<p>Ok…I’m a little scared.</p>
<p>Are these trips dangerous? </p>
<p>Son is pre-med and going with doctors to do charity medical treatments. Supposedly, son will get some hands-on experience that he wouldn’t get here. </p>
<p>I’m thinking of being a “bossy mom” and begging that he doesn’t wander around too much without being in a large group.</p>
<p>Are there kidnappings going on there?</p>
<p>M2CK, my (then 15-year-old) daughter spent 7 weeks in Nicaragua in a remote rural village two summers ago. She lived with a single parent host family, there were two other HS volunteers in the village, and a (college-aged) supervisor came through once a week. She had a fantastic experience–the week they arrived the English teacher at the village HS left and the American students took over the class. She lived in a 2-room home without electricity and where the only running water was a pipe coming out of the wall in the “kitchen,” used for cooking, bathing, everything. She did get sick a couple of times (food and parasites) but missed the scarier stuff (malaria, dengue). The government is stable, the local health systems are (mostly) adequate; she never felt unsafe, would return in a heartbeat, and the experience allowed her to significantly re-calibrate her sense of what matters in life. Practical advice for your son: make sure he finds a good travel clinic to get required shots/meds/counseling before he goes. Pay attention to guidance from his sponsoring organization re: cultural competence. Understand the plan for evacuation, in the very remote chance this is needed. Be aware of hazards of local travel (statistically, this is the greatest risk to health). Bring a camera and/or flipcam to document and share your experience (with appropriate permission from those being photographed, of course). Practical advice to you (parents): do everything you can to set aside your own fears (not easy, I know!) and embrace your son’s courage and commitment. Feel free to PM me if you want further details–and good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks!!! :)</p>
<p>Nicaragua is the new “in” spot in Central America: lots of North Americans now buying second homes there, thinking of retiring there. One reason is that it’s relatively safe, the other is that it’s relatively inexpensive, certainly compared to that other “in” spot, Costa Rica. </p>
<p>My advice: take an intensive course in Spanish, if possible. Nothing is more helpful, or creates a better impression on the locals than a foreigner (an American at that) making an effort to speak their language.</p>
<p>Second: eat yogurt before he goes, and take acidopholus pills (available over the counter in the grocery store vitamin section). This will prep his stomach to bacteria and greatly reduce his odds of getting sick. DH travels extensively to very remote/underdeveloped parts of the world, eats local fare, and has never gotten sick since doing the yogurt/acidopholus routine. (Before that, he got sick more often than not.)</p>
<p>How mature is your son in terms of his ability to take care of himself and not be a burden on others who are there to serve the locals?
Has he taken CPR and a basic first aid class?
Is he conversant in medical Spanish?
Does he have any immunosuppressive medical conditions that may be compromised if he is living in less than sanitary conditions?
Is he in good physical condition?
Does he adapt to different foods and rough living conditions easily?
Plus everything mentioned above.</p>
<p>Good suggestions above. I’d also suggest:
Hepatitis C immunization. Powdered Pedialyte (or similar). Powder (to help if he gets heat rash). Glasses if he wears contacts, and a spare pair of glasses if he wears glasses.</p>
<p>*How mature is your son in terms of his ability to take care of himself and not be a burden on others who are there to serve the locals?
*</p>
<p>Son is very mature and self-reliant.</p>
<p>I’m just concerned that altho he’s mature for his age, he is only a college kid and college kids are known to not always consider all the risks involved in “going alone” somewhere. :(</p>
<p>He’s fluent in Spanish, but probably doesn’t know all the Spanish medical terminology. He’s hoping that this trip will also improve this area.</p>
<p>he’s in excellent health, strong young man. </p>
<p>I agree with the suggestions of taking along some OTC things to combat various situations. And, maybe, we’ll have the family doctor prescribe some kind of safe broad spectrum anti-biotic that could be taken if he gets some kind of issue that requires such treatment.</p>
<p>Good luck to him. I suspect a broad spectrum antibiotic undoes all the yogurt and acidophilus, so hope he won’t need it!</p>
<p>Travel clinic will sort out all the recommendations for meds before/during/after. They’ll be sure he has all the immunizations needed and most likely send him with anti-malarial and antibiotics to be taken for serious GI issues. (Be sure he makes his first appointment a couple of months before he leaves–some shots have to be given in series 4-6 weeks apart.) He’ll need DEET, a good mosquito net, and a plan for ensuring access to safe/clean water (possibly just purification tablets). I’ve done a fair amount of travel/work developing countries and will often take Cipro. Have never been sick (knock wood.)</p>