The harsh realities of roadtrips,dealing with illness part 1

My travels started almost three months ago, and began with a basic journey of loading up my little SUV and all of my three children and heading northwest to my hometown in San Francisco. The fifteen hour drive was enough to rattle me up, though my children thought it inexplicably fun and entertaining to accompany themselves with two TV Screens, a DVD System and a Playstation 2 that I heard only twice, “Are we there yet?”, which came only four hours into out very long journey. The two weeks seemed to fly by, with visits to friends and family, great company I might add, enjoying the different foods and cultures to be had in the area. In the blink of an eye, we were packing up the SUV again to make our way back to my newest residence in Arizona just outside of flagstaff.

The down side to this was not actually the travel itself but the circumstances in which so vastly fell upon them. My two sons, one being 7, the other 11, had both fallen ill, bitten hard by a ravenous flu bug. My 4 year old daughter had remained unaffected. I had already postponed my departure date until the last possible moment, and designed to leave early Saturday morning. After some creative thinking and preparations, I finally made my departure on Saturday afternoon at about 1:30 in the afternoon.

First, I had to “proof” my truck. The last thing you should desire is to start such a long Drive with the idea that one of your children will unintentionally evacuate any or sometimes all of the contents of their intestines by route of their esophagus while in the car. And, quite naturally, as it most certainly would go, in turn changing your soft plush grey carpet and soft grey seats into the very depository of their violently rejected, colorful and staining contents. Between the cleaning, and having to smell the noxious fumes for hour upon hour, it is enough to make you ask me, “so why did you leave then? Why Not stay a bit longer?” But some of these things wind up not being a matter of choice. Sunday afternoon I had an already purchased, Rather expensive, non refundable plane ticket that I was forced to either use or lose. I know what your thinking, if you’ve read my articles, your saying to yourself, “Ha, the one who always promotes this insurance stuff has not bought it for herself, ha.” Indeed I hadn’t, which is why I can so highly recommend it. As much as we learn from out successes, we learn much quicker (and much more) from out mistakes.

After making sure that I had my affairs in order, that my children had normal temperatures, I proofed my truck. Yes, I hadn’t forgotten my intent to share this bit of advice. First, I took very large Plastic garbage bags, and laid them on the carpet, smoothing them out so that They lay flat. This way, if any of the three children should not be able to control their projections, at least my carpet would survive their wrath. Not to mention, it would be easily removed since the garbage bags can be lifted, flipped inside out and all of the disgusting intestinal matter is now enclosed in none Other than the proper receptacle. I lined the garbage bags on their top surfaces with rags and old towels which if has been used in their fashion, could also be discarded just as quickly and effectively.

Next, the seats. I could not so easily justify using Plastic garbage bags on the rear bench seat, this was to be a long drive and certainly anything covering the seats must not hinder the level of comfort. Especially for three passengers with such strong and decisive opinions. If you have been around children, you will know that they can often be the most honest, and likely the toughest critics of anything and everything. And I do mean everything. My goal, to Protect and to serve, Protect my wonderful truck, while preserving my children’s peace (and let’s face it) as well as my very own sanity. I lined the top of the rear seats with old towels. If you are staying at a Hotel, this may not seem so easy. However, for every eight guests, one will indeed Stain a towel to the point that the housekeeping will make it their own and intend to use it for cleaning. This is to your advantage. There is truth in the fact that one mans garbage is another’s treasure. Tell your Situation to the Hotels desk service, simply ask if the Hotel should have any towels in which they might be able to give to you (under the circumstances) and you will find that not only do they get them for you, they will get them very quickly for their fear that retaining you will cause you or one of your sick children to entertain the idea of depositing your contents upon their shiny clean floor, all while in your contaminated state possibly being considerate enough to (though unintentionally) share your virus.

My floor is secure, my rear passenger bench seat is secure, now the back of the Driver and passengers seat. Fortunately, I had been given enough towels to Drape them over the remaining surfaces of my seats. I has contemplated lining them with the garbage bags in order to be sure that they did not become fallen Prey to a combination of hydrochloric acids mixed with half digested and unrecognizable food particles, but the towels seemed to me to cover the area that I felt somewhat satisfied with.

Last but Not least, there was the great issue of having handy, fast and easy way for my children to access and utilize some kind of bag, or what have you, in order to attempt, even if in vain, to place their contents within. Again, Hotels can be such an assistance. If your room has an ice bucket, then you must have noticed that they all seem to have this thin plastic white liner, and often a transparent plastic bag in them, for sanitation. Maybe you did not book a room at a Hotel that has anything like this and instead you have the Basic white plastic bucket, without bag liners. Since you’re already asking about their discarded towels, As the Hotel for one or two of these buckets as well. Use the bucket for none other than capturing their intestinal artifacts before it should touch the Floor, or the seat. If you’re lucky enough to have the small Plastic bag as a liner, this makes your bucket available for multi times use. My children actually thought it was humorous, and for the next several hours, the inventive clever little ones fancied referring to their little buckets, as their “Chuck-it Bucket”. If I had only a dollar for every time They sang it out loud and proud, using the beat and tune of the theme song from the movie Madagascar, “ I like the chuck it bucket, She likes the chuck it bucket, he like the chuck it bucket, I like to- Chuck it” I should be a very wealthy woman.

Because I travel extensively now and have become accustomed to being prepared in any event of tragedy, I did indeed already have the bare essentials, Children’s Tylenol, Thermometer, water, Crackers, etc. Keep these things with you during any kind of travel, and keep them close by. If traveling by air, keep them in your carry on- If traveling by car, on the passenger floor or within the glove compartment. Keep a change of clothes for each of the ill ones, just in case they should miss the seats and floor altogether, and decide to wear their stomach masses as though it were a badge of honor.

I made my way home, and entered my driveway, having followed my very own dirt road after escaping the long Highways, and arrived at 4:15 am. I was tired, no, exhausted is more like it. And my three little children all made it without needing to instill the use of their “chuck it buckets”, and my carpets and seats escaped what could have been a violent attack. I observe the time once more, turning the Key within the ignition of my trusted and worthy truck to the off position, and think to myself, “I have ten hours until I have to leave for the Airport.” The sudden flush and panic of a strong wave of nausea strikes me, and with the clock still ticking, for it waits for no one, I try to think of ways to cover the floors and the seats of the would be unfortunate aircraft.

Part 2 ‘sneak preview’

It was all going so well, though nothing was or would go according to plan. I had arrived at my home just in time to sleep for a mere two hours, get my laundry washed, refolded and repacked, forgetting enough of what I typically pack, and made it to the Airport right on time. The lines for check in had been discouraging, the line for security equally so, but here I was, my upgraded seat, the promise of a better meal, the improved entertainment devices that fold out of the bottom of the seat (such as the table folds out of the larger arm rest) all gave me extreme comfort. I had been upgraded without having an eligible ticket for upgrading, from economy to business class, and sat impatiently awaiting take off. The flight would be long, more than 9 hours for this first flight, and another hour and a half with a connecting flight. The man next to me, who said his name was Alfred, dressed according to the Section he had bought a ticket for. His khaki colored suit clean and freshly pressed was worn with a style and Fashion that made it fit him perfectly.
Movement, just in time, the captain calls out over the loud speakers that we are being lead to the runway. I sit back, inhale, exhale, deep breaths, nothing to be afraid of here, you’ve done it once, you’ve done it twice, you’ve now done it countless times, this time will be just the same. I was wrong, it would Not be the same, Not even close.

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Comments

Pauline Dolinski 2 years ago

I took many road trips with small children, now grown, but was never as prepared as you were. I wish I'd had such good advice. I have subscribed, so I can read the next installment in this story.
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Bobbi Leder - Houston Dogs Examiner 2 years ago

I hate being sick while on holiday. It's the worst timing but what can you do?
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