Car Sickness Stories
A Tidal Wave Hits
The first time my daughter suffered motion sickness, we were travelling on a
major freeway with nowhere to stop. She was about 18 months old, and I was
riding in the backseat, right beside her. With very little warning (at
least, I can now recognize the warning signs, such as crying, coughing and
just a mother's instinct to recognize the signs of sickness in her kid), she
let go with a tidal wave. It went all over herself, and then she turned her
head to me for comfort, and I wore the next load.
With nowhere to pull off, her father, who was driving, was fighting nausea
himself and trying to concentrate on the road. We drove straight to a
Wal-Mart, stripped my daughter and cleaned her up. Luckily I always travel
with a change of clothes for her (and I also make sure I have a change of
clothes for myself these days!), then headed into Wal-Mart to find Febreeze,
paper towels, wipes, and new clothes for me. As the crowds in Wal-Mart
parted as I wafted near, my husband noted that I would do pretty much
anything in order to have an excuse to buy new clothes. Yes, at Wal-Mart!
After grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt to try on, I asked a salesperson
if I could just have the tags scanned at the checkout, explaining about the
nasty clothes that I had been wearing. The answer was no. I had to take off
the new clothes, ease myself into the soiled, smelly jeans and sweater I'd
been wearing, and walk through the entire store once again, to pay for the
clothes. I then headed for the public washroom, where I peeled the soiled
clothes off once again and changed. To add insult to injury, I managed to
leave my wallet in that washroom, which I didn't notice til I'd returned
home, a two-hour drive away. Miraculously, I did get it back, fully intact.
The same such incident has recurred a few times. Once in Banff, in the
middle of the Rocky Mountains, in a rental vehicle. Another time, it was
projectile vomit in a friend's car. Her sons sitting in the far back seat of
the minivan loved it!
Now, I make sure for long trips that I have some motion sickness medication
on hand and give it to her before we leave. I keep extra towels, wipes and a
couple of changes of clothes for her, as well as for me. And I know the
signs. I also am a whiz at taking apart her car seat, because there are
plenty of nooks and crannies in those car seats, where foul juices can ooze,
settle and ferment!
-Submitted by Peggy
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