Shooting up!

Alright. Less digression, more progression.  Onward to Thailand! We're knee deep in half-packed bags and pre-trip anxiety.  Tomorrow morning we head down to NJ to see my family for a few days before our flight out of JFK on Wednesday.  First aid kits, Skeeter Defeaters, Malarone...oh my!

To get shots or not to get shots, that is (or was) the question. I promised talk of diseases, and I shall deliver. I read up on the CDC recommended immunizations for this region and it's enough to make you think you're walking into a horror movie.  Malaria, Dengue Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Hep A & B, Typhoid and rabies are all more prevalent in certain parts of all the countries we're visiting. They can all be pretty ugly if they strike you, but most aren't particularly fatal unless you're trapped in the jungle, days from any sort of credible health care. We don't really plan on being that far out. Plus, our travel insurance covers emergency transport, and there's really nothing like closing out your jungle adventure with a call of "Get to the choppppa!" all Arnold-style as we fling our sickly bodies onto a helicopter. Actually, I'm kind of looking forward to it.

 For some diseases, specifically Dengue Fever, there aren't even any shots available, so all we have are best practices.  For many others there are vaccinations, or in the case of rabies a set of pre-shots that will make the effects of the disease less severe if you're, you know, accosted by a wild monkey.  But you'll still have to get a bunch of other shots if you get bitten. 

I already have the series of Hep B shots from when I was a kid.  But as for the others, we both decided to forgo the shots. Sadrah's reasons were more philosophical (she's never had vaccinations of any kind) while mine were more economical.  I don't have health insurance, and to get all the recommended shots would cost well over $500.  But we both know what it takes to follow safe practices while traveling, and these are really more important than just getting shots, many of which are not even 100% effective.  We'll be sterilizing all our drinking water and eating safely cooked foods including only fruits & vegetables with skins that are peeled.  We'll be using lots of bug spray (w/ at least 35% Deet) and long pants/sleeves at night especially when we're out in more rural areas where some of these diseases can be more prevalent.

When it comes to Malaria there are no immunizations, just a handful of anti-malarial drugs to choose from.  Some even give you crazy, super-vivid dreams.  I kind of wanted those, but they were more expensive.  So we both ended up with prescriptions for Doxycycline (the cheapest choice--only about $25-30 for an ample supply) which is an anti-malarial antibiotic that needs to be taken every day throughout travel and for 30 days afterward to help prevent malaria infection.  The potential side-effects don't sound so hot, including a slew of possibles like diarrhea, flu-like symptoms and most notably an increased photo-sensitivity, i.e. your skin will sunburn more easily. It could even cause permanent sensitive skin. Fantastic.

Stolen from here: http://xkcd.com/51/

 So after doing a lot of online research Sadrah has decided not take the pills, and I don't really blame her.  Taking an antibiotic for 4 months straight when you're not even sick is probably not a good thing for the human body. I think I'm going to take mine as an experiment/safety precaution (at least one of us won't get malaria and can take care of the other) but I'm still on the fence.  We also got one prescription of Malarone, which is an anti-malarial drug you can take if you think you're starting to get symptoms.  It will hold off the progression of the disease and buy you time to get to a good hospital. 

Pol Pot's revenge?

We'll also be carrying some prescriptions for Zithromax and Cipro (thanks to Sadrah's insurance) in case either one of us gets a particularly awful case of traveler's diarrhea. What a boring, sterile name for "the shits." Let me be sure to blog all about that the first time it happens over a squat toilet! In the meantime we started taking a daily Probiotic supplement to help build up the good bacteria in our guts, which should lessen the chance of getting sick.  You have to remember, it's not that there's anything wrong with most of the food or water in other countries like Mexico or Thailand--it's just that our bodies are not used to the bacteria's they have floating around. 


Ironically, the only real use I've had for the health insurance offered by my former employer is for a bunch of shots I could get just before I quit and take a 3 month trip to Asia. Oh well...I can't say I'm not a little bit nervous after all our research, but in some cases I'm just as nervous about the medicines as I am about the diseases.  I know we'll be smart and I think we'll be alright.

I should get some sleep.