3 Tips for Handling Illness Abroad

While I wish you a healthy abroad experience, unfortunately illness, in some capacity, is probably par for the course. Having arrived at the end of my semester abroad, I want to share a few tips I learned from my sicknesses. It's important to remember to seek help and comfort effectively in another country.

1. Be proactive! Get medical help sooner than you think you need it.

You know your body better than anyone else, so of course listen to your gut. If you're like me and tend to want to give yourself just a few more days to heal on your own-abroad isn't the time for that! You're in a new environment. You're body might respond differently to illness in a different, possibly uncomfortable, setting. So, when you start to feel sick, tell your host family right away even if it's small. If you're living alone or without locals, I can imagine it might be more daunting to seek out a doctor. However, you're adequately insured per your program/country requirements, so just go! 

I had a strep-like infection about a month into my program and reluctantly told my host mom the same day my sore throat appeared. The next morning, she called the doctor, I was prescribed an antibiotic, and I was up and moving the following day after some rest time. Proactivity pays off!

2. If you're resting at home, reject FOMO. 

My second illness of the semester was a mild fever that appeared on Thanksgiving Day. Since I had baked an apple pie for the potluck dinner at school, I was resting the whole day with the intention of bucking up and going to celebrate with my friends. However, 30 minutes before the dinner, I still had a fever. I wanted to go so badly. We all sent in baby pictures and would be guessing them after dinner! I also wanted to see everyone's cooking and eat some familiar food from home. Eventually, one of my friends told the group that he was sick, too, and couldn't make it, which gave me the courage to do the same. Flash forward a few days, I healed up and went camping with my friends. I brought the uneaten apple pie with me, and we warmed it over the grill. UGH it was so good. And it was uniquely special and felt fortuitous. I wasn't meant to be at that dinner, but I was meant to rest up so I could enjoy the following weekend.

That anecdote is a perfect example of one of the biggest challenges with illness while abroad: since your time is limited, it can feel like every moment must be seized. However, your health is so important to genuine enjoyment of travel and new experiences. You need to remember to incorporate rest into your schedule, especially when sick, so that 'future you' can properly appreciate whatever you get up to! It's much better to sit at home for a few days and have FOMO than go about your daily routine for a week or more feeling miserable and sick.

3. Remember that illness can be another chance to learn and adapt.

Going to the doctor in another country can be a cool experience (in it's own way. Of course it'd be cooler to not be sick, period). I studied abroad in Ecuador and split the semester between Quito and the Galápagos. Each location had a unique medical system, and I got to experience both! In Quito, home visits from doctors are common. Coming from the U.S., it seemed so odd that the doctor would be checking my vitals while I sit on the couch. Moreover, these doctors can also give you injections for certain common illnesses while at home. In the moment, receiving a shot in the butt in my room in Quito felt odd, but looking back, it was cool! Studying abroad gives you an insider perspective on a different culture, and the medical system and/or illness is a relevant and overlooked part of that!

My most upsetting illness was my final one: on my final day in Ecuador, I visited my Quito host family for the afternoon and got food poisoning. Although I had made it four months without and tummy troubles, I was knocked down so close to departure. Ugh! The following day, while I was getting an IV and rehydrating, I could have leaned into my anger or bitterness. However, I took a step back and realized that I was comfortably sitting in the ER in another country, and speaking Spanish to staff. That is such an accomplishment! An unfortunate one, for sure. However, reminding myself to stay positive-like how I got to hang out with my host family for a few extra days while recovering-made that possibly nightmare experience just another bump in the road.

Final reminder that you are in control of how you react to the situations you fall into. Of course, illness is unfortunate and undesirable especially while studying abroad. But, if you remember to detach yourself from the intense emotions of the moment, you might be able to find a bit of a bright side! At the very least, maybe you can laugh about your misfortune in the future. How ridiculous is it, that just a few months ago I was getting a shot in my butt in Ecuador! So ridiculous. And so cool.