Hey, Christina!
You're right...I need to post "what happened" and will soon. In the meantime, I was doing great in '95 right up to the point the cardiologist told me I wasn't. Had run the Tulsa Run 15K, went to Hawaii the very next day for a week and had my annual sonogram two days after I returned. That's when they told me the suture ring was pulling loose and I had a sizeable leak that needed immediate attention. ( The same thing is happening now, just on a smaller scale...which I hope remains so!) They were baffled why I wasn't symptomatic but three days later, I had a table waiting.
Congrats on getting to go to Europe this winter! How I handled my dosage was while I was outbound, I just left my watch on Oklahoma time and took the dose as normal. Once I arrived anywhere, I would take it in the morning, just to keep my routine. Granted, at times, depending on where I was, I may have taken the dose a litte later or earlier than required. I just thought that after the first day, then continuing my morning routine until I returned, I would be OK. I always test once a month while at home. I would test again when I returned from abroad even if it had only been a week or two. It always seemed to work and I never had bleeding problems, etc.
You already know how to be aware of diet, etc. You even have the added advantage of your own machine...but I really wouldn't worry. Just have FUN and enjoy the fact you are getting to experience something that even "normal valves" would appreciate. Enjoy, and keep me posted on your trip!
"To Click Is To Be"
Les