By Nanci Dixon
What are some ways to battle illness while on the road? Getting sick is bad enough when cuddled up in a warm bed in a sticks-and-bricks house, but it can be even worse while you’re traveling on the road.
We full-timed for almost eight years. We have had our fair share of colds, minor and major surgeries, and a bout of COVID. So, what are some ways to battle getting sick while RVing?
Follow these steps and take these precautions in case of illness or medical issues while RVing
Establish medical contacts
Establish medical contacts before you need them. If you are a snowbird, you may want to have medical resources established in both summer and winter locations. If on the road, make sure you have a main medical contact available.
COVID changed a lot of the ways to access medical help from afar. E-visits have become a common way of contacting doctors and getting advice. Yesterday, I sent a photo of a suspicious spot through the clinic’s portal to my doctor. A nurse called immediately, and the doctor called in a few hours.
Check pharmacies ahead of contacting your home medical facility. If they are going to prescribe a medication, it is helpful to know which pharmacies are covered and are close by.
Check your health insurance
When choosing medical or drug plans, make sure the plans are honored nationwide. Before we began full-timing, I had missed that detail and after a fall and a broken wrist in Florida, the emergency room would not X-ray it until I paid $1,200! My insurance was not accepted out of state and out of network.
First Aid supplies
Stock up for minor accidents and illnesses. Have a complete first aid kit to bandage cuts and scrapes, and ace wraps to help in case of sprains. Include over-the-counter medications for pain, flu, and colds. If you use up something, make sure you replace it right away.
Remember to carry an ample supply of prescription medications, too. Keep a written list of current medications. It is difficult to remember them in an emergency.
It’s also helpful to keep your medications in one place, in case first responders need to find them or you quickly need to grab them to go to the hospital. This medicine storage bag is great for that.
Urgent care
Thankfully, urgent care is available all over the country. Check their times of operation, location, and insurance coverage. A lot of urgent care locations now post wait times online. An easy way to find an urgent care location close by is to just Google “Urgent care near me”.
Emergency help
If you or someone else needs immediate help, do not hesitate to call 911. Your or someone else’s life may depend on it. Know the campground address, campsite number, and any distinguishing information like your vehicle and RV color and other identifying factors close by. Let them know if there are pets in the RV ahead of time or, better yet, secure any pets in a closed-off area before help arrives.
Brush up on CPR. If not able to take a class, YouTube has a variety of videos. Learn the “Staying Alive” technique.
Stop and change plans
If you’re ill or need treatment, just stop. The next travel spot can wait. Illness, just like vehicle breakdowns, has a way of altering plans. The reservations may or may not be refunded, but you can always ask for a rain check if no refund is given.
When our son informed us he had cancer on a ten-inch tumor in his leg and needed surgery, the National Parks Service gave us a voucher to use next year, which, thankfully, we were able to do. I am ever grateful to the kind park ranger who calmly listened as I sobbed over the phone. Our entire three-month trip was changed and every RV park and campground refunded our money or gave us a voucher.
We were in North Dakota when COVID hit. After making it through several years behind masks, sanitizing every surface, getting vaccinated, and rigorous hand washing, we finally let down our guard and went mask-less to a family Labor Day celebration. This was at what we thought was “the end” of COVID. Well, COVID finally got us.
We were able to stop traveling and stayed at an accommodating campground for about a week to rest.
Aftercare
If you’re having minor or major surgery, make sure the hospital and clinic staff know that you are staying in an RV. My husband had major cancer surgery, and once the surgeon knew recovery was going to be in an RV, he had some additional precautions. He also adjusted times for follow-up.
When I had surgery that would hamper my mobility for a few days and returned to the RV with my leg bandaged from toe to thigh, the doctor had suggested my husband carry me up the steps. That was no small feat, and even the pain medication didn’t keep me from laughing hysterically.
Ask for help
Don’t be afraid to ask fellow RVers for help. RVers are some of the friendliest, kindest people you will ever meet. Need a prescription picked up or the dog walked? They may be more than willing to help. The campground office may also have ways to help.
Utilize prescription and food deliveries
Grocery, prescription, and restaurant deliveries have become available in many locations now. Ask if they deliver and set up a time for drop-off, if available.
Be flexible
Stuff happens no matter where you are. Stop, recover, and carry on!
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RVDT2820
For snowbirds who create medical provider relationships at both ends of the migratory route, find out what electronic record system the two providers use. We got lucky and both used Epic. It was a fairly simple request and authorization to tie both providers together so both have full access to our records. We have had some delighted practitioners who did not have to either wait for records or redo relevant lab tests.
I also keep a list of medications and how much I take a day and also how many times a day I take them. That way I can just bring it up on my phone and show it to the doctors and EMS so they can just copy it because a lot of meds are not spelled the way they sound, eliminating a lot of confusion! The nurses love it because they know that it’s spelled correctly!
Since I’m prescribed 17 meds I created a med list along with strengths, whether scheduled or as needed, and how many times daily. I’ve also created an allergy list with the reaction my body has. The docs I’ve seen are really happy to make copies of my list whenever I see them. I’ve had docs tell me something is not a “true” allergy only because it doesn’t cause anaphylaxis but to my way of thinking if the effects will kill you just as dead if you had anaphylaxis will it’s an allergy.