Taking the shot
On a hot December afternoon three years ago in Rio, I ordered a sandwich and a Coke from a hot dog stand. That curbside meal changed my life forever.
Soon after I returned home, around the time I was taking down Christmas decorations, a deep depression hit me. I would get back from a flight and feel extremely tired. I had horrible night sweats, my appetite all but disappeared, and I lost 15 pounds in three weeks. When the depression and fatigue became almost paralyzing, I went to my doctor for answers. He attributed my symptoms to winter blues. Strangely, my wife had also contracted my depression, so I was skeptical about the diagnosis.
Cancer runs in my family and since I am a bit of a hypochondriac, I needed to find out how long my wife and I had to live. I went on the Internet for some answers. After an extensive symptom search, I came up with several possible diagnoses. I went to the doctor the next day and requested some tests. The tests soon determined that I had contracted hepatitis A, an acute liver disease caused by a viral infection.
Although contaminated food is the most common culprit in the transmission of hepatitis A, it can also be spread by direct contact, poor hygiene or the ingestion of contaminated water. It is most prevalent in Asia, Africa and — wouldn’t you know — South America. Fortunately, there is usually no long-term damage. Unfortunately, my wife had caught it from me. The only cure was time, plenty of rest and complete abstention from alcohol.
As a flight attendant, I spend a lot of time in foreign places. I also have a lot of face-to-face contact with passengers. And yet my international airline doesn’t put much stress on the importance of vaccinations for its flight crews. (Yes, there are vaccines for hepatitis.) With the emergence of SARS, AIDS, bird flu and other communicable diseases, you would think all the airlines would be extra vigilant. But my episode was treated as a freak occurrence and was promptly swept under the carpet. Would it be any different today?
Folks, flight attendants are serving you food; if they aren’t healthy, you aren’t safe. As airlines crack down on sick leave, flight attendants worry about calling in sick; many times they will fly ill. How many people could I have infected if I had insisted on flying? My hope in sharing this unpleasant experience is that I can prevent it from happening to you.
Here are some tips to keep you well.
* Get vaccinated. Airline employees should contact their medical department and get the proper vaccinations, even if their airline won’t pay for it. For obvious reasons, I strongly recommend the hepatitis series to start.
* Get vaccinated (you, too). International travelers should contact the Centers for Disease Control and get the necessary vaccinations before traveling abroad.
* Drink it warm. Stay away from ice when overseas unless the purveyor clearly states that the ice is made from purified or bottled water (and you believe it).
* Don’t take chances. When you are hungry but not too sure of the establishment, don’t take a chance or be cheap. You can never be 100 percent sure, but I knew that I was taking a chance that day at the South American roadside stand –and I paid for it.
* Be persistent with your doctor. You know when something is wrong. Make sure your physician takes you seriously.
* Realize that you are not indestructible. Until I got hepatitis, I was a carefree kind of guy. Now I know there is no natural immunity to many terrible conditions. There are many vaccinations available today, but travelers don’t always know how important they are. My advice? Dig out your yellow vaccination card and update your shots before taking your next trip.
My wife and I recovered fully from our bout of hepatitis, but it was the worst two months of our lives, and I still feel guilty for passing the awful condition on to her. I buy her flowers every chance I get, because nothing says “I’m sorry I gave you hepatitis A” like roses.
Your health is all that really matters in this world, and you never really appreciate it until it’s gone. Take the shots; you will thank me for it later.