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Traveling Abroad, 1st Time Since Sons Dx....help?

jmjsmomma

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jmjsmomma Apprentice
jmjsmomma
Posted

Hello all,

We are 4 months into my 5 year olds celiac dx in January. He had a 3 month follow up last month and he grew 3/4 inch in those 3 months since being gluten-free! He still is not even on the growth chart, but he GREW! And more importantly, he is feeling so much better and looks healthier, has more energy, etc.

He got glutened last week at Sunday school when they played "doggy, doggy, where's your bone" with a dog bone!! Couldn't believe it but I looked at the ingredients the next day when I was at the church and sure enough the first ingredient was wheat flour. He did not wash his hands after and must've licked them. He got a terrible belly ache for which I was sad but also happy that he felt the side effect of being glutened and it strengthened his resolve to not touch gluten!

Okay, so our family takes a trip to Cozumel, Mexico each May. I refused to let this dx stop our quality of life and my son would've been devastated if we didn't go. So I was looking for any traveling advice/tips? We stay at the same resort every year and I've already talked to the manager about preparing stuff on a clean grill for him which is not a problem. I plan on taking a separate suitcase with snacks/cereals/cookies, etc for him. I would love to hear any advice you may have on making our trip a success?

Thanks so much!

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MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted

Mexico is very celiac friendly. I've never had a problem there. I always pack a suitcase of food when I travel. I like to take along individually wrapped snacks and maybe a bag of chips or crackers for the hotel room. Other easily transportable items are jerky, peanut/nut butter and such. Shelf stable liquids like rice milk and broth also work. You might also want to take a collapsable cooler in case you go somewhere and want to take fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. Oh, and ziplock bags for make shift ice packs.

I hope you have a great time!

jmjsmomma Apprentice
jmjsmomma
Posted
  • Author

Thank you Janet! We never leave our all-inclusive resort but the baggies for ice is such an excellent tip for any future travels. I figured from past visits that Mexico was celiac friendly so I am not too worried. My son loves all meats, all fruits, veggies, rice....so I am very fortunate there in that as long as the grill is clean he will be okay. He will probably be fine....me on the other hand....I got Montezuma's revenge last year for the first time in SEVEN trips! I pray it doesn't happen again :o

songstressc Apprentice
songstressc
Posted
Hello all,

We are 4 months into my 5 year olds celiac dx in January. He had a 3 month follow up last month and he grew 3/4 inch in those 3 months since being gluten-free! He still is not even on the growth chart, but he GREW! And more importantly, he is feeling so much better and looks healthier, has more energy, etc.

He got glutened last week at Sunday school when they played "doggy, doggy, where's your bone" with a dog bone!! Couldn't believe it but I looked at the ingredients the next day when I was at the church and sure enough the first ingredient was wheat flour. He did not wash his hands after and must've licked them. He got a terrible belly ache for which I was sad but also happy that he felt the side effect of being glutened and it strengthened his resolve to not touch gluten!

Okay, so our family takes a trip to Cozumel, Mexico each May. I refused to let this dx stop our quality of life and my son would've been devastated if we didn't go. So I was looking for any traveling advice/tips? We stay at the same resort every year and I've already talked to the manager about preparing stuff on a clean grill for him which is not a problem. I plan on taking a separate suitcase with snacks/cereals/cookies, etc for him. I would love to hear any advice you may have on making our trip a success?

Thanks so much!

I purchased The Gluten Free Bible - and this book is full of helpful suggestions on travel AND has pages in the back that you can photocopy in many languages. I wonder if the library in your area would have this? Probably in Mexico you can just speak English but good to know about these pages for future travel. you can photocopy them and hand them to the server; It just explains you need gluten free options and asks for help.

It sounds like you are already doing a great job by calling. We went to Kauai and I was worried about where to eat etc. and by calling ahead and finding out where to eat and to shop made it so much easier. We also brought a few staples with us (In our suitcases and a separate box) just in case; We had a kitchen to use some of the time. The only thing that got us was a salad dressing at a restaurant; one server was sure it was gluten free and it wasn't. I have read in my book that buying an Amy's dressing and taking it to the restaurand can really help if you don't mind doing that. Have a great trip!

swalker Newbie
swalker
Posted

I take grapefruit seed extract when I travel. It can stop montazuma's revenge in an hour.

jmjsmomma Apprentice
jmjsmomma
Posted
  • Author
I take grapefruit seed extract when I travel. It can stop montazuma's revenge in an hour.

Fortunately I did not get it till about 24 hours after our return home, but I think I'll be packing some of this just in case! I lost 4 lbs in 9 hours of throwing up which is a lot on my frame. I don't care to repeat it but am not going to lose out on a fabulous vacation either :)

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