Posts Tagged ‘Planning’

Hi, I’m Dr. Mark Savant, and I’ll be heading up the new Med-Wed section for Antibride.com. A destination wedding can bring a whole new sense of adventure and even intimacy to an already exciting day. It can also pose some health related challenges that you might not have to deal with otherwise. With just a little planning ahead and some common sense you should be able to enjoy your wedding day illness-free.

The types of health concerns you face are usually determined by where you go and can be divided, in general, by whether it will be hot or cold. The one thing that doesn’t matter is if you’re taking a plane. An airplane is a great place to catch a cold so don’t forget to wash your hands and don’t touch your face. If you can avoid touching your face alone you should be able to prevent most illnesses. Using a hand sanitizer regularly, especially before eating, is also helpful.

Hot climates usually mean lots of sun exposure so you’ll want to protect yourself. Wear loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Use a good sunscreen, spf 30 minimum, liberally and don’t forget to reapply every few hours and especially after going into the water. Also don’t forget to apply the sunscreen to those hard to reach and less obvious places like the back of your neck, arms and legs and the tops of your ears.

Hydration is another important health concern. You’ll need to drink at least 2 to 3 liters of clear liquids, mostly water, per day and more if you drink alcohol or exercise. For alcohol I usually recommend to my patients to drink at least 2 glasses of water for each alcoholic drink consumed. Also, don’t skip meals. Regular, healthy eating will keep your energy levels at their optimum.

Hot climates can sometimes mean more exotic locales that may require a visit to your doctor or local travel clinic before you go. Depending on your destination you may need to get immunizations (is your tetanus shot up to date? good for 10 years) and antibiotics to have on hand. A great place to start is the Center for Disease Control. You can find your destination and get a good idea of what vaccinations you’ll need to get before you go.

Those exotic tropical locations can also have an increased risk for contracting a food borne illness. Here are a few things to remember so you don’t get sick. Don’t drink any water unless you know it’s been bottled. That also means no ice in your drink. Don’t eat any salads, which could have been washed in the water, and only eat fruit that you can peel. Eat no fresh sauces, like the hot sauce sambal in Indonesia, and no street food.

Cold weather destinations will have fewer health concerns, typically but there are still a few things to which you should pay attention. Cold wind and sunshine reflected off of snow can be very hard on the skin so use a good sunscreen and lip balm and use a good moisturizer on your skin once or twice a day. Wear warm clothing with particular attention to layering: silk or wool undergarments and then layers of fleece or wool and a good jacket, hat, scarf, or gloves depending on how cold it’s going to be. And again, hydration is just as important in cold weather as it is in warm.
And, finally here are a few general reminders. If you take prescription medications (ie birth control pills) don’t forget to bring them along.

Always wear a seat belt and look both ways before you cross the street, especially in right hand drive countries. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Relax, have fun, and be well.

About

Dr. Savant heads up the Savant Medical Group in San Francisco. Dr. Savant attended the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California in 1997 where he was given the “Grace Under Fire” Award by the Emergency Department. He then went to New York City to be on the Faculty of the Division of General Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital where he also served as a clinical instructor to the third year medical students at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. He was identified by the medical students as an excellent clinical teacher and role model for the 1998-99 academic year.

 

Design invite inspiration from our Two Brides!

Stacy and I sent out the invitations the week before Valentine’s Day. We decided to send them out earlier than normally recommended because our wedding is on a holiday weekend (Memorial Day). We wanted to make sure we got to people before they started planning other things for that weekend.

So, of course we started stalking the mail carrier on Monday, February 15^th like the dorks we are. Naturally, there were no RSVPS for the first few days, but now we get a couple every other day. I am a full-time unemployed person so I am usually the one to get the mail first. It’s almost the favorite part of my day! It sounds silly, but you know the excitement you feel when you decide to throw a party and people slowly, one by one, respond to let you know they’re coming or not! It is very exciting especially since this isn’t any ordinary party.

Each day, I sort through the mail eagerly looking for the little envelopes we sent everyone for their RSVPs. Each day, I use every ounce of will power I have to set them aside and wait for Stacy to get home when we open them together. While I’m waiting, I examine each one for clues as to who it’s from. If it’s marked “California”, I know it’s someone Stacy invited. If it’s somewhere in Central Illinois, it’s my family. If it’s from here in Chicago, it drives me crazy to wait because it could be anyone we know!

Some people write notes on them. Stacy’s parents wrote a whole, touching note about how they love us, respect our relationship and that they wouldn’t miss our wedding for anything. My mom wrote “Eh, I’m planning to be in town for the Cubs vs. Cards game anyway.” That’s our family’s sense of humor.

We do get disappointed when we see that some people can’t come. Those people usually write a note as to why they are missing the wedding. We understand that some people won’t be able to come. That’s the nature of throwing a party, right? We’ve been talking about webcasting our wedding for those who can’t attend. We’ll let you know!

About the Authors/Queerlywed.com

Melissa Johns

Melissa is the co-founder of Queerly Wed, a new website dedicated to helping LGBTQ couples plan their big day. She is an activist within the LGBTQ Community and has volunteered her services at many grassroots organizations over the years. Melissa is also an avid cyclist and won two silver medals at Gay Games VII, which was held in Chicago in 2006. She is also a lifelong student and enjoys studying Latin-American culture, photography and languages.

Stacy Jill Jacobs

Stacy is the co-founder of Queerly Wed, a new website dedicated to helping LGBTQ couples plan their big day.  Stacy is a writer, marketing nerd, and web geek grrl all wrapped up into one package.  Stacy has worked in the interactive field for many years including roles at eToys (US & UK) and Ticketmaster. Stacy became a professional queer when in 2005, she served as the Ticketing Manager for Gay Games VII. You can catch Stacy on her website at www.stacyjilljacobs.com or on Twitter at @StacyJill