For someone who loves travel, even I get a little anxious before a trip. I have talked about this in past blog posts and I think it’s incredibly important to be open about this. For too long and for too many, anxiety has stopped people from stepping outside of their comfort zone, from pushing their boundaries. Living with Crohn’s presents daily challenges, and it seems for me these challenges are only heightened when I’m in holiday mode.

I have to admit, in the back of my mind I’m constantly thinking about if my body is going to fail me on holiday, kick me down, present me with a flare.

It is almost instant, as I hit relaxation my body pipes up and says “got you for a second, you thought you had it easy. No you don’t, here’s _x_ to deal with”. From exhaustion, to cramps, to sickness, to a cold, there is always something thrown at me whenever I’m embarking on an adventure.

I know that everyone who suffers with an autoimmune disease, deals with their own challenges/symptoms in their own way. Each case is very unique but I have taken enough trips to build a routine, to take steps ensuring I’m as well as I can be, to avoid a flare mid-vacation.

As a general rule I tend to avoid:

⁃Iced drinks – let’s be honest you don’t know when that ice machine was last cleaned and if your open to infection, ice can play havoc.

⁃Salads – eat cooked food only. In some countries the tap water isn’t safe to drink, so why eat salads when the ingredients are washed in the tap water?

⁃Prolonged sun exposure – as someone who takes Azathioprine, I’m more open to producing more melanin, which means I have a higher risk of skin cancer.

⁃Prolonged time in the swimming pool – again as I’m open to infection, you never know what lurks in the pool. This is just a caution I take.

To change up my habits, when on holiday I tend to ensure that I:

⁃Drink lots more bottled water

⁃Get plenty of rest

⁃Eat good, healthy meals

⁃Take vitamin supplements – to top up my energy levels, combat tiredness and feel refreshed

Taking a holiday is a luxury, it’s a time to create memories, to enjoy life. So why should a little something like Crohn’s mess that up? Get yourself a little routine, figure out what works for you and do more of that.

Be free to feel free.

LGW – MRU 📸