Three, four and five day cruises from Florida are a great opportunity to try cruising and visit a few of our island neighbors. Maybe fit in a little duty free shopping.
Short Caribbean Cruise Getaways
The Port of Ketchikan, Alaska
A popular Alaska port of call and a fishing Mecca near to adventure tour destinations. Misty Fjord trips, wildlife and whale watching are favorite activities.
TSA and the Cute Sequined Top
A Cautionary Tale
My wife has a sequined top that she has worn while traveling a few times. I don’t believe there is anything seriously metallic in the sequins and it has made its way through a number of airport metal detectors. But on a recent trip all hell seemed to break out over this top.
While we have never paid for pre-clearance we usually get pre-cleared on our boarding passes (not really sure why). Last October while passing thru the TSA Pre Check line my wife was directed to go thru the scanner. Feet on the marks, hands above her head and wait – something’s gone wrong. It seemed the agent scanned her several times and now she is pulled aside for a thorough search. What went wrong?
She was wearing that sequined top!
After and with a little research we discovered that TSA screening devices have a lot of issues with some types of women’s clothes. That splash of gold print on a T-Shirt can contain enough metal to set off the metal detector. The same with some attached beads. Sequins can literally blind a scanner. Since often these things are part of the fabric, passing a wand over you cannot determine if it is the top you’re wearing or something concealed under it. Time for the big search.
A comment Submitted by Cindy M found was found on the TSA website from Jan 2018 – “When the scanners were introduced I believed they were an improvement. Now however, I see that the machines don’t spot real problems. Instead they seem to be confused by a variety of normal things such as sequins, metal, or other sorts of embellishments on clothing.”
Why is it we have to dress for the TSA?! Actually you don’t but you can expect to be delayed and/or inconvenienced. Especially if you ignore some simple tips that help TSA do their job efficiently. They do post a lot of information online that can help avoid these sort of issues. Unfortunately right now sequins aren’t one of those tips.
A Traveler’s Medicine Chest
Travel Medications and Being Prepared
Our first line of defense is improving our immune system before we get sick and that starts with vitamin C. Several weeks before a trip we start taking it.
Around 1970, Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling (chemistry and the Peace Prize) popularized the theory that vitamin C helps treat colds. He published a book about cold prevention using megadoses of vitamin C. Multiple controlled studies have examined whether vitamin C had any effect after coming down with the common cold and, while the results have been fairly disappointing, it has been established that a regular supplemental regimen of vitamin C has several benefits. It includes reducing the symptoms of a cold and making it less severe. It also reduced duration and increased recovery time by about 8% in adults and 14% in children. Some studies also indicated a supplemental dose of 1–2 grams was enough to shorten the duration of a cold by 18% in children. Other studies with adults found 6–8 grams per day to be effective. Vitamin C in large doses comes packaged as Emergen-C and Airborne.
Another item we carry with us is zinc. One popular form is Cold-Eeze and, while it hasn’t been found to be a preventative, it has been shown that zinc lozenges can reduce the duration of a cold, perhaps by a day or more and also reduce its’ severity. Sucking on zinc within the first 24 hours after symptoms start and continuing to take it as long as your cold lasts will help shorten your cold and sometimes help with the flu. According to the Mayo Clinic, zinc may keep cold viruses from multiplying and taking up residence in your nose and throat lessoning the severity but there’s no evidence it’ll actually prevents getting a cold.
Two Prescription Medications
While we haven’t been very successful in convincing our doctors to provide us with prescriptions just in case, we’ve met a number of people that have. There are two specific prescriptions that can be helpful if you do come down with something but there are serious cautions in their use. The major issue is understanding when their use applies. Is the illness viral or bacterial is the biggest question to answer because antibiotics are of no use against a virus.
Determining The Culprit
Viral and bacterial upper respiratory infections have very similar symptoms. Lab testing or a clinical diagnosis is the only way to know for sure, but this can be costly, time consuming and at times not available on a cruise ship. Some symptom differences can help alert you to whether you have a viral or bacterial infection, so pay attention to a number of things.
First be informed about what is “going around”. Flu outbreaks sweep the country in waves so it isn’t uncommon to have them show up on your cruise. Usually the news will provide clues to what the current contagion is. Also you may hear that a couple of other passengers have been specifically diagnosed with the flu or a cold.
Viral infections are milder than bacterial infections, and they tend to last longer. With a virus you will usually feel very sick for 1 to 3 days and then you will start to feel better, though some of your symptoms may linger. Symptoms that linger for ten days or more are likely to be a virus. Over time, viruses can also lead to things like sinus infections or increased risk of middle ear infections which result from developing an additional bacterial infection.
When you blow your nose or cough up mucus, pay attention to the color. While it may be indelicate, color can be an indicator of whether you have a viral or bacterial infection. Thin and clear mucus is more likely to be a viral infection. Greenish mucus is more likely to be a bacterial infection. Keep in mind mucus color is not a completely accurate indicator of a viral or bacterial infection. Make sure you consider additional factors.
Pay attention to your throat. A sore throat is common for both viral and bacterial infections and checking for a sore throat is the most common thing a doctor will evaluate to determine if you need antibiotics. Certain types of sore throats can indicate a bacterial infection. For example, white spots are generally caused by bacteria as well as a sore throat without other symptoms such as a runny nose or sneezing, often indicating a strep throat.
Fevers can present in both viral and bacterial infections but fevers differ with different types of infections. In bacterial infections, fevers tend to go higher quicker. Also, with a bacterial infection, fevers often get worse after a few days but if you improve in a few days it’s likely a viral infection.
Medications
The two prescription medications most often carried when traveling are Z-Packs and Tamiflu® with one used for bacterial infections and the other for virus.
Doctors vary on if they should provide prescriptions to their patients for infections while traveling outside the country. Most resist but it is a case worth discussing with your doctor. If you are traveling there are over the counter alternative sources along with some mail order pharmacies.
The Z-Packs
First, Z-Packs are easy to use and they’re cheap. They come as a pack of five pills, which you take two on the first day and one daily over the course of the next four days, and they’re highly effective. Azithromycin is well-absorbed when you take it orally, easily enters your body tissues, so it can fight the bacteria causing your infection, and stays active for a long time.
Again An Important Note: Z-Packs have no effect on virus infections but are effective against:
1. Strep throat. Azithromycin is approved for treatment of strep throat. Especially if you are allergic to penicillin, which is usually the first choice of treatment, and a Z-Pack is still a good option.
2. Skin and soft tissue infections. Infections of the skin or soft tissues — like muscles and tendons — commonly caused by Staph and Strep bacteria can be treated with Zithromax. A typical prescription consists of either 500 mg daily for five days or a single dose of 2 grams.
3. Community-acquired pneumonia. Meaning mild to moderate cases of pneumonia that are acquired outside a hospital, Z-Packs are a useful option.
4. Acute bacterial bronchitis. In folks with chronic bronchitis or other underlying lung disease, acute bacterial bronchitis can be treated with a Z-Pack.
5. Chlamydia. For the sexually transmitted disease, Chlamydia, a single one-gram dose of azithromycin is the recommended treatment. Just one dose and done.
6. Traveler’s diarrhea. Azithromycin can effectively treat traveler’s diarrhea, aka dysentery or bloody diarrhea, caused by the Shigella and Campylobacter bacteria. This makes the Z-Pack a handy companion to bring along on international travel.
7. Nongonococcal urethritis in men. A single 1-gram dose of azithromycin can treat certain urethra infections in men. Again, one and done!
Tamiflu
The antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), helps your body bounce back faster from the flu.
Researchers find that taking oseltamivir within 48 hours of symptom onset can shave approximately one day from a typical seven-to-10-day illness. A more recent study showed that in patients 65 years old and older without other health conditions, up to two to three days could be shaved off using oseltamivir.
Oseltamivir interferes with the proteins the flu virus uses to reproduce, giving your immune system time to destroy it.
If You Don’t Have Perscription Medications (Or Even if You Do)
If you come down with something and don’t have access to those prescriptions, here’s your best course of treatment:
1. Stay hydrated.
Drinking water and juice to stay hydrated can help cut down on symptoms like a sore throat and stuffy nose. Steer clear of alcohol and super-sugary drinks to help prevent dehydration.
2. Gargling with salt water.
To combat a scratchy throat add half a teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water. The salt draws out excess water in your throat’s tissues, reducing the inflammation, and clears mucous and irritants from the back of the throat. The rinse also flushes out bacteria and viruses, which may help whether you’re getting a cold or want to prevent one in the first place.
3. Keep your nose clear.
Using a sterile saline nasal spray right after cold symptoms first appear may reduce their impact by moisturizing dry nasal passages and loosening mucous caused by colds. Taking a hot shower allows the warm moisture to clear nasal passages.
OTC Medications
Theraflu
Theraflu is basically a dose of acetaminophen along with several other anti-cold ingredients. It does carry a warning about the risk of liver damage if you take more than the recommended dose or mix with alcohol or other acetaminophen-containing products. Maybe take ibuprofen or acetaminophen alone and brew yourself a hot cup of tea. You’ll get the warm, soothing fluids without the risk of those extra drugs.
Pain Relievers
A pain reliever may be the first thing you reach for when you come down with a cold. Pain relievers for coughs and cold can be very effective. They can help with fever. Anti-inflammatory meds like Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) have the advantage of reducing tissue inflammation, but you should take Tylenol (acetaminophen) instead if you’re taking blood thinners
NyQuil And Other Cold & Flu Drugs
This is one of the more popular OTC drugs but it is also one of the most dangerous when abused. Check the indications, side effects and warnings. You need to check to make sure that it is safe for you to take NyQuil (acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, and pseudoephedrine liquid).
Other choices with similar cautions include:
Some are usually available in the ships store and a trip to a pharmacy when in port can also provide something suitable. Read the recommendations and watch out for high blood pressure cautions regarding other conditions.
What’s In Our Travel First Aid Kit
Just like our collection of batteries, chargers, cables and adaptors we carry a collect of just in case medications. As always we focus on size. We carry NyQuil but only in capsules along with zinc, C, anti-diarrhea and ibuprofen. We also carry a few bandaids, antiseptic wipes, and packets of Neosporin.
Staying Healthy While Traveling
Healthy Travel Part I Flying & Cruising
Flying
There’s a love-hate side to travel. Being there is great but getting there not so much. Long distance flights are usually no fun at all, especially if you are like us and fly coach. With a price difference on international flights as high as ten times we feel the pain is worth the price.
The first area of increased risk encountered by the traveler is usually the airplane. Packing a few hundred strangers into a compact environment for one and a half to seventeen hours is an invitation to spread disease. One study discovered that, on average, 20% of your fellow passengers are probably sick. Here are steps you can take to reduce your risk while flying:
1. This is the big rule number one. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth – The primary entry points for disease agents are your body’s mucus membranes (those moist areas) and the best way to avoid infection is to avoid transferring them from your hands. So, wash or disinfect your hands often and DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE. I have a serious eye problem with medications that seriously irritate my eyes, leaving them itchy, burning and feeling like there’s something in them – if I can stop touching my face, so can you.
2. Select the right seats – The most likely people that will infect you are those sitting next to you, in the row ahead of you and behind you. For that reason, the safest seat is the window and the least desirable seat is on the aisle.
3. Disinfect your space – Armrests, tray tables and those seat-back screens and controls have been found to be a serious source of infectious agents and the airlines do almost nothing to them during the cleaning of a plane. Get in the habit of carrying TSA sized bottles of disinfectant spray and/or wipes. Purell, Clorox and GermX are a few effective brands. Disinfecting wipes will usually kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including staph, E. coli, MRSA, norovirus, salmonella, strep and even the new threat of coronavirus.
4. Watch out for surfaces in lavatories – Another study found airplane lavatory surfaces, especially door handles, are a major hotspot for pathogens. Sadly, too many people don’t wash their hands. For that reason, avoid touching surfaces with a bare hand – use a paper towel to open doors and wash your hands thoroughly.
5. Nose Filters and Masks – Another problem with flying is getting trapped in that enclosed environment that recirculates the air with a number of people sneezing and coughing. I know we’ve come down with a flu or cold within a few days of a flight on a number of occasions.
Now in the age of corona virus it is becoming much more acceptable to wear a face mask and for the near future many airlines are requiring passengers to wear them which is probably a good thing. It used to seem odd to see an entire group exiting a plane wearing surgical masks but probably not any more and it does have a practical side. Before masks and the recent pandemic we discovered this item a few years ago, ordered them and have used them often on long flights. They’re discreet little adhesive pads with true HEPA filters that you stick to each nostril. Our discovery was called First Defense and today there are a number of competitors out there including 3M and WoodyKnows. Amazon
Another concern with flying is circulation. We’re often advised to get up and walk around to help our circulation but that is often just not practical on night flights where you are stuck between two or three people on a wide body jet. The cabin crew isn’t pleased either with isle walkers getting in their way.
Compression Socks
You can find some relief if you plan ahead on those long flights, especially if your cramped in coach. One area of particular concern is the toll it can take on your circulation. It isn’t unusual to discover that your ankles swell and maybe even hurt on and after a long flight. While the risk of developing blood clots on a flight is pretty low, it goes up with age and as travel length increases.
A lot of athletes and seniors already know the solution. Ask you doctor and he’ll tell you to wear compression socks. These stockings help increase circulation and reduce the risk of swelling or worse, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and clotting on long flights.
An excerpt from the Mayo Clinic explains, “Compression stockings steadily squeeze your legs, helping your veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently. They offer a safe, simple and inexpensive way to keep blood from stagnating.”
Twisted Pillow
Another item recently discovered is a travel pillow that isn’t that half donut. I’ve been traveling with my inflatable half-donut for a number of years and the only thing I have to recommend it is everyone else is using one too. My experience has been that while it provides some help at supporting my neck and head it really doesn’t provide support for keeping your head up straight and that seems to be where the strain is.
Recently I found a straight line, bendable pillow that has a rigid center. It allows you to bend it so there is a higher point on one end that does seem to support your head when wrapped behind the neck. The negative is that it takes up more room and often won’t survive the cut when packing. Available HERE.
Cruising
It’s not just airplanes that provide an environment that allows for the easy spread of disease. Any public space that brings large numbers of people together in close quarters offers an increased chance of getting sick. Anyone who has had young children go off to school knows about those years of viral and bacterial infections brought home and spread through the entire family. It’s just one of life’s cycles and, while there is little you can do about those episodes, you can take action to reduce your risks while traveling.
After over twenty years and fifty cruises we are getting ill less often by following some simple rules we’ve adopted
These are similar steps to air travel precautions that you can take to avoid getting sick while on a cruise ship. The risk on a ship is very similar to that on an airplane. While you do have a lot more space that allows you to try and stay away from people that are ill, you will be exposed to that cruise environment for much longer periods, increasing the risk. The basic steps to avoid picking up an infection are the same:
1. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. This is a hygiene practice that would be good to adopt everywhere in life.
2. Disinfect your hands often – most cruise ships are now reasonably aggressive with hand sanitizers, usually providing Purell dispensers all over their ships often with crew popping up everywhere to squirt your hands (washy, washy).
3. Avoid touching surfaces in lavatories and, again, wash your hands often. It is recommended to use a paper towel to open the door when exiting.
4. Avoid contact with obviously ill people – Unfortunately we have gotten sick on a cruise a number of times because some people that are sick make no real effort to isolate themselves from other passengers. We believe this is an area where cruise ships should become more aggressive and probably will. On several occasions we’ve had seriously ill people that kept coming back to the dinner table each night. Our new policy leans toward “would we rather be thought rude or would we prefer getting sick?” If they won’t leave the table – we do.
5. Avoid elevators if at all possible. The small enclosed spaces are a breeding ground for germs even though the ship’s crew work hard at keeping the spaces clean and sanitized.
6. Don’t hesitate to consult the ships doctor. Too many people avoid the clinics because they’re afraid of the costs involved. We expect the cruise industry to start offering free doctors visits for people coming down with flu, colds, etcetera as this could represent a serious cost saving for them after the recent pandemic and its impact on cruise lines.
Carry your own emergency medicine cabinet – Part II. Avoid Jet Lag Part III.
Bitten By The Travel Bug
My First Night In Rome
A Short Story
Back in the spring of 1965 for high school graduation I went to Italy with a relative. It was the first time I had left the United States and it was to be a great adventure. The way things worked out as we traveled around I had evenings mostly to myself. One of our first days was in Rome and we had checked into the hotel early in the evening and shortly after that I headed out walking to see what I could find.
The hotel was the Pensione Texas only a few blocks from the termini, the Piazza della Republica and a block off of Via Nazionale. Recently I was back in Rome and found that the small hotel is still there and gets reasonably good reviews (after 50 plus years it would seem they are doing something right).
Without a map, not having any idea where anything was and a whole evening to myself I started walking. To keep from getting lost I decided to stick to a main street and to make as few turns as possible. I walked out the block to the Via Nazionale, turned right and headed down hill (here’s a tip; when in a new city just walking around always head down hill. The good stuff is always around the river and to get there it is always down hill). Via Nazionale was a major shopping street with a lot of shops still open and heavy traffic.
Imagine, two days out of America and I was walking the streets of Rome by myself. As I continued down Via Nazionale after less than a mile I came across a wide alley to my left going down a flight of stairs. It was just too tempting to not explore and besides at the bottom was an illuminated column. Once at the bottom I found a park spread out before me rimmed in by historic ruins. Noting the name of the street I had walked down to get here I set off exploring the ruins.
Soon I found myself standing in the Roman Forum and I was so overwhelmed I almost cried. At that time Hollywood was in its Roman Empire period with hit movies like Ben Hur and Cleopatra and I was a big fan. Ancient Rome fascinated me and I read everything I could on the subject. In high school I had built a pretty good model of the Forum to pass Latin. This was such an emotional experience for me that it has stuck with me till today. The forum was all lit up and there were crowds of people all headed in one direction so I followed along. In the middle of the Forum was a roped off area with seats arranged for a concert. While I was figuring out what to do a group of about a dozen people were passing by and a man in the group turned and said “Hey kid, it’s a symphony, come and join us” (Still to this very day I have no idea why people look at me and just immediately decide I’m an American?). Well why not join them? Soon we were seated and an orchestra came out.
I think it was the Rome Symphony Orchestra and the one thing I still remember was during the concert they played The William Tell Overture – after all, even young, unsophisticated Americans who know nothing about classical music know The William Tell Overture, it was the television theme song for The Lone Ranger. As we were leaving after the concert we were making small talk like how long I had been in Rome and I realized that there was something very familiar about this man. Back in the early sixties he was a big star. Over the preceding few years Victor Mature had starred in big hits like The Robe and The Big Circus.
The group was headed to a restaurant up the hill with a patio overlooking the Forum and I went with them for coffee. The weather was beautiful, and the view unforgettable. I’ve tried recently to locate that restaurant and that view again but without success. The nearest I can come is Ristorante Aroma with beautiful views of The Coliseum at night.
Later I said my goodbyes and within a few minutes I found myself looking at a huge circle with a non-stop rush of Roman traffic racing around it (I don’t recall any traffic signals). In the middle of this circle stood a colossus of an illuminated structure that was the iconic image for Rome, The Coliseum. I eventually made it across and in those days it was not fenced in and there wasn’t anything to keep you from just walking inside – but that’s a story for another time…
From that evening on I have been in love with Italy and addicted to travel. I have returned to Rome numerous times and aside from sharing this city recently with family, the overwhelming experience of that first Roman night will always be mine.
The Intentional Travelers 