Traveling with IBD

I LOVE to travel.  I love it so much.  I love seeing new places.  I love experiencing new foods.  I love experiencing new things.  I love trying things outside my comfort zone.

A big fear or mine whenever I travel is if I will have access to restrooms when I need them.  I can't even begin to count up the times I have had to slip into a coffee shop and order a small mocha or hot cocoa or smoothie or whatever because I needed to use their restroom, but I didn't want to use it without ordering something.  It has happened multiple times.  Traveling multiplies that fear by about 50.  I don't know what I'm going to face.  I don't know when I will find public restrooms.  That crippling fear in a way makes it worse because I am worrying about it.

Exhibit A: Road trips.  I love road trips!  I take an annual road trip with my BFF's to go camping.  Typically I drive so I have control over where we go and when, plus they know about my Crohn's issues.  It really isn't a problem...until we are in the middle of nowhere with no rest area, grocery store, or coffee shop in sight and I need to use the restroom in a dire situation.  This has happened a couple of times.  Fortunately gas stations have become a saving grace, but this is definitely a real fear.  Oh how many times I have had to stop yet again at a rest area when I just wanted to drive.

Exhibit B: Plane rides.  I love long distance travel too.  We tend to take a big trip every summer and we fly to save time.  Airports and planes fortunately are well-equipped for Crohn's patients with bathrooms available.  Yet you get out of the airport and voila!  I'm in a new area where I have no idea what the availability of restrooms is.  It causes anxiety for me every time no matter what.  I hate that.  Fortunately there is typically a Starbucks or something nearby and again, I purchase -- or my husband purchases -- a small coffee, tea, whatever, so I don't feel bad about using their bathroom...

Exhibit C: Trips abroad.  Like many people trips abroad are some of my favorite trips. There's something about exploring a totally new country, eating totally new foods, and experiencing totally new culture.  I love wandering street markets.  I love going to art museums.  I love visiting the sights.  I have visited 9 countries outside of the US and intend to grow that number.  Yet, again...my need for restroom access is vital.  There was one time when my school group had checked out of a hotel already and I had turned in my key, but as I was boarding the bus I realized I URGENTLY needed a bathroom, so I claimed I had "forgotten" an article of clothing, got my key back, and ran back to my room to use the restroom.  Or that one time when we stopped the bus to stretch our legs in Europe and we had to pay to use the bathroom and I didn't have exact change so I had to exchange with someone.

Travel is so fun and so worthwhile, however IBD can put a wrench into the best laid plans.  The new food, the new settings, the different schedule...all can affect anyone's digestion, especially someone with Crohn's or colitis.  As someone who loves traveling but hates her gut, these are my best travel tips for those with IBD.

1. It is ok to change your day-to-day plans. It's hard to do so.  I get it.  You wanted to see the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Sacre Coeur all in one day.  But sometimes your gut is telling you to stay in or close to your hotel, and that's ok too.
2. Learn to say "where is the bathroom?" in every language possible.  This needs no explanation!
3. Make sure you have every medication you need on hand. Of course, research the guidelines for medication on airlines before flying, but make sure your medication schedule stays as close to the same as possible.  Having temporary fixes such as Imodium can be beneficial too!
4. Plan lunch breaks. Restaurants likely will have public restrooms available for you to use!  Plus, food.  Yum.
5. Avoid trigger foods. This goes without saying.  If you can't handle ice cream like yours truly, don't eat ice cream on your trip.  If you can't handle 12 grain breads, don't eat 12 grain breads on your trip.  Especially abroad, foods will be very different than what you're used to, so give your gut time to adjust.
6. Have FUN! The worst is feeling like you can't do everything your friends or family are doing.  As scary as it is to go into the unknown where you don't know where your next restroom break will be, don't let that hold you back.  Traveling is an adventure well worth experiencing.