Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi Retrograde!

Where ya goin'?

I'm an avid traveller, but, as you may know from my previous posts, I have to follow a very careful diet.

Whenever I fly, I make sandwiches (using ingredients I can tolerate) ahead of time and I tranport those sandwiches in a small insulated lunch cooler filled with ice packs. You can buy a lunch cooler at Staples/Office Depot. When I arrive at my destination, I arrange to have the ice packs refrozen in the hotel freezer so I can use them again on my return trip.

I also bring along my own bottled water since the water onboard flights tends to be tap water, which makes me ill.

If I am going somewhere where access to safe food might be a problem, I bring my own bread and/or I pack several boxes of Yehuda matzoh (made from just white flour and water). I freeze the bread when I arrive, but if no fridge or freezer is available, then I just bring the matzoh which can last a long time provided it is kept in plastic wrap once the box has been opened.

I also pack cans of Cloverleaf tuna (I know you're Cdn. so you will know this brand) packed in water and Gold Seal canned salmon (don't like Cloverleaf salmon). And I may also bring along babyfood jars of fruit, etc.

Usually, if I am staying at a hotel, I can arrange with the chef to freeze my bread or put things in the kitchen fridge.

I try and arrange ahead of time food that I will be able to eat. I do this by calling ahead to the hotel and talking to a manager.

If I can't arrange anything with the hotel, I do some research ahead of the trip to try and find a restaurant where I could eat such as a Japanese restaurant where I could get plain steamed white rice, some plain steamed veggies and some plain grilled chicken or fish.

I always book an aisle seat on the plane and I often pack extra underwear just in case! So far I've been very fortunate and haven't gotten sick onboard a flight.

I fly six times a year from Toronto to San Francisco on flights which can last up to five or more hours. Sometimes I also go to England. I just work around my food requirements by researching local restaurants and trying to arrange a special menu ahead of time with the hotel.

So far the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has only once seized my sandwiches. But that was before I knew about Heather's diet. The sandwiches were made with roast beef and the U.S. government was worried about Mad Cow Disease. Of course, now I don't eat red meat anymore so roast beef sandwiches are no longer an issue when I travel and I find both the U.S. government and British government seem to allow me to bring whatever I want ... as long as I declare it on the immigration entry form.

Bon Voyage! Hope you have a great trip/conference!

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