Ever done it? It sucks.
I don't get sick very often - probably because I love to sleep, work out regularly, and try to eat right (and stay hydrated). However, when it hits me, it...hits...HARD.
At the moment, I'm sitting at home, suffering from my summer cold and dreading the fact that I've got to get on a plane tomorrow. I'm also thinking back to some of the worst business trip illnesses I've lived through...
...like the onset of a head cold the day before I left on a 30 hour trip to Sydney...
...or the weeklong flu that prompted the client's consultant to give me her entire container of Airborne...
...or the time I had to go to the ER in the Cinci-nasty airport.
Yikes! It's bound to happen to a traveler at some point, so what can you do? Since there is no way to outright avoid ever getting sick while traveling, the best thing that you can do is plan ahead.
Plan ahead in order to keep your body healthy. When traveling, drink as much water as you can, get some work outs in, and eat right! Eat enough. Wash your hands. Drink some more water.
Plan ahead to keep your immune system up. Don't take the last flight in. Get a full night's sleep every night that you can. Don't take the red-eye. Seriously, it's not worth it.
Plan ahead for the times when you will be sick. Travel with whatever OTC medications you turn to - a few days' worth of aspirin or cold medication will be worth their weight in gold when you wake up coughing in the middle of the night (and when you don't feel like getting out of bed to get some). Prepare a travel kit to keep these things together. Remember to replenish.
Plan ahead for the times you will be direly ill. Make sure you always have a cheat-sheet with your insurance information and any rules or other information. Ensure you know where to find it.
Proper planning is the only way to survive the times that you do fall ill - because when you're struggling, you will fall back into the habits you establish. If you know that you have some tools at your disposal to help deal with your discomfort, you can execute with those tools more quickly, and feel better sooner.
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