HOW I TRAVELLED COLOGNE DURING A CROHN’S FLARE UP

When travelling with Crohn’s Disease, the best thing you can do is be fully prepared before you go. Things such as travelling with extra medication, taking a doctor’s note, packing a medical kit, and calling the hotel in advance to make sure that there’s a fridge in the room to store liquid meds are SO important to do in advance. It’s bad to be caught off-guard as an able-bodied person, but with Crohn’s Disease, the risks are so much higher.

A couple months ago before the Coronavirus pandemic blew up, I went on a small trip around Europe. During that time, I thoroughly indulged myself in chocolate and cheese in Switzerland (note: I’m intolerant to dairy), along with partaking in other activities which usually cause gut irritation (constantly travelling, having no sleep, etc). When I finally landed in Cologne, my stomach was in turmoil – and I ended up spending the whole trip trying to get back to my former self.

In Crohn’s Disease, a flare-up is a sudden reactivation of symptoms where inflammation becomes more present in the body – and by my own carelessness and gluttonous nature, I had provoked it into returning. I had several weeks to really focus on bringing that inflammation down, and after just a few days, my stomach had returned to normal (or at least, as normal as it can be for someone with Crohn’s).

This is how I did it.

TOOK IT EASY

My travel partner and I became the queens of slow travel once we’d finally landed in Cologne. Aware of the fact that we hadn’t relaxed properly in about a week, we took our time visiting museums and bookstores, and interspersed each visit with long stunts of cafes and rest. We took everything real slow and were careful not to overdo it – after such a hard couple of weeks on my stomach, it was beneficial to just take some time out to really listen to my body.

SWITCHED DIETS

After the dairy overload in Switzerland, I decided to switch to a diet that would be kind to my digestive system. I cut out food groups that are known to cause inflammation, and introduced more gut-friendly foods. My diet was low-fibre, but I still made sure that I was getting at least the recommended amount of vitamins. In times of flare ups, it’s hard to make sure that you’re not bordering on malnutrition, so it’s even more important than usual to keep re-introducing the good stuff to your body.

MADE MYSELF COMFORTABLE

Instead of bunking down in a stressful little hostel, we stayed in a private room in the gorgeous Koncept Hotel. This directly contributed to making sure that I got enough sleep each night, so that I would give my body a chance to heal during REM. Staying somewhere comfortable and avoiding stress is a key thing to keeping inflammation down, slowly helping to draw myself out of the flare up. Another key thing is to not stay sedentary – so little strolls and spending time dedicated to moving about is just as important as slowing down and taking it easy.

TOOK EXTRA MEDICATION

Luckily, I always pack more medication than I should need for this very reason. Not only does it cover my bases in case I lose a bag at the airport, but it also means that I can double-dose my medication when I feel like I need it most. Depending on the type of medication you take, this may not always be possible – but it’s worth checking with your doctor beforehand to see if you can double the dosage or incorporate another drug into your diet, should you desperately need it.

WATCHED WHAT I DRANK

Throughout the whole trip, I made sure to avoid alcohol (especially the much-loved German bier!), as the carbonation and acid would irritate my digestive system and contribute even further to the level of inflammation of the stomach lining. I also avoided fizzy drinks (due to the sugar and carbonation) and anything heavily caffeinated, instead sticking solely to water and green tea.

STAYED HYDRATED

Making sure to stay hydrated with bottled water and calming teas such as jasmine and camomile, I was able to both make up for the liquids I was losing, along with helping move on the toxins forming in my body and keep my digestive tract clear and ready to heal. It’s one of the most basic things to do when you’re a sufferer of IBD, and yet its importance is often overlooked.

BOOKED A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT

Whilst it didn’t seem necessary to book an appointment in Germany for the short time that I was there, I still made sure that I would have an appointment waiting for me back home. Doing this meant that I was prepared with what to do next, making sure that I could bring myself back up to top health as quickly as possible

Crohn’s Disease is an auto-immune disease affecting every part of the body – from the stomach, to the joints, to the skin, to the eyes. Unfortunately, I seem to have every little side-effect relating to Crohn’s, which can make it quite an overwhelming illness at times. However, when my dream is to become an explorer, I really can’t let a little thing such as having an incurable disease stop me. Some things are simply more important.

If this has educated y’all a little more about what it’s like to travel with Crohn’s or has helped you in any way, let me know in the comments below!

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