I have two very different memories of getting sick in Europe.
The first was in 1999.
I was in Germany with my parents, and all of us developed sinus infections at the same time. I cannot remember ever feeling that miserable. We went from pharmacy to pharmacy, learning the hard way that European pharmacies don’t stock the same medications Americans rely on. There was no NyQuil. No magical cold-and-flu aisle. And although I’m fairly certain we needed antibiotics and real medical attention, we never managed to see a doctor.
It felt helpless.
Fast forward twenty-five years.
This time, I was the mom.
The Travel Pivot
The trouble actually started before the sickness.
We boarded our flight in Houston without a single hiccup. Not late. Not rushed. Everything smooth. And yet, midair, we received notice that we would land in Frankfurt an hour late — just enough to miss our connection to Venice.
Lufthansa offered to reroute us through Vienna, landing in Venice close to midnight.
That sounded miserable.
We were dreaming of that first Italian dinner — candlelight, pasta, something celebratory. So, from 30,000 feet, I did what I do: I pivoted.
I found a flight to Milan and booked a driver to take us straight to Venice. It wasn’t cheap. It wasn’t convenient. But it got us there — and honestly, it made for a memorable start to the trip.
By the time we arrived at The Gritti Palace in Venice, we were exhausted but relieved.
And then Josephine said she was cold.
UGH, It’s Not Jet Lag
Of course she was cold. It was freezing outside.
I ran her a warm bath.
She got out shivering.
Not dramatic shivering — uncontrollable, teeth-chattering, in-tears shivering.
Jamil and I told ourselves it was jet lag. Travel fatigue. A long day. We bundled her up and headed to dinner anyway, thinking if we could just get some pasta in her, she’d sleep like a dream.
We barely made it through appetizers.
She was throwing up in the bathroom before the entrees arrived.
We abandoned our plates and rushed back to the hotel.
Her fever was 103.
Her throat hurt.
This wasn’t jet lag.
This was strep.
How Much Has Changed Since 1999
Here’s the good news: access to medical care abroad has changed dramatically in the last two decades.
Telemedicine is incredible.
Instead of wandering city streets searching for the equivalent of NyQuil, we opened our laptops.
We tried one service first — AirDoctor — and it was, frankly, not great. The physician wasn’t especially kind and didn’t seem to fully grasp what was going on.
But then we tried DoctorsinItaly. And that changed everything.
We were connected with Dr. Thor Ferreira da Cruz, who was calm, thorough, and reassuring. He assessed Josephine quickly and confirmed what we suspected. Antibiotics were arranged easily. The entire process — consultation included — cost less than 30 euros.
Less than 30 euros.
On Day Three, Jamil started showing symptoms too. Same diagnosis. Same efficient care.
If You Ever Find Yourself in a Pickle
If you’re traveling in Europe and need a doctor quickly, I cannot recommend Dr. Ferreira da Cruz highly enough. He can assist patients in any European country via telemedicine. Just go to DoctorsinItaly.com and book an appointment.
