I don't think I can go abroad again

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When I last went abroad 3 years ago I was thrilled, as I'd always wanted to go to Poland. We had money back then and had booked a 5-star hotel and everything.

But the week before we were due to fly out, I started to become anxious about getting ill, as being ill when going on vacation or while on vacation frightens me. I kept washing my hands vigorously and kept my distance from people because I was worried about coming down with covid and having to be isolated in a hotel for two weeks once in Poland.
I worried and worried so severely, that I actually unintentionally made myself ill. It began with a sore throat and chills, just two days before. I was really worried but took a covid test and it was negative.
But it wasn't just covid I was worrying about, it was any virus; a cold, flu, chest infection or norovirus. On the day we were due to fly out I found my mouth had thousands of ulcers everywhere and I was in massive pain. I tried rinsing my mouth out with warm salt water but it didn't make any difference.
It felt like my gums had swollen up over my back teeth, so it was impossible to eat. It even became painful to talk.

I didn't enjoy the plane journey because I had an empty stomach and felt sick and dizzy, and I panicked in case I'd start throwing up on the plane, and I felt trapped. I didn't want to spoil my partner's time, so I said nothing. Then throughout the whole vacation I was unwell, couldn't eat a single thing, and was in and out the pharmacy there buying different mouth treatment stuff, but nothing worked. What I really needed to do was to see a doctor but it wasn't easy while abroad. I can't remember if we had health insurance or not or how much.

I was miserable because this mystery mouth illness was really spoiling my time. It began traveling down my throat and I developed a cough. I was in such distress, that the hotel staff helped me find a dentist, and the dentist cleaned my mouth out for me for a cheap price. It was slightly relieving but the ulcers and the cough still remained.

It wasn't until we got back home after the vacation and I'd gone to the doctor, was when I got diagnosed with oral thrush and got prescribed special mouthwash was when it very quickly vanished.

I'd never had oral thrush before and I've never had it since. My oral hygiene hadn't changed. So I put it down to stressing too much about getting ill, that it made my immune system go into overdrive to protect me and it made me ill.
But I don't know how to not panic and worry about getting sick while traveling and on vacation. I seem to get really anxious about getting sick while away from home. I never used to get this anxiety whenever I went on vacation.

My partner wants to go to Germany for a vacation next, which I'd love to go, but I'm worried about all this happening again. Maybe I should visit a doctor a day before going on vacation so that they can give me a full body MOT and reassure me that my body has no viruses?

Prescription for enough mild tranquilizers for the trip ..and maybe some of that fizzy Vitamin C tablets that dissolve in water ..( Airborne). Or just tell them you do not travel well. Besides, have heard Germans are not prone to smile very much in Public ?
Very Sorry you had such an Experience..sounds aweful with your mouth . Think aspies can worry themselves sick..
but I tend to believe it might be some weird premonition thing . Aspie seem to do that well too, I think.

You got sick from stress, not germs. A pre-trip check won’t stop it. Focus on managing anxiety.

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