The IBS Vacation
The first thing I thought when I titled this article was ‘ooh, a vacation from IBS!' Well, no, unfortunately that’s not what this is about. Perhaps another article? No, today we will deal with the ‘new definition’ of VACATION that we must embrace if we are to enjoy a vacation away from home this summer. Whether it’s the mountains, the beach or a villa in France (lucky you, I’ll be in Ocean City, NJ!), those of us that deal with IBS need to take extra care and do a little bit more preparation and thinking about a proper gameplan to help with those IBS moments on vacation. The season is upon us; summer is here. Hopefully, you are lucky enough to take that nice vacation and if you are, be prepared to, well, be prepared…
IBS Vacation preparation
The preparation required for your vacation of choice will completely depend on WHERE YOU ARE GOING. Camping in the Adirondacks will require different choices than going to stay at the beach for a week. Most of what I’m going to say is, I think, pretty obvious. What’s the first thing IBS people need to know about? FACILITIES, MAN. With camping, while you may end up being extraordinarily uncomfortable in certain situations, you at very least will have access to FACILITIES (even if it is a porta-potty or the woods). That said, you should scope out your camping site of choice to see what sorts of accommodations they have. State Parks have different set-ups than private campgrounds. You have the choice to stay in a really nice cabin type place if you can afford it. There are lot’s of options. There is no need to be laying in the woods writhing around if that is not your cup of tea. With the beach, it’s kinda the same thing. If you are staying in a hotel a half a mile from the beach and the nearest bathroom is another mile down the boardwalk, you may be causing yourself some serious trouble, my friend. These are the small things that those with bathroom issues need to consider. What else might be important?
What are we packing? Loose fitting clothing, our meds (both physical and mental), self-soothing items (candles, music, journals…whatever makes us feel good at home). You are basically supposed to packing to make sure that you can be comforted and happy if you happen to have a rough time while you are away. I think the other really important thing to consider is YOUR BEHAVIORS while you are on vacation. I mentioned earlier about perhaps re-defining what vacation means to you. A lot of people associate ‘vacation’ with eating and drinking too much and LETTING LOOSE. IBS will not allow this type of behavior to occur…unless of course you want the vacation to be OVER. So, developing a new idea of what things might help your vacation to be fun and relaxing might be a really good idea.
Make the best of it
I suppose there are just a couple of other things I would like to mention as it pertains to our ‘IBS Vacation’. You are probably going on vacation with someone else, right? If not, that’s cool too…I’ve done it and enjoyed myself immensely. If you are sharing your vacation time with someone, it might be best to be as honest and open as you are comfortable being about what you might have to deal with and how best they can support you during these periods. Perhaps develop a ‘Plan B’ should ‘Plan A’ cause you a lot of trouble. All just good basics when considering traveling during the summer months. Please try to make the best of any special time you have away from home. I will try to do the same.
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