Moving to Belgium for a year!
#83489 - 06/26/04 12:12 PM
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Ang
Reged: 09/22/03
Posts: 44
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As of August, I will be moving to Belgium for a year to be a nanny. I am excited, but have never been to Europe before. For the entire year do I really have to avoid fresh fruits or brushing my teeth with faucet water?? Any tips on how to survive the long plane trip would also be much appreciated! Thanks:)
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Hey I dont have any tips for you i am SURE others will though. But the good news I have for ya is that one of the IBS'ers on this board went away to Europe and her symptoms improved while she was there!!! 
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The water in Belgium should be perfectly fine. That's only for Latin America and Asia that you have to worry.
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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I lived in Germany for almost three years. We were minutes away from Belgium. The water is perfectly safe to drink and the fruits and veggies are MUCH better than they are here. If you buy at the street markets you get food that was fresh picked or harvested that morning. They also have alot of good fresh baked breads. My IBS symptons actually took a little vacation while I was there. If I had the chance, I would definatly live there again.
My baby sister is living there right now. Her husband works at the American Embassy. They love it there. It is pretty inexpensive to travel to nieghboring countries. If you get the chance, be a weekend tourist.
I wish you all the best in your job!
Leslie
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Thanks Leslie, that is very encouraging to hear! The other thing that makes me nervous is the fact that I will be taking the kids out a lot to play at the pool or wherever else. How do I handle oncoming attacks (preferrably without taking prescribed medication)?
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As someone who lives in Europe I would have to ask - why would you have to avoid fresh fruit. Europe produces some lovely fruit!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy Belgium, especially the beer, mussels and Tintin museaum!!
Catherine
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Hi there!
I have never lived in Belgium, but I did live in France for 5 yrs. I can understand why you would be feeling anxious about moving to a new country, new uncertainties, etc., but I would not worry about your IBS in terms of food. What I mean to say is much like France, and other countries in Western Europe, it is much easier to eat well, healthful and therefore for IBS than it is in the States. The reason for this is that there are many more fresh products available (daily-baked breads, outdoor markets, etc.) at your fingertips. One often shops for a meal that very day. As well, you will undoubtedly find these stores/markets within walking distance or by using convenient public transportation (again, much better than in the States). All this makes it much easier to work with/through your IBS and forget all about it. If I were you, I would concentrate more on keeping myself as relaxed and stress/worry-free as possible about this upcoming trip. Although difficult, since moving is considered the #2 item on the top ten stress list, it is essential in managing IBS and I feel confident that if you get that under control, particularly before leaving, you will be fine and able to take care of the children without worrying about possible flare-ups. I have found that sometimes I am so anxious about getting an attack (even though I may not be experiencing any symptoms whatsoever) that I sort of jinx myself and produce one. This is one more example about how big a role your mental/emotional state play on your physical well-being.
I don't know if you have tried any alternative therapies; if you haven't, I would suggest doing this before going (maybe try the hypnotherapy tapes and then do them in Belgium as well). If you have, why not add on another?
Good luck to you and enjoy! Europe is beautiful and there are so many things to discover that you will more than likely forget your IBS (I was a nanny in Tunisia last summer and had no attacks).
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Hi Ang, I am Belgian, living in the US since '99.
No problem about the water, I also agree with one of the other posters, go to the local markets to buy fruits and veggies, soooo much cheaper and better!!
Where will you be living? If you have any questions about anything else, feel free to email me at nickyvb@yahoo.com.
I'm excited for you!! Good luck!
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nicky
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and having visited England, Germany(when it was East/West, yeah I touched the wall, oops, just dated myself!  )can I come along? I have such a yen to travel to Europe lately, I don't know why. Maybe because I watch BBC America every chance I get and the International News station. I can still taste the fresh bread and butter I had in Germany...ooooo YUM I also found that Europe's over the counter drugs worked a lot better than the American's. I had a wonderful upset stomach pill, all I can remeber was that it was green. You are going to have such a great time!
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IBS-D
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Sure c'mon over. I need a traveling buddy!
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I have lived in Europe for 9 1/2 years. I find the things I have sent to me from home are chewable immodium and my soluable fiber. I also had my hubby bring peppermint caps back with him the last time he visited the states. I would recommend you bring anything special that you might need or you are used to taking. I have never been to Belgium but in Spain and I think most of Europe it is very easy to get fresh bread every day and here I can always get fresh fish and the fruits and veggies are wonderful. Enjoy your experience and have a wonderful year. There are many who would never have the opportunity to spend a year in Belgium.
Janey
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Janey
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Ang, I agree with what Janey said about taking stuff from here, because there are things that you can't get over there. One thing that comes to mind, if you can tolerate it, is peanut butter. I know my sister likes it, but I'm not sure where she buys it; so I'm pretty sure you can get it, but not sure where
Other than that, you can pretty much get anything, and I know that there are a few American stores, I know there's one closer to Antwerp (I used to work for an American company years ago, and my mgr would go to the American store a few times a year). I'm pretty sure Brussels has 'em too, since it's the capital, and we get lots of different nationalities living there.
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nicky
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