Sick again after a trip into the parks! Suggestions for avoiding this scenario???

[Mugglemama]

We were in the parks on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. By Tuesday night, my 10 year old started with a sore throat, which progressed into full-blown cold symptoms by Wednesday morning (the day we needed to drive home), and naturally has spread to the rest of us.

This happens to us EVERY time we go to DLR. Beginning a couple of years ago, I began doing the following in order to avoid getting sick every time we go:

*Lysol the sheets, bedspread, carpet, and entire bathroom of the hotel room,

*Clorox-wipe the light switches, TV remotes, faucet handles, doorknobs, counter, dresser top, table top, and the wooden handles of the chairs in the room,

*Everyone in my family uses Purell after every ride,

*Nobody crawls into bed at night after a day in the parks without being thoroughly showered, and dressed in a clean set of PJ's,

*We don't re-wear any clothes during the trip...once it's been worn into the parks, it goes into the dirty laundry bag....even sweatshirts,

*Hubby, kids, and I all gargle with saltwater before bed each night, swab inside of noses with saltwater and Q-tip as well (I read that this practice is supposed to help to "wash out" virus germs that may have been breathed in during the day),

*We all take 500mg of Vitamin C each night of the trip,

*Everyone washes their hands regularly with soap and water while inside the parks...after using the restroom, and DEFINITELY before being allowed to touch any food items.

Yet, still...here we are, sick. It always hits somebody in our group the night before we head back home, making the car trip home a lot less than fun (at least I had Vick's with me this time, so that helped).

It's hard to come home and need to unpack and clean...and then take care of sick people...all while I don't feel well, either. I'd really LOVE to avoid getting sick each and every time we take a trip to Disneyland.

Hoping some of you out there will have some suggestions that I haven't tried yet!

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[starshine514]

We're diligent as well (not as diligent as you, but I hear you on Lysol-ing the hotel room and Purell-ing after rides (and before eating), as well as keeping up with our regular vitamin regimine) and managed to come home with one nasty bug this last trip. I started getting a sore throat on January 16 (our second day at the park) and my throat hasn't stopped hurting since! We're still fighting a myriad of symptoms and have even added secondary infections (hello pinkeye) to our list of ailments. I guess some would argue that we shouldn't be as neurotic about germs because that leaves us more susceptible to illness when we are exposed...


Anyway, next time I'm going to add to our agenda:

• Airborne for everyone, every morning
• Probiotics for everyone, every day

Regardless, I'm still looking forward to our next visit to Disneyland. I must say, it's worth getting sick for!

 

[skiingfast]

Stress causes weak immunity. Don't make this a part of vacation by cleaning everything all the time.

Eat some dirt. It builds anitbodies. Living in a sanitary world does not.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I guess some would argue that we shouldn't be as neurotic about germs because that leaves us more susceptible to illness when we are exposed...

This one's working for us!

Seriously, sorry to hear about your difficulties. I do that Clorox of the hotel surfaces thing too and make everybody shower every night, but we're kind of lax about the rest of it and certainly don't go to the effort you do. We don't return from every Disney trip sick, but it has happened occasionally. Who's to say though that it wouldn't have happened if we'd stayed home or gone somewhere else for the weekend?

Out of curiosity, do your kids get sick easily or frequently even when not going to Disney? Your kids look young in those pictures. Sometimes it does get better over time. My kids got sick more frequently and severely when they were younger than they do now at age 10 and 12. Other possible factors...do you homeschool so, therefore, the kids don't get the constant daily germ bombardment of their peers and, therefore, might be more susceptible? Did you fly to Disney? Maybe nothing is really a factor, and you guys just have rotten luck or average or lower immunity. Sorry that your trips end on such a sour note and hope you all get well soon.

ETA: I like Ski's comments too. While we don't eat dirt, nobody who knows me would classify me as a neat freak. I keep my kitchen and bathrooms sanitary, and the kids have to wash their hands regularly, but I don't worry about them having playdates with friends who have colds and we rarely use hand sanitizer and we've certainly been known to ride three rides at Disney and then grab dinner forgetting to wash hands in between. I agree too that stressing out about it all may not be helping.

 

[sonnyjane]

Stress causes weak immunity. Don't make this a part of vacation by cleaning everything all the time.

Eat some dirt. It builds anitbodies. Living in a sanitary world does not.

I knows it's not what you were looking for, but I totally agree with Ski. I'm on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from you as far as cleanliness goes and rarely get sick... Maybe one day a year if even that. Aside from just taking away most of the fun of the vacation, your attempt to keep everything sterile keeps them from developing natural antibodies and defenses to these germs.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

We do maybe 1 thing off your list and we never get sick.

 

[Mommy26]

Airborne

 

[helenb]

You could go on some preventative vitamins, or something similar. Zicam always helps me hold colds at bay.

 

[jbearsmom]

Sorry, I agree too. I work in schools (elementary through high school), and am exposed to every bug out there. I find that the longer I work in the buildings, the less I get sick. I used to do all the sanitizing stuff too, but really believe that all that exposure has strengthened my immune system. We get flu shots every year, wash hands regularly, etc. but otherwise no heroic efforts. With that short of a turn around time, it is also likely that you were exposed prior to your trip and it just caught up with you at the end. The stress of an altered routine (and so much fun!) could have helped seal the deal.

 

[Honeybee1983]

Soooo I was just gonna come on here and recommend picking up some EmergenC Vitamin C drink packets from Costco when you go on trips and having each of you drink one each day, but then I read about the sanitizing things you do when you go and I have to say I am a firm believer that there is a HUGE over-use of hand sanitizers, anti-bactierial sprays, and disinfecting products in general these days. We NEED germs! The problem is that is everything is SO sterile, that the second a "foreign" body gets in from someone breathing on us, or from a possible momentary lapse in the hand-sanitizer regimen, you got it, SICKNESS! My suggestion would be to stop doing all those things you do to sanitize, and like Skiing said, eat some dirt! LOL Of course don't literally eat actual dirt, but really, stop caring so much about all the potential germs and let your bodies do what they are made to do, build up immunities to all the stuff out there! If they aren't given the chance to build up those antibodies because they aren't ever exposed to them, then naturally, when mixed with the mass public, you will inevitably get sick. There are TONS of studies about this all over that we are setting ourselves up for terrible illnesses and incurable things in the future because of our over-use of "antibacterial" products. We NEED the bacteria so we can keep FROM getting really sick! I am willing to bet that's why this is happening everytime for your poor family. I know it's hard, but step away from the hand sanitizer! teeheehee

Oh...and I should probably mention that we typically don't wash hands before we eat! Yes, we wash after potty, but not before we eat....like ever. So yes, sometimes my kids do eat actual dirt I am sure. LOL They pretty much NEVER get sick. Eat those germs kids! hehe

 

[todzwife]

Honestly? Wiping surfaces isn't going to help you not get an airborne virus (like a cold). All it takes is someone sneezing or coughing near you and ta-da! Party in your nose.

That said, I've read that flushing the sinus cavities w/ a neti pot or saline spray helps prevent sinus related illness.

 

[starshine514]

Stress causes weak immunity. Don't make this a part of vacation by cleaning everything all the time.

Eat some dirt. It builds anitbodies. Living in a sanitary world does not.

I totally agree about the stress! I was extremely stressed out with work before we left for the trip, and the same once we got back from the trip, which may be why I've been hit so hard by it. The trip itself was fun, in a stressful sort of way! Seriously though, I feel less stressed once I've done a light sanitizing of the hotel room and using hand sanitizer/washing hands is not stressful in the least.

While I agree it's a good idea to be exposed so some germs regularly, I think that vacation would be a good time to be a little extra diligent in an effort to not catch those germs and put a damper on things.

btw - We actually do pretty well at not getting sick at Disneyland. This last trip was the first of our trips that we've had anything more than a tiny cold upon our return. But boy, this last one really walluped us! From what I've heard (from the two doctor's I've seen since we've been back), what I have is going around here in Tucson as well... heck, we may not have picked it up at Disneyland at all.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

Hand sanitizer AFTER is not going to help, they grab the railing, rub their eye...bam they have it!

All of this sanitizing is not helping obviously, maybe just go with NOTHING and see what happens!

Honestly, this all sounds a little neurotic.

 

[starshine514]

Honestly? Wiping surfaces isn't going to help you not get an airborne virus (like a cold). All it takes is someone sneezing or coughing near you and ta-da! Party in your nose.

Articles like these make us feel the need to sanitize parts of our hotel room:
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/hidden-hotel-room-germ-magnets-tv-remote-water/story?id=10619191
http://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/info-04-2011/hotel-room-germs.html

 

[Echie]

Awww sorry to hear Hope your family feels better soon!

Stress, less than usual sleep, not eating the same diet as at home, are what does it for me. If I get sick after a vacation it's usually due to the the above!

What has been working well for me is upping my vitamin C, D and Zinc, and taking a multivitamin on vacation too, when I might not be getting the proper nutrients that I usually do. Since I've started doing that I've found that I've been less likely to pick up a bug.

 

[Honeybee1983]

Articles like these make us feel the need to sanitize parts of our hotel room:
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/hidden-hotel-room-germ-magnets-tv-remote-water/story?id=10619191
http://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/info-04-2011/hotel-room-germs.html

Meh. I don't buy into special reports or watch the news as a rule. All it is made up of is something CRAZY that happened a couple times or the extreme of a situation and they take it and spin it to a crazy level. Fear mongering. They are very good at it. Do you ever notice how they string you along waiting to report the good news thing at the END of the program? So you HAVE to watch all the bad terrible stuff first to get to see the story about how the old woman's dog saved her life. It's all just silly. They want to keep people afraid of what might "get them" out there just so they keep people coming back for more "news" afraid for their very lives! teeheehee Well that's my opinion anyway. Same thing with the germs in the hotel room as the park and whateve. I don't think I will die from touching an alarm clock...and if I do, meh, we all die eventually anyway! hehehe

Now all that being said, I DO check the hotel rooms we stay in for bedbugs since it was an epidemic. Those things give me the heebie-jeebies! ewww. lol

 

[Mugglemama]

We're diligent as well (not as diligent as you, but I hear you one Lysol-ing the hotel room and Purell-ing after every ride, as well as keeping up with our regular vitamin regimine) and managed to come home with one nasty bug this last trip. I started getting a sore throat on January 16 (our second day at the park) and my throat hasn't stopped hurting since! We're still fighting a myriad of symptoms and have even added secondary infections (hello pinkeye) to our list of ailments. I guess some would argue that we shouldn't be as neurotic about germs because that leaves us more susceptible to illness when we are exposed...


Anyway, next time I'm going to add to our agenda:

• Airborne for everyone, every morning
• Probiotics for everyone, every day

Regardless, I'm still looking forward to our next visit to Disneyland. I must say, it's worth getting sick for!

Yikes...a sore throat for 2+ weeks? That doesn't sound like fun. Hope you feel better soon! I will check the ingredients of Airborne, thanks!

Stress causes weak immunity. Don't make this a part of vacation by cleaning everything all the time.

Eat some dirt. It builds anitbodies. Living in a sanitary world does not.

Spending 5 minutes upon our arrival at the hotel spraying a can of Lysol and wiping half a dozen surfaces doesn't stress me out. Actually, this was a very relaxed vacation...we visited with family and friends on the way to Anaheim, laughed a lot, had a great time.

I'm not *afraid* of getting sick....I just don't *like* to be sick. With all due respect Ski, you don't sound like someone who has spent many nights taking care of sick kids while sick yourself, only to have to get up the next morning to work and run a household. I have done it many, many, many times over the past 20 years. My desire to not feel like crap as soon as I get home from Disney isn't about fear...it's about convenience.

Out of curiosity, do your kids get sick easily or frequently even when not going to Disney? Your kids look young in those pictures. Sometimes it does get better over time. My kids got sick more frequently and severely when they were younger than they do now at age 10 and 12. Other possible factors...do you homeschool so, therefore, the kids don't get the constant daily germ bombardment of their peers and, therefore, might be more susceptible? Did you fly to Disney? Maybe nothing is really a factor, and you guys just have rotten luck or average or lower immunity. Sorry that your trips end on such a sour note and hope you all get well soon.

ETA: I like Ski's comments too. While we don't eat dirt, nobody who knows me would classify me as a neat freak. I keep my kitchen and bathrooms sanitary, and the kids have to wash their hands regularly, but I don't worry about them having playdates with friends who have colds and we rarely use hand sanitizer and we've certainly been known to ride three rides at Disney and then grab dinner forgetting to wash hands in between. I agree too that stressing out about it all may not be helping.

Nope, I can't say they are "sickly". They never have been. We get a cold usually every year, maybe two. The flu every other year or so. We do homeschool, but the amount of times we get sick per year hasn't changed since leaving public school (we are out and about with everyone's germs every day, despite the fact that we don't utilize a public school building...we do still have to play, shop, go to the library, etc., effectively putting us in contact with lots of germs ). And, we had this issue with getting sick each time we visit the parks when they attended public school, as well. My kids are not extremely young...7, 10, and 14.

I knows it's not what you were looking for, but I totally agree with Ski. I'm on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from you as far as cleanliness goes and rarely get sick... Maybe one day a year if even that. Aside from just taking away most of the fun of the vacation, your attempt to keep everything sterile keeps them from developing natural antibodies and defenses to these germs.[/QUOTE]

I'm happy for you that you don't spend much time feeling sick. Good for you!

My desire to be a clean person doesn't stress me out. And lol...I have 4 kids, and have been a Mom for 20 years...our lives are hardly "sterile"!!

I'm not trying to avoid every virus, every day, everywhere, forever. Geez people ...I just don't wanna come home from Disney to clean and unpack while feeling like my head is going to pop from all the snot building up in it, all the while having to take care of kids who feel just as unwell as I do. Since I don't think eating dirt is really going to address my question, and it seems this train has run *totally* off the track, I will instead look into Airborne. But, thanks anyway.

 

[starshine514]

I will check the ingredients of Airborne, thanks!

Oh, I forgot to add (since you have little ones as well). They don't make the Airborne Jr. product anymore, but (according to the Airborne representative I emailed after I couldn't find the Jr product anymore), the child dose is half a tablet.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

I like Emergencc better then Airborne.

Maybe do NOT do the q-tip with salt water, maybe that is pushing the germs up the nose.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Nope, I can't say they are "sickly". They never have been. We get a cold usually every year, maybe two. The flu every other year or so. We do homeschool, but the amount of times we get sick per year hasn't changed since leaving public school (we are out and about with everyone's germs every day, despite the fact that we don't utilize a public school building...we do still have to play, shop, go to the library, etc., effectively putting us in contact with lots of germs ). And, we had this issue with getting sick each time we visit the parks when they attended public school, as well. My kids are not extremely young...7, 10, and 14.

Well, maybe just rotten luck then. The only other consideration is do you usually go to Disney at the same time of year? Maybe this time of year when illnesses seem to proliferate everywhere is just when your kids were going to get sick anyway unfortunately. The few times we have come home from Disney sick were the winter trips rather than the ones during other seasons.

Oh, and I wasn't trying to say your kids were "sickly". There's just such a wide variation on people's immune responses. My kids get sick fairly infrequently to my perceptions at least. Some of their friends, however, seem to have some sort of illness, usually minor, every few weeks or so, regardless of season. Both my kids and the friends who get sick more frequently are still regarded as generally healthy kids and don't have any medical issues that they're dealing with. This is just what's normal for them in each case.