Passport Health, 3610 W. Market St., Suite 104, Fairlawn 216.295.9500

This week has been busy with final preparation for the Dominican Republic trip for Mission Possible VII! One of the major things I did was make a visit to Passport Health in Fairlawn, Ohio. My goal was to get all my vaccinations and meds for the trip to stay well and prevent any serious illnesses. This is an important part of the process because the impact could be life-saving as I quickly learn....

Here's a quick run-down of the highlights from my visit.

• Gail Mangan, Travel Health Specialist/Nurse collected background info and created a profile for me
• We discuss various conditions in the Dominican and associated illnesses and diseases to which we could be exposed
• We cover various options and the pros/cons of each
• I get an itinerary booklet that covers everything from diseases in the country to general travel advice

Scary stuff includes:

• Unsanitary water means only drink what is provided by our group; the locals know how to play tricks to make tourists think water bottles are unopened (using glue guns to glue water bottle caps back on)
• All food that is eaten must be cooked, because food may have been grown with contaminated water meaning the bad stuff is inside the plant/food and cannot be washed off/out
• Just assume all animals have rabies, and stay at a safe distance
• Mosquitos carrying Malaria are rampant, so bring DEET (20?) or Deep Woods Off, and wear long sleeves if possible
• Get high fevers and signs of sickness checked and rely on the medicine (antibiotics) if needed

Results/Next steps:

• Got Typhoid VI, Tdap-Adacil, and Hepititis A #1 vaccines (all 3 in my left arm:)
• Need to check with Nephrologist to ensure malaria medicine recommendation does not affect kidneys
• Need to verify titer for Hepititis B and Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
• Will pick up Cipro (antibiotic), Tamiflu, and Malarone (and extra Dramamine) from Rite Aid
• Follow up on suggestion to check with health insurer to let them know I will be out of the country, in case I need to call on them for assistance (to minimize the chance of them thinking it could be identify theft or fraud)
• Also check with health insurer to see if any of the costs incurred could be reimbursed

In all, this is a humbling visit because one purpose is to fully inform you of all the risks of visiting this country (health and otherwise). Though my commitment remains the same, there are moments when I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the risks and the steps associated with mitigating them. Two things bring comfort: (1) knowing that many others have gone before and have come back home safe and healthy; and (2) knowing there are far more dangerous places in the world to visit!! And besides, the potential risks are well worth the reward:)