Traveling With Crohn’s

In 2012, I traveled all through Europe with a friend. It was an amazing three-week adventure. That said, I was a bit surprised that in Europe, they charge a couple of Euros to use public bathrooms.

Given how often I need to go, the cost added up quickly. I felt I should have budgeted my trip very differently. Aggravating matters further, quite often these paid facilities were inadequate. In one bathroom, there was no toilet seat. You had to squat over the bowl. Meanwhile, the room was filthy, hot, and filled with dead flies. How come Rick Steves didn’t warn me about this in his overpriced guidebooks?

Bad bathroom experiences with Crohn's

I hate squatting. When your Crohn’s is acting up, it can be particularly challenging. Your legs go dead from hovering in the same position for what seems an eternity. Meanwhile, since the stool may not be fully formed, you quite often miss your mark. You might even end up with a very unpleasant toilet seat cleaning job. And, of course, when you finally get out, they charge you a couple of Euros—a small fortune really—for the privilege.

The uncomfortable situations were worth it

Don’t get me wrong. Traveling in Europe was unquestionably worth it. I visited the Duomo in Florence, walked The Charles Bridge in Prague, saw The Berlin Wall, visited The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. These were deeply enriching activities that I’ll always be grateful for. It’s just as with everything there is a price to pay—particularly when you have Crohn’s disease.

Yes, when you have IBD, travel will, eventually, probably end up putting you in at least one or two uncomfortable situations. You might have a few good days, be feeling positive, and then, out of the blue, be running for bathrooms you can’t locate. Or, out of nowhere, you’ll suddenly find yourself in stomach pain while in the midst of some group tour, so that you can barely stand up straight and miss the most important historical information. Then there is the local toilet paper, which in some countries is a weird off-brown color, and, strangely, at times, resembles butcher paper—a kind of public health hazard when you have IBD.

None of this is easy. Certainly, it’s no fun to pay top dollar to experience all of the above. It may even be a bit humiliating, at times, such as when my friend was forced to wait twenty minutes for me, while I was in the bathroom, and had to knock on my stall since he was worried I had died in there. And yet—to reiterate—it’s still worth it.

Taking advantage of travel opportunities

I get that some of us are too sick to travel. Some, frankly, need to stay home and take care of themselves. But for those who can travel—who manage to find a way—I believe you will not regret it. I often look back on that trip through Europe and smile. I’m really glad I didn’t stay at home.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment with your own travel stories. I wish you all much health and plenty of your own rewarding adventures!