Strongly, strongly recommend taking at least 5-7 extra days of medication, or I’ve been doing a couple weeks worth during the time of COVID in case I get sick and need to recuperate somewhere. Years ago I had to stay 4-5 days longer at my destination due to an emergency, and getting emergency extra prescription meds is now pretty much impossible. Then at least I could do it with great difficulty. And before leaving anywhere, pause and think whether you have the critical stuff - meds, phone, wallet, etc. I literally had to turn around 2 years ago and drive from Chicago back to Minnesota the *same day* because I left my meds behind. Ok - my mom hopped in the car and drove the second round, and we stayed overnight and drove back. I’m definitely not well enough to do 12+ hours in the driver’s seat in one day. Don’t do that. Seriously - don’t do that.
One thing I always bring is my powerbank - there have been (a select few rare, because everything is always fully charged before I leave) times where I needed it en route when flying, and I often need it at my destination, plus it's the only way to charge anything when there's no electricity available. I don't travel with prescription bottles, because in the U.S. you don't need to; instead, I have a (actually 7, but I only travel with one) big 4x/day pill box where each day pops out and there's a case for the whole thing so that it all stays together when traveling, and I just keep out the current day's box (which prevents running into the issue of where to put the next morning's pills when packing up to leave); any additional days over 7 each go in snack size ziplocs (I have a lot of meds, and I've discovered that snack size fits and squishes the best in the packing cube that I use for them), one for each day, labeled with the date (1-31), and I reuse the bags one trip to the next. I've also gotten stuck overnight on a layover because of cancellations, so I always bring one extra day's worth of meds in case it happens again. On the subject of getting stuck overnight, I always shower the night before I leave, and I pack one change of clothes and only basic toiletries (hairbrush, flossers, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, chapstick; I don't wear makeup, and I generally shower every other day) in case I get stuck overnight again; all the other clothes, toiletries, meds, etc., that I'll need are already at my destination, as well as a near-complete set of joint supports/braces, and a SmartDrive charger, all of which massively cuts down on how much I have to travel with (my mom is awesome for letting me keep that stuff at her and my dad's house). I always preboard because of my wheelchair, and I also went ahead and finally got myself TSA PreCheck 2 1/2 years ago, which saves me a lot of time at security, since I don't have to take anything off of me or out of my bag(s), and I don't have to get out of my chair but still get to skip the patdown. On the plane, because my legs are so short, I have to use a foot swing in order for my joints to not kill, even on the flight where only half the time is spent actually in the air (the other half is spent taxiing).
You gotta do what you gotta do. It sounds counterintuitive but I say if you need an entire suitcase for all your medical stuff then fill it, the point is to travel. A lot of chronically ill people believe they can’t go on adventures. Even if it’s to the next town over, an adventure is an adventure. 😊
I’ve gotten to where ALL of my clothes are non restrictive. That way I conserve energy by not having to change and I can just crash when I need to. I think sensory issues go along with EDS.
Good tips there hun 👍👍👍
Strongly, strongly recommend taking at least 5-7 extra days of medication, or I’ve been doing a couple weeks worth during the time of COVID in case I get sick and need to recuperate somewhere. Years ago I had to stay 4-5 days longer at my destination due to an emergency, and getting emergency extra prescription meds is now pretty much impossible. Then at least I could do it with great difficulty. And before leaving anywhere, pause and think whether you have the critical stuff - meds, phone, wallet, etc. I literally had to turn around 2 years ago and drive from Chicago back to Minnesota the *same day* because I left my meds behind. Ok - my mom hopped in the car and drove the second round, and we stayed overnight and drove back. I’m definitely not well enough to do 12+ hours in the driver’s seat in one day. Don’t do that. Seriously - don’t do that.
This is such good advice! Thank you for sharing.
One thing I always bring is my powerbank - there have been (a select few rare, because everything is always fully charged before I leave) times where I needed it en route when flying, and I often need it at my destination, plus it's the only way to charge anything when there's no electricity available. I don't travel with prescription bottles, because in the U.S. you don't need to; instead, I have a (actually 7, but I only travel with one) big 4x/day pill box where each day pops out and there's a case for the whole thing so that it all stays together when traveling, and I just keep out the current day's box (which prevents running into the issue of where to put the next morning's pills when packing up to leave); any additional days over 7 each go in snack size ziplocs (I have a lot of meds, and I've discovered that snack size fits and squishes the best in the packing cube that I use for them), one for each day, labeled with the date (1-31), and I reuse the bags one trip to the next. I've also gotten stuck overnight on a layover because of cancellations, so I always bring one extra day's worth of meds in case it happens again.
On the subject of getting stuck overnight, I always shower the night before I leave, and I pack one change of clothes and only basic toiletries (hairbrush, flossers, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, chapstick; I don't wear makeup, and I generally shower every other day) in case I get stuck overnight again; all the other clothes, toiletries, meds, etc., that I'll need are already at my destination, as well as a near-complete set of joint supports/braces, and a SmartDrive charger, all of which massively cuts down on how much I have to travel with (my mom is awesome for letting me keep that stuff at her and my dad's house).
I always preboard because of my wheelchair, and I also went ahead and finally got myself TSA PreCheck 2 1/2 years ago, which saves me a lot of time at security, since I don't have to take anything off of me or out of my bag(s), and I don't have to get out of my chair but still get to skip the patdown.
On the plane, because my legs are so short, I have to use a foot swing in order for my joints to not kill, even on the flight where only half the time is spent actually in the air (the other half is spent taxiing).
Thank you so much for telling me all of this! It’s so useful and I’m sure others will find it very informative as well and help in their travels!
With my extension cord I also pack an adaptor to plug a grounded (3 prong) cord into a non-grounded (2 prong) outlet.
What a good idea!!!
God I need a suitcase just for my meds and my equipment 😂
You gotta do what you gotta do. It sounds counterintuitive but I say if you need an entire suitcase for all your medical stuff then fill it, the point is to travel. A lot of chronically ill people believe they can’t go on adventures. Even if it’s to the next town over, an adventure is an adventure. 😊
I’ve gotten to where ALL of my clothes are non restrictive. That way I conserve energy by not having to change and I can just crash when I need to. I think sensory issues go along with EDS.
That is a brilliant idea!