, I told DH he can tell his boss his (loving and normally supportive) wife won’t let him go, if the wiki starts to go crazy (crazier than it is now, I mean …….)If he get’s fired we won’t starve for a very very long time.
Carrey in VA – at 20:46 Instead of packing a bomb of gas on you way out, take an empty container - or buy one when you get there - to fill when you get there. If you don’t need it you can gift it to family. Don’t travel with it unless you need it.
Carrey in VA - where in Indiana? There are fluwikians out here.
Great thread, thanks, we do a lot of traveling but had not though of putting some “preps” in the bags for DH and myself! Most of our travels are in the EU so I hope to be able to get back home if something happens. Masks, gloves and alcohol gel are now in every suitcase! I have not been able to get tamiflu for love or money here. I have a doctors appointment next week and I’m going to try to say that I’m depressed and that not having the Tamiflu will add to my anxiety. I shall post on how it went!
Silversage - My ex came back from Indonesia yesterday. I know how you feel anxiety-wise. When kids and I went to see him after he got home from airport, I found myself assessing him, “hmmm, he looks tired. Probably the flight…” I was thinking that time for him to stay separate from us on return home from such trips might be quite near now, with that area of the world simmering away so consistently. That thought makes me sad because he is gone for a couple of weeks on these trips and the kids and he miss each other terribly. I’m sure it’s the same in your house when such a trip is made. The thought of having to extend that missing for another 10 days (?) is difficult. But likely soon to be necessary. Another thought as I was quietly muddling last night was of potential misjudgement. If he was infected now, boys would be too (if sustainable h2h scenario existed and was still unknown to us), boys would bring it home to me, I would infect all of my clients who would infect their families and businesses and whose children and my children would infect their schools etc…all in a matter of days. From this single contact, people in 3 New England states could be exposed/infected in 3 days. Powerful and stark truth, to bring the international infection scenario we have all considered so close.
mj – at 23:19
Your right of coarse about the gas, we are taking a trailer with us to bring home Christmas presents and some big things my father has stored for us. So it won’t be as dangerous as it would be having gas in the van. But we will take empty cans with us and only fill them up and use them for the trip home if needed.
We’re headed in Indianapolis, NW side, Pike Township. We’ll be staying there, but my father lives on the east side at 10 and Emerson. It will be nice to see family again.
Olymom - great idea for a thread. Thanks.
I just got off the phone with my sister from CT. having received her itinerary early this am. She’s leaving for Delhi on Thurs. and then travelling to Kathmandu where she’ll be for several months, returning to NYC on Dec. 24th. I’ve told her about the world situation, emailed her the New Canaan panflu site, she read the article in AARP, and has FluWiki in her bookmarks and a copy of Barry’s book. I really doubt that she’s even opened the Barry book. She’s going to see friends, not for work and is going alone. She did live in Dharamsala for several years so she’s familiar with the cultures. I asked her if she at least had some Purell, gloves, and masks and she has a jar of Purell, possibly a pair of latex gloves, and promised to look for *a* mask. She does NOT want to talk about it. Well, good luck to her. She knows that I’d rather she waited until next year but I did rally and wished her a safe and wonderful trip. I must say though I was thinking that I might not ever see or talk to her again.
I wish His Holiness the Dalai Lama would address the threat, make a MAJOR announcement encouraging preparation, sanitation, and isolation. She was with him for three days last weekend in NYC and did not say to me whether he even alluded to the crisis. The world (of all religions) would listen to him. He could do so much to impact this global denial (and my sister’s).
This happened recently:
President Bush Signs Into Law the Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act
International Campaign for Tibet
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
On September 27, 2006, President George Bush signed into law the ‘Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act,’ which authorizes Congress to award the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.
More >>> http://tinyurl.com/m2qys.
whoops- This is the page regarding the ‘Congressional Gold Metal Act’. I only post it to emphasize his incredible goodness and influence. He could have IMO as great an influence on public opinion (or more) as the Pope. >>> http://tinyurl.com/lchp4
Sorry, I got carried away --- this isn’t really a ‘travel’ issue. :-)
Day 1. Well, she’s on her way. My 16-year-old daughter is on her way to Hawaii.
She’s not on the plane yet. Left almost two hours ago, in some other kid’s parent’s car. Plane doesn’t leave for another four hours, but with the rush-hour traffic they’re bound to hit, the drive’ll take quite a while.
My daughter’s called me once already, and I told her she has to call me again just before she arrives at the airport, and again just before take off, again right after she lands, and then at least once a day until she comes home.
She thinks I’m exasperating.
I helped her pack her suitcase. Made sure she had masks, gloves, emergency contact numbers including the number of some close friends who just moved there and who have promised they will come get our daughter if TSHTF and she can’t get home, an emergency poncho, multi-tool knife, peanut butter, beef jerky, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, some key medications, tea candles, matches.
After she had everything packed, I wanted to give her something concrete to have of her father and me, and I know this is melodramatic, but I wanted her to have something to hold onto in the off chance that we never see each other again. I gave her a beautiful small rock I picked up many years ago from the shore of the island in Lake Huron on which my husband’s parents built their retirement home. The rock is small and grey and has a little (dime-sized) opening on one side where it is indented and sparkly. Is that a geode? I don’t know, but before my daughter left, I had my husband hold it and then I kissed it and then I made sure my baby tucked it into her bag.
She lands next Monday night at LAX at 11:05 P.M. 7 days, 7 hours and 2 minutes from now.
Dear Fluwiki Friends, We are planning to get married in the British Virgin Islands on December 21, returning home on December 23. :-) We are fully prepped at home, and I’ve tried to ensure that everything for the wedding is somewhat refundable/insured (yeah, right!) I travel for work, mostly domestically, with a little kit of emergency flu supplies. Our family members are all frequent fliers, and we assess the current risk for every trip we take these days. So, we are going to be as watchful as we can, and hopefully get the wedding in, even if we don’t make it to the BVI. (Hope for the best, plan for the worst…)Just wanted to share because I am excited, and sometimes it just feels good to proceed with hope (and caution)and not put life on hold before we need to.
Kate - No need to put your life on hold with such wonderful new beginnings ahead! Besides, you’re prepped, you can relax, stay up-to-date, and have the most beautiful honeymoon ever in the British Virgin Islands! Enjoy. Continue to nurture that hope and joy!
Scaredy Cat - hope all is well with your daughter. I’ll bet she keeps that rock forever.
I notice that my Personal Pucker Factor definitely goes up every time I read fluwiki for awhile (the mass casualty thread — ugh, ugh, ugh) — so when my DH is traveling, I just do a brief fluwiki check, chant “Y2K, Y2K” to remind myself that not all bad things come to pass and try to visualize how I am going to disguise all that Spam in casseroles in two years times when the cans are expiring and H5N1 is just one more vaccination one gets. Scaredy Cat, I hope you go out and get some fresh air and bargain hunt for something wonderful - like bulbs for a cheerful next spring, not preps! Or holiday presents or, hmm, researching the BEST choice in chocolate truffles . . .
Scaredy Cat – at 19:08
Well…… don’t keep up in suspense. Tell us she got there fine and has already learned to hula, will only ever eat fresh pineapple from now on, and wants to go to college there. :-)
Go Kate in NH! Don’t forget to pack sunscreen!
Lisa in Southern Maine, Olymom and silversage,
Thank you for thinking of my daughter.
Well she got to Hawaii okay. Called me at two in the morning (my time) to say she had landed, then three times today, the last time to let me know she spent $90 on a bathing suit!
She’s having a great time, running and surfing, and me I’m here, checking the wiki every hour.
Counting the days.
If someone does something often enough, do you get antibodies against it? As in antibodies against anxiety? I’ve stopped worrying about this, don’t know whether that’s a good thing. My family is spread over 3 continents…..
I broke my back in 1984. In a wheelchair, and poof, my happy little career as a wildlife biologist was over (age 26) — well, I cried and cried and cried and finally, one day, I was damn tired of having a stuffy nose. I started entering raptor census data, began the process of learning to shuffle across the room again and life just went on from there. I’ll bet you have just “finished” with the anxiety thingy (for which spouse, offspring or others may be grateful. My DH sure was glad to quit passing kleenex) — and think, when you are 80, you are eligible to join a “crone society” and run nekked through the woods, drink fermented fluids and drum all night. The fun never stops.
Olymom - wow. I am lol, though at “…one day, I was damn tired of having a stuffy nose.” I love it!
I’ve been watching this thread since it started, as it was very timely for us, but didn’t want to post until now (didn’t feel like advertising that I was home alone). Dh has been gone all week and, although…as far as I know…he wasn’t exposed to anything particularly virulent, his situation would have been a prelude to pandemic so perfect that Hollywood would have loved it.
Dh just got back from 5 days at an international symposium, where he was giving a presentation. There were something like 50 countries represented; the list of presenters looked like the UN roll call, everyone from Peru to Mongolia. I just kept thinking what a nightmare it would be if just one person had come to the conference after exposure to sustained H2H…all those people jammed together day & night for 5 days, being exposed, then dispersing back out across the entire globe. ((shudder))
I told him that if anyone from Indonesia, China, Ukraine, etc looked even remotely ill that he was to stay far, far away or else he’d be in the garage when he came home. (I really related to Lisa in So. Maine’s post!) He kind of laughed, but only a half-heartedly. He was really aware of what a mess it would have been, too.
He has another one later this year…the timing of that one makes me edgier and we’ve already talked about the fact that if things look like they’re starting to get dicey, he just won’t go; tricky to balance it with possible career impact if things are ‘only’ in the grey zone, though. Sigh.
Glancing at one of my childrens schedule in another blog I see things scheduled for overseas in 2007. He has his masks.vit D. and Tamiflu. Don’t know if he takes it seriously. Its natural to worry even when they don’t. I recall zipping off to Paris with only $5 in my pocket. After all, nothing would happen, and it didn’t, got to safe harbor quickly. I wish I could be as nonchalant about children as I am about myself.Sometimes I’m hundreds of miles away from home with only some spare change and I always come through safely. The old. “What? me worry” attitude works for me, but I do worry about children and grand children far more than I ever did about myself.
In all my years dealing with doctors, government officials and school officials, I’ve found there is often wiggle room if you know which tack to take. For instance, I can’t say I’d like Ms. Wonderful for my son’s classroom teacher because the alternative is Ms. Dreadful. But if I say my son has had reading challenges (lots of room in the definition of “challenges”) and I think Ms. Wonderful’s approach to reading will help my child read at grade level, well, now we start making progress on the classroom assignment that I prefer.
Tamiflu Rx’s are currently hard to get — but I would wonder if a semi-hysterical woman weeping in her doctor’s office about worry about her husband/child traveling might shake one loose (gads, we wives deserve some Oscars) — or would Relenza be easier to get? (not documented, as far as I know, to be of great help against H5N1 — but might be better than traveling with nothing . (The writer of The Art of War feels there is merit in flank attacks over frontal assaults. How else can one outflank the “no you can’t have an RX?”)
Anon451 wrote on the “severe pandemic is likely part 6″ thread about 155 cases in twenty days time being a point of mathematical interest to him. (having to do with RO/transmissiblity issues). You might want to read what he wrote and see if that is of any evaluation help prior to traveling. He was quick to point out that Nature doesn’t always do the math, so there are lots of caveats in those numbers. Good luck.
y2k, y2k
How’s the Hawaiian? Gone swimming with the sea turtles yet? I read the India thread and it made me aware that we really are in hyper-viligence mode. DH just returned from Kerala. Had a marvelous trip. Now there are some ill children there (sadly, very ill) but it is highly likely that this is one of the many tropical diseases that exist. God Bless Bill and Melinda Gates for doing so much for children’s well being.
I once wrote a silly article about a bright young teen who was coasting through his chemistry course with a bare “C”. I wrote about his mother going ballastic (she knew his capabilities). 99% of the readers I heard from thought it was hilarious. Then I got a nasty slammer from a doc who was sure that the teen had to have depression, anxiety, and I forget what else. Sadly, that was her world. She had lots of teens coming through the door with bad grades and horrible challenges. She wasn’t seeing all the thousands of teens out there who are doing fine — so fine, in fact, that getting chemistry homework done just isn’t a priority until mom makes it one.
Yep. Some chanting “Y2K” is in order — maybe she’ll bring back a pineapple (good for breaking up mucus - Alternative therapies thread) : )
Just got back from a trip. Going on another one next week. I find I become alert every time I hear a persistant cough, even though I wear an N-95 while on the plane. I do take mobile preps with me and I have a bugout plan, too— “Hello, Alamo, there’s been a slight change in plan, I’m returning the car in WV. Well, yes, I *know* I rented it in LA. Why is that a problem?”
Olymom,
The “Hawaiin” is great. Thank you for asking. And, yes, she’s gone swimming with the sea turtles! Done a lot of other great things too, but I have yet to hear all the details. (Whenever she calls she’s on her way out to do some fun thing or another.)
Me, on the other hand, I’m not doing so great—although now that my daughter is due to return tomorrow (in approximately 33 hours and 16 minutes) I’m finding it a little easier to breathe. That’s why I didn’t comment on your comment sooner; writing about my anxiety would have made the breathing more difficult.
I’m glad to hear that she’ll be home soon — I am thinking today about seventeen years ago when we were expecting our first child. My dad offered to come out to where we were, but, as I thought about it, I realized that with my very first groan, he’d be out the door and pounding on the nurse’s station counter “SHE NEEDS PAIN RELIEF! NOW!!!” — there was no way in h--- he would ever make it through me in childbirth. A seasoned auntie came out instead (dear lady) and she called dad when the kid had arrived. Thank goodness our guy arrived a couple days early rather than a couple days late.
What’s so funny about all this is my dad was an Army sergeant. He’d been lots of places and done lots of things and could be as tough as a boot — but not where his daughter was concerned.
I will cross my fingers that the news thread stays relatively calm and that the next day goes quickly and well.
Olymom,
That is very sweet about your dad.
I hate it how ten years sometimes feels like a week. What’s worse, though, is when one week feels like ten years.
I keep wanting to tell people to just stop posting on the India thread (at least until Tuesday), but I guess that wouldn’t be fair.
We’ve been to India a fair amount (DH was born there) — it is, I believe, the world’s third most populated country, with millions and millions living on the equivalent of a dollar a day or less. Many, many people defecate openly and there can be little or no mosquito control. It very much is a place where there can be a legitimate outbreak of dengue (i.e., it really is dengue and not a misdiagnosis). When I have traveled there, I was always humbled by local generosity and hospitality. It is a hard, but amazing country. Hope that helps.
Scaredy Cat – at 13:56
Hey, we’re waiting to here the good news. Everyone safe and sound and home again?
Don’t tell me kids I did that: here vs hear!!
Scaredy Cat
Tell us your daughter is home.
My daughter’s home!!! She got home late Monday night, actually early Tuesday morning, to her dad and I sacked out in the living room, waiting for her to walk through the door.
What a relief! It was hug hug hug, kiss kiss kiss, and not a word about her messy room from me since. I love her messes!!!
What a relief! Now you can breathe, I bet! :)
Yipee!
Oh, I’m so glad she got back before it hit!! I’ve been checking this thread all afternoon and hoping for the best. :)
Ditto here, glad your daughter is safe and sound. I think she was on a lot of our minds.
Funny, opened a book and out fell a card from Kaanapali Beach in Maui. Young girl writing home with the P.S. I gained 5 lbs! cool.This girl was thrilled to ride in an elevator with Dennis Miller whoever that is.She wouldn’t have been so thrilled if she had been caught in a stalled elevator.
Thank you all for your kindness. Life is so blessedly back to normal around here again, I’ll probably start nagging my daughter about her messy room the minute she gets home from cross-country practice this afternoon. (Nah!)
Well, DH is off to Malaysia on Friday. Could that possibly be worse. Friday, after US elections, after the market closes. Am I being paraniod?? I had a panic attack today after reading several threads. Wish I could close my eyes and sleep until Thanksgiving.
Where’s that movie line thread?
Toy Story (when they discover they’re lost toys!!!)
Buzz Lightyear “This is no time to panic”
Woody “ This is a perfect time to panic”
Resurecting this thread, the kiddo’s and I are headed out to Indiana Friday Morning. We will spend the night in Huntington WV and on to Indiana Saturday. Hubby can’t go, has to work. So its just me and the 4 kids. Reading the thread titled “checkmate” has shaken me up abit. Anyway, everyone tell H5N1 it can’t go pandemic till I get my kids home safe and sound.
Ya all in the US, have a good holiday!! Wish us luck.
Well, I’ve cleaned out the garage just like I told DH I would. Now the question is to quarantine him or not. He’s coming from Malaysai, through Hong Kong, through LA to Chicago and will get in about midnight on Saturday. I hate to do it to him, although the garage is more like a rec room than a garage, but if something goes pop and I knew I should keep him away from the kids I’ll never forgive myself.
So that is the question of the day: feed him turkey through the window or let him sit at the table with the rest of us.
I’d say watch the news and then make a decision — lots of rumors on the Checkmate thread — I understand that the news of the genetic analysis is not good — but I’m not seeing news reports of hundreds ill with H5N1 — I got my knickers in a twist over the Karo cluster and that fizzled out. I’m trying to stay calm until there is significant news.
Well DH gets in at midnight tonight and we’ve made the decision to head out as a family and not leave him behind for Thanksgiving. If anything funny happens, I’ll report it here first :-) My rollercoaster factor is very high (kinda like PPF only does that rolly up and down thing all day!)