As we prepared for this long trip, well-meaning friends gave us their latest “they say.”  You know:  “They say mosquitoes carry all kinds of diseases, including Malaria, West Nile Virus, Dengue fever, Elephantiasis and Lassa Fever.”   Someone once added “They say only the females bite humans.  Female Mosquitoes don’t make any noise, so you only need to fear the mosquitoes you don’t hear.”  (Say what??)

The CDC is always able to keep you aware of the latest outbreaks and potential threats to your family.  Visit:  www.cdc.gov/travel   before you go.

Nobody should charge out to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria or Senegal;  but just because the place you are going is outside the US, doesn’t mean every country is disease-laden.

On our trip, we visited many burn hospitals to lift the spirits of those who, like us, had suffered horrible burns.  The hospital staffs, doctors and nurses were so gracious to give us their time and their take on medical care and attention, techniques, etc.  The patients we met were receiving the best care.

We carried one large ‘family-sized’ bag with over-the-counter and doctor- prescribed antibiotics and medicines just in case.   Most Asians customarily wear masks to protect those around them from the germs of coughs and colds.  Nevertheless, we each got at least one cold.    And Colton perfected his ‘gag reflex’ during several episodes throwing up. For the most part, the 5 of us were rarely sick traveling to 32 countries in those six month.

We each carried a small bag and each of us was responsible for our teeth, hair and hygiene.  Of course, I made sure of that.  (Thank you, Drill Sergeant!)   I also insisted on bottled water for tooth brushing and when adding lemonade packs.  Hand sanitizer was another must!

Be diligent.  Pay attention to details in your daily travels.  But remember germs.   As they say:   “you only need to fear the ones you don’t hear.”  Ha Ha!   It’s all about hygiene, my friend!

Talk to you Friday!

Dawn