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

[Mugglemama]

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

I'm not sure why everyone is assuming we use hand sanitizer all day long at home. I bring it to the parks. The only time we use hand sanitizer is when we're going to be in a very public venue.

And to me, not having kids wash their hands before eating is just gross. I've seen people in line at Disneyland, kids AND adults alike, pick their nose and wipe the contents on the railings. I don't want that in my food.

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.

Again...we're using sanitizer in the parks. Not all day at home. The sanitizing I do in the hotel room is mainly to avoid staph and the crud that others leave behind. Since cold/flu germs only live for 2-8 hours on a surface, I'm well aware that it's not likely we're catching a cold from the room. Still, for all I know, the last guests to that room had a kid who barfed all over the table...or a Dad changed a really messy diaper (or didn't wash his own hands after wiping himself in the bathroom) and then grabbed the TV remote, right after picking his nose.

I don't agree that not wanting to touch other people's excrement qualifies as neurotic...but *okay*.

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

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.

Thanks! This is helpful!

 

[the donut]

I used to get sick every time I rode on an airplane when I realized that because of the dry air on the plane, I tended to rub my eyes a lot. The eyes (along with the nose and mouth) are all excellent routes of entry for infectious particles. At any rate, I've made a conscious effort to stop rubbing my eyes in general, and I definitely don't get sick nearly as often after a plane trip. Of course, it might be that I've just gotten everything by now and have immunity.

I agree with some of the other posters that stress and lack of sleep can lower your immunity. I know I get pretty tired running around disneyland, even on half day trips. Of course, it might just be a time of year thing. There's something going around my daughter's school and half her class was out over the course of last week.

I hope you're all feeling better soon!

 

[mrswh]

I don't think there is anything in particular about Disney that makes one more likely to get sick. We have been to Disney many times and none of us has ever gotten sick. We wash hands (or Purell) after going to the bathroom and before eating (and if anything gross gets on them!), but that's about it. Well, that and we go far, far away from anyone who throws up and any vomit we see on the ground (not usual bc Disney is so good at cleaning up but it happens).

There are germs everywhere - I am guessing it is pure coincidence that you and your kids picked something up at Disney more than once. You could have been exposed at home before you left, on the plane, while at Disney, etc. It sounds like you are already doing everything you can to try to avoid germs. It seems the odds are in your favor now for a sick-free trip next time - have fun!

P.S. If you really want to try something, my friend gives her kids Kick A$$ Immune (by Wish Garden) and swears by it. It smells wretched but she says it works. She gets it at Whole Foods, but they also have it at some pharmacies.

 

[Mugglemama]

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.

This was the first time we'd visited in the Winter in 9 years. In those 9 years, we have visited the parks in the Summer nearly every time (once was in September). So, it seems, for us at least, that this is something that occurs no matter when we visit. No worries on the "sickly" thing...I think we catch basically whatever happens to be "going around" in our area each year, but we do have close friends whose kids seem to pick up many more viruses than we do, and they are still considered healthy, as well.

Actually, I guess I'd have to say my kids are pretty sturdy....the 2 youngest have never needed antibiotics in their entire lives, and my 14 year old hasn't needed any since he was a year old.

 

[grafxgirl]

I teach preschool and have two children of my own. It seems that no matter how much you try to prevent the kids from getting sick, they are still going to get it. I can see why because I see the things they do all day long. All it takes is for your child to touch the hand rail or the lap bars one time and wipe their hand across their face before the next hand sanitizer spritz to get one nasty little germ. Even touching a chair or bench that another child touched could do it. They are forever sticking their fingers in their noses and mouths then touching furniture (even worse wiping their boogers on the handrails, furniture, and lap bars), and another child comes along and touches that same piece of furniture. Unfortunately, it is not possible to watch them every second. I used to be neurotic about my kids getting sick too, but I realized the stress was not worth it. We are diligent about hand washing, cleaning the house on a regular basis, and talking to the kids about not putting things in their mouths and being aware of their hands in the faces, but the Lysoling every surface, and hand sanitizing every 5 minutes was my obsessiveness and had to stop. I was driving both my kids and my husband crazy!

 

[kirstie101]

I always have Airborne and/or Emergen-C with me when I travel. On vacations I'll drink one packet of the emergen-c each day for myself. And I'll have DD have a few sips of it too. DH hates it and will only drink it if he starts to feel a cold coming on. So far so good.

 

[Scribble Kitty]

Aside from the obvious influx of contact with other people, I think it's just the air down there that gets me sick. I live in Northern California and when I visit for 5+ days the air quality really messes me up. Not to say that the air up here is crystal clear, but that smog layer just doesn't sit well with me.

I rarely get sick now because of how often I got sick as a kid (pneumonia 4 years in a row between 5 and 9) but when I do get sick I find that home remedies work best for me as opposed to other medicines. Super hot tea with honey and lemon clears up my sore throat, and jalapenos and other spicy foods plus steamy showers when I'm congested.

 

[blackjackdelta]

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.

Again I have to agree with ski, if you are not exposed to the every day bugson a daily basis immune systems can not build up to be restant enough. Stress beats done the immune systems and when you hit public places with people from all walks of life stuff happens. People who are SAH's and home schooled children(not saying you are) have a greater incidence of this happening, tring to locate the study from about ten years ago..most surface pathogens will die with 24 hours. One of the jobs I have involves seeing ill people all day long, so does my wife and we are rarely ill. Too add a note, I have a daughter who have had arthritis since she was 2.5 years old and she is on very stronge immuno supressants and the only way she can stay well is be exspossed to the general public..she graduates from the University of Washington in a month just turning 21 and has never had a sick day.

Jack

 

[larina]

My family does Airborne AND EmergenC Vitamin C drink packets twice a day before, during and after our DL trips. We tend to sleep less than normal and just go go go. In December, we all worried about colds coming, but we did just fine.

I carry DayQuill liquid gels just in case too.

 

[wvnative]

Airborne or EmergenC are good options. Every time my sister or I go to mom's and show even the slightest cold like a symptom we get handed 4 pills. Zinc, Ester C, A and E. I finally bought some for home. lol

I am by no means a germ freak but I do use hand sanitizer anytime I sneeze or cough and cannot immediately wash my hands. It goes with me to Disney. So do the antioxidants my mom insists on. They really do help.

I've only gotten sick once from a Disney trip and it was a doozy. I had a fever for several days. Remembering how sick I was makes it much easier to take the 4 extra pills every day. I start taking them a couple of weeks before we go just to build up my immune system.

 

[disfaninca]

Something that might help is I use Wet ones, hand wipes. To me, it seems to do a better job than hand sanitizer. It's antibacterial and will clean your hands along with sanitize. I also carry around hand sanitizer, but I use the wet ones more often, and it really seems to work.

 

[jory29]

Awww, Mugglemama, I didn't want to read that one of you fell ill yet again on a trip.

I have heard/read about using polysporin inside the nostrils during a plane trip, to battle germs (you are supposed to blow your nose after the plane ride is over) but have yet to try it. I DO use Lysol wipes on the plane to wipe the seat tables, arm rests, seat belts, windows, because that would be something not done very often, and if we are spending a lot of money on the trip in the first place, we also don't wish to get sick. (Which we have been, and faced a $1000 medical bill which thankfully was reimbursed due to our insurance plan.) Besides the expense and cost of being ill, no one wants to go around the parks spreading germs, and no one wants to FEEL sick when in the parks, or traveling home.

We also use hand sanitizer when in the parks, but not at home, just sometimes when out in public if we can't get to a washroom to wash our hands.

Yes, once at the hotel, I lysol the remote control, light switches, and what-not because 'what-not' (nose pickings, fingers just licked after eating food, etc.) just might possibly make it's way over to them!

I might try some emergen C or air borne next time, even if it worked only as a placebo effect, wouldn't hurt.

Good luck on the next trip!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

What hotel are you staying at? Some hotels (especially motels) really skimp on the cleaning.

We have never been sick from Disneyland, and we go at least a few times a year. But--we also have never been in Jan-Feb. We are going this time of the year for the first time this year (we leave on Friday) and I am a little worried about it. Feb. is prime flu and cold season.

 

[roobug]

I am a mother of preemie twins who are 3 now. I also agree with Ski. We go to disney 4 or 5 times a year since the boys where 3 months, we have only gotten sick once. We don't use hand sanitizers ever, and try to avoid anti bacterial soap. We have never sprayed down a hotel room or cleaned it when we get there. Yes there are gross things on railings and what not, but the same thing is true at home at the playground :

It is also possible that you are irritaiting and drying out your noses by doing the saline cleaning each night.

 

[starshine514]

Too add a note, I have a daughter who have had arthritis since she was 2.5 years old and she is on very stronge immuno supressants and the only way she can stay well is be exspossed to the general public..she graduates from the University of Washington in a month just turning 21 and has never had a sick day.

Jack

Wow, arthritis since 2.5, poor little thing. DH also takes immuno suppressants - and he's never sick either. Everybody else who went on the trip (me, my girls, my parents) have caught this nasty bug; everyone except him... I am careful about germs with my girls, but my parents aren't and they caught it as well.

 

[martikus]

Is it possible you only go during cold/flu season? We find we usually get sick on a trip because we're so tired or stressed from work we are susceptible to germs.

I'm a germ freak with the best of them and honestly I can't imagine going to the lengths you do.

That said - we caught the flu last year at WDW and it makes me scared to go back. It was SOOOOO terrible and the 10+ hour drive home!

But I don't think there is any way to avoid it - those germs are just out there

 

[miss.potatohead]

Stress has been mentioned, but possibly you're doing too much in too little time, everyones body gets run down and exhausted, which makes everything run into overtime, combined with the stress of doing everything...the immune system shuts off and bam, sick.

I won't reiterate what others have said, but the only way to avoid getting sick is to live in a plastic bubble. Or build up a decent immune system. Vitamins might help, but sometimes over cleanliness can be worse off.

Or. if it's happened quite a number of times, consider asking your doctor to run some tests, or if they have any suggestions as to how this could be avoided in the future.

Being sick when away isn't fun, nor is being ill when you return, kind of puts a downer on the trip. My little sister had an ear infection on the flight home, and let me tell you, 12 hours with a crying sister (or with a sore ear!) really isn't the best way to end a family holiday.

 

[SGDisneyFam]

On our last trip to DL, we were flying into LAX, and the family in the row ahead of us went lysol crazy, wiping down every square inch of their seats, almost spraying me in the process.

The kicker was they were lining up a carpet cleaner to clean their hotel room carpets before they landed.

 

[starshine514]

On our last trip to DL, we were flying into LAX, and the family in the row ahead of us went lysol crazy, wiping down every square inch of their seats, almost spraying me in the process.

The kicker was they were lining up a carpet cleaner to clean their hotel room carpets before they landed.

They sprayed Lysol on an airplane? I'm surprised by multiple things here:

1. That they got Lysol through security. What did they bring a bunch of 2 oz cans?
2. That nobody complained about them. I couldn't imagine spraying Lysol in a closed-in space like an airplane. One lady halfway across the building where I work has to have the paramedics called if anyone sprays anything in our building...

 

[Cagirl767]

Is it possible that you're allergic to something in Disneyland, or the smog?
We've never gotten sick from Disneyland, but it's probably because we've had everything at home that ever goes around. We've usually been sick in the few weeks preceeding a DLR trip, so we still have some immunities when we go.

I tell my kids to not touch any railings at DLR except for the subs and treehouse though. We moved away from a hacking-sneezing-nose-blowing group of teens in line for Autopia and I told the CM on POTC that I wouldn't sit behind the baby that just threw up in front of us in line. Maybe just being a few feet away from people in line may help since you're in prime airspace for airborne germs.

We do like Coldeze, they're zinc lozenges. We take them at the first sign of something coming on. I like to believe they work.

Blackjack - Congrats to your daughter!