Traveling to different churches, staying in hotels, traveling to new states, all throughout deputation you’re coming into contact with germs that you otherwise would not have been exposed to. There’s not much you can do by way of prevention but, there are some things that we have found helpful that I hope is helpful to you as well.
It’s definitely worth mentioning that every time one of us has gotten sick the Lord has graciously provided a comfortable place to be able to rest and recover. Even if we were staying with someone or in a hotel the Lord had us in a situation where we could tend to whatever illness we had without discomfort or lack of privacy.
Preventative Measures:
Some of these may same obvious but just in case they could be of use I’ll list them anyways.
Firstly, pray and give it to the Lord - Since we started deputation I have become a germophobe. Staying in different hotels and using public restrooms, it all grosses me out. However, though I don’t always, I have learned to give it to the Lord and get over it. In our last run of deputation our son caught a bad virus and I’m pretty sure it was from crawling around on a hotel floor. He had a fever for 5 days and developed a rash. The Lord took care of him and he recovered. Remembering that it’s all in God’s hands renders a peace that passes all understanding.
Hydration – Always a problem on deputation
Emergen-C - Great for Flu season and Missions Conferences. Because it is just vitamins I’ve used half a pouch for my toddler and I have taken it while pregnant. It gives the immune system a much needed boost.
Probiotics- I try to get these in the system when someone comes down with any sort of bacterial infections like thrush, pink eye, etc. I also feel that these are a must have to accompany any antibiotics.
Some sicknesses we’ve come across and our treatment:
Common Cold – Take Emergen-c, Dayquil/nightquil, use chapstick for your nose, lots of rest.
Thrush in Baby – Lots of Greek yogurt, infant probiotics
Oral Yeast Infections – Rinse with salt water, swish virgin unrefined coconut oil around in the mouth (don’t swallow, spit out, don’t rinse), take probiotics
UTI – Take cranberry vitamins and probiotics
Pink eye – Soak a clean towel in warm salt water and dab on eye to clean. Spread coconut oil on a new clean towel or paper towel and hold to eye. Wipe away any excess and leave the rest.
Severe Tooth problems – Eugenol (clove oil) helps to numb a tooth and temporarily relieve pain. Be careful not to get it anywhere else, its potent.
Viral Infections – Seeing a doctor is preferable but on deputation that may not be an option. We monitored the baby’s fever and made sure it didn’t go over 103 and if it was over 102 we gave him Tylenol to bring it down. Between 99-101.9 we didn’t give him meds and we tried to keep him dressed in light clothes. We also made sure he was eating and drinking well, otherwise we would have taken him to the ER.
Back and shoulder pain - Icy hot patches, biofreeze roller applicator, and a tens unit. I suggest looking into the last item. They're fairly compact and are safe to use while pregnant. I'm not entirely sure how it works but I believe the basic concept is that it stimulates the nerves and causes the muscle to work out. It helps with stiffness.
Coconut oil is also good for diaper rashes, mild teeth sensitivity (via oil pulling), eczema, dandruff. Honestly, coconut is a magical solution that belongs in any medicine cabinet.
My “medicine cabinet” on deputation includes:
Thermometer
Zarbees cold and flu meds for kids
Nightquil/Dayquil
Probiotics
Ibuprofen/Tylenol (infant and adult)
Coconut oil
Emergen-C
Tens unit
Biofreeze