Round The World trip!

I will be in London because its the best airport to fly in and out of other countries, but I am not hanging around there. Just for yuks, I am renting a car and visiting Highclere Castle! (Downton Abbey). I am joining the Historic Houses Association so I can go without getting a tour ticket, which are all sold out. Then I will drive to take a photo of Abbey Road, to impress my family... Otherwise, eyeballing the London sights will be good enough for me this trip.
The next day I am going to take a train to Paris for an overnight stay. But I have to go back to London continue on to India.

The whole trip is scheduled for only four weeks, if you can believe it. Just in case I get a job, I dont want to be gone too long. We will see.

I got my supplies in the mail yesterday. I am pleasantly surprised at the quality and good fit of the Teva pads and diapers. It will give me good peace of mind to have them. After so many years of frequent going, along with my menapausal state, my bladder is super tiny...

Leaving on Monday!
I think I am the most prepared traveler ever...truly, about one third of my bag is filled with things to make me comfortable.
My oversized smartphone (Samsung Note) has screenshots of everything online that would be useful:maps, train routes, sights, tickets, reservations, etc. I will be fine as long as I hold on tight to it.
My gut is behaving nicely...I have been absolutely gluten-free for at least a month, and that has left me in good shape. I am taking a lot of gluten-free ginger biscotti in case I get hungry and can't find a healthy meal.
Wish me good luck!

Have an awesome time! Hope it all goes well. Can't wait to hear all about it when you are back.

How exciting! Someone mentioned earlier about taking Pepto to prevent diarrhea. I did this both times that we traveled to China to adopt our daughters. Had not been diagnosed with uc the first time, had just been diagnosed the second time. Took Pepto tablets twice daily and never had diarrhea even tho several people with us did. My doc was ok with it and was aware of a study that had been done about Pepto preventing travelers diarrhea. With doctors ok may be worth it. Have a great time!

Chinamom

I am back, woo hoo!
An amazing trip, 17 cities in 12 countries, 28 days.

Absolutely no health issues! I ate eggs and yogurt in the mornings, bacon, cheeses and sometimes a little bread. Only tea, NO coffee, which I think made a big difference. I was careful to avoid any fruits or vegetables or salad which could harbor bacteria. Hot soup was a good choice on menus. I had a lot of trouble finding something good to eat in Asia, and would have my gluten-free biscotti dipped in peanut butter for some meals.

I regularly went hours without restrooms, stood in long lines, with no anxiety. I think being alone helped me be less anxious, I knew I could do whatever I needed/wanted to do and that gave me peace which kept my gut calm.

I used my adult diapers when being driven through India, because I didn't know what to expect on the four hour drives. But one rest stop was enough and I was fine. I took half an immodium after a morning poo every day, and a pepto each morning too once I left Europe.

It was something I never could have done before Remicade, no way. International travel is not accomodating to anyone with a gut problem, or any other disability. The very worst was the lines at Dallas airport for entering th U.S. again! The lines took more than 90 minutes, and traveling alone meant if I needed a bathroom break I would have had to go to the end of the line and start all over again!

Peety,
That is so wonderful! It is so nice to read such a success story! I traveled to the UK a couple years ago with great success! So glad you had a marvelous time, it sounds like you were so prepared and knew just how to handle your gut!

Love it!!

Welcome back! Absolutely wonderful news that you had such a great time without any problems.

Hope getting back into the swing of things (now that you're home) is just as "uneventful".

q

I happy to hear your trip went well. Funny how when you wear the diaper you don't need it.

The most amazing sight was the Great Wall of China. You have to in good shape for walking! I was.
I also really enjoyed the circus in Moscow!
Rome was so interesting, the ancient mixed with the modern, like the Colloseum still sitting in the middle of the city. It was fun to be in Paris. Germany was interesting, I took a citywide tour on Segways. And it happened to be May Day so everyone was having a nice day out. Moscow was surreal, but the people are grumpy.
I was in London for only half a day, and I saw the Queen! Just by chance she was going to parliament that day.
I really enjoyed seeing Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey is filmed) and the English countryside. i drove myself around that day.
The Bernina Express train through the Swiss Alps was cool. Trains are so much more comfortable than planes, and the restrooms can be used anytime you want! I took lots of trains to get around Italy, and in every city I figured out the train systems and used them to get around when it was too far to walk.
The filth in India was awful, but I had a driver and a guide who made sure I felt safe and no one bothered me. The Taj Mahal was pretty, but maybe not worth the time and expense of traveling to India (a visa is needed, and a driver). The food in China is surprisingly gross. I took a cooking class in Thailand, that was good food. Tokyo Disneyland was exactly like the US versions, except for the food! Curry popcorn?

I did all these things on my own, not with any tour. It was an amazing adventure!

Great to read more details, Peety! Wild that you happened to see the Queen with only 1/2 day spent in London ... So glad that everything fell into place for you! / Old Hat (32 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

I like curry too, it just wasnt a smell you would expect in Disneyland. I found some honey popcorn instead, yummy. They did have smoked turkey legs, just like Animal Kingdom, and the line for them was long! At DisneySea (their Epcot) they served beer in the U.S. area only, funny. Again, lines were long for that! Otherwise, the food was very different.

BTW, I forgot to mention that my favorite city was Venice. Good food, too.