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Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists. Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based upon prompts given.

Today’s prompt is as follows:

What’s a day that you wish you could have used a pain-free pass (either in the future or the past)?  How would being pain or worry-free impact that day? 

It is ironic that I should be writing this post on a day when the pain I experience is bad.  Oh, how I wish that I could use a ‘pain-free’ pass for today, although perhaps I would prefer to save the pass for another time; perhaps a time in which a pain-free time would be beneficial.  The group I attend ‘Life 4 Living’ encourages us to write a bucket list – all those little things that we would love to achieve before we die.  Recently, we have had a couple of deaths within the group; which has reminded us how short and previous life can be, and as a result I would love to use a pain-free pass to be able to complete something from my own personal bucket list…

Recently, as some of you may remember from a recent post entitled ‘To Go or Not to Go‘ my parents and I are looking into possibly going on a cruise next year.  It has been my dream to visit Italy for sometime, but because of my health, certain ways of travelling are unsuitable for me, such as flying or travelling by bus for example.  Therefore, going on a cruise is the last option for me to achieve my dream of visiting Italy.

One advantage for sufferers of chronic illness of going on a cruise, which you are unable to get with other holidays, for example, is the times that you become unwell or pain becomes unbearable is that you can go straight back to your cabin with very little hassle.

However, if I were to use a pain-free pass, it would be on day when the cruise ship is docked in Italy itself, especially in Rome and Florence.  Why?  If I were pain-free I would go exploring and go sight-seeing within these beautiful cities without any pain and also the worry that pain will suddenly appear, spoiling the enjoyment of the day and making precious and exciting memories.   I could go and visit the Sistine Chapel; the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain as well all the other beautiful scenery and architecture within the beautiful city of Rome.  Of course, a day out to a new city is complete with some retail therapy!  And the chance to soak up a different culture; to experience authentic Italian food and ice-cream – and all for myself instead of hearing about others’ experiences of travelling or reading about it in books or seeing the sights on television.  What a dream it would be!

How amazing would that be?  A pain-free day; and a day free of any worries!  A day in which I could spend it exactly how I wanted without the worries that chronic illness often presents in our lives.  A chance to enjoy just a special day with family during a once-in-a-lifetime holiday without my condition getting in the way or spoiling it as often happens during my daily life.  Now, we have to try and make it happen!  Fingers crossed….

What would your ‘pain-free’ pass day look like?  Share your thoughts below and comment!  Always love to hear from readers…

Many of us living with chronic illnesses know that often it can rob us of our dreams and aspirations – often assuming that what we used to dream of achieving is no longer within our grasp.  However, this is often not the truth – what may be out of our grasp is the most conventional route of achieving a particular dream; but often when living with a chronic illness, we need to find another route to be able to achieve our dream.

A dream of mine has always been to visit the beautiful country of Italy.  In fact it is on my ‘Bucket List’ that we have complied at my social group which I attend. However, due to my problems with dizziness and vertigo, particularly affected by high ceilings  flying there would not be a good option for me as the majority of airports are very large and have high ceilings – using this transport option would mean that I would be extremely unwell even before getting to the desired destination!

 

Airports - large and high.  My idea of a nightmare!
Airports – large and high. My idea of a nightmare!

 

Another option would be travelling by a coach; which is one option in which my Mother and I were considering.  However, this was quickly dismissed after a recent trip to the cinema in which I was left in bad pain within my legs due to the cramped conditions, and therefore thought that travelling via coach for many hours would most likely result in severe pain.

Coaches don't offer a lot of leg room - and for me would leave me in pain
Coaches don’t offer a lot of leg room – and for me would leave me in pain

 

Therefore, the only option left to me is a cruise.  My parents went on one a couple of years ago and loved it – really could not recommend it enough.  Although it is only really my last option left to be able to visit Italy; there are however a lot to think about.  Such as the constant dizziness and balance problems.  Would going on a cruise possibly increase the severity of the dizziness, vertigo and balance issues.  People with vestibular disorders often have super sensitive balance – and although cruises have stabilisers and ‘healthy’ people report not feeling the motion of the cruise ship; a person with a vestibular however may feel the motion and be affected because of it.  On the other hand, my balance and dizziness are a result of a neurological disorder and therefore it is interesting to consider whether I would be affected by a cruise in the same way a person with a vestibular disorder would.

A Cruise - good or bad thing with a condition like mine?
A Cruise – good or bad thing with a condition like mine?

 

There are a lot of advantages of cruising for a person with a chronic illness; which really do appeal to me:

  • Cruise liners and the companies running them are very happy to accommodate for those with disabilities and chronic illnesses – if you tell them in advance what you need then they will happy to accommodate your specific requirements.  Or if they cannot themselves they will signpost you to places where you will be able to rent certain mobility aids, etc 
  • If like me, you are unable to determine when you will become unwell; symptoms appear with no warning then on a cruise you can simply head back to the cabin to have rest or a nap.  If you were on a conventional holiday and out on an excursion you would not be able to do so
  • With mobility problems like myself; cruise ships have plenty of elevators that you can use, and if you suddenly get tired, there are plenty of lounges, bars, restaurants or seats that you can plop yourself down on to take a break
  • When the cruise liner has reached a particular destination and has docked, if you are not up to go sight-seeing then you do not have to – you can just stay on the ship and relax!
  • Plenty to do and lots going on!  I personally like to be entertained and if I am up to it like lots to do – and cruises offer that.  Amenities often include theatres, cinema, spas, swimming pools, ice rinks, and lots more!

I am yet undecided whether I will eventually go on a cruise; there are many factors to consider, and my health being the biggest factor to consider.  Would a cruise be a good fit for a condition like mine?  One thing though, I would love something to really look forward to and be excited about – my future currently offers me more hospital appointments and the same old routine!

What are your thoughts?  Do you suffer with a chronic illness and like to travel?  What, in your opinion are the best types of holidays for those with chronic illness?  Any more advantages of a cruise?  Its disadvantages?

Please leave comments – would love to know your thoughts as ever!

A brand new day, and a brand new post for the WEGO Health ‘National Health Blog Post Month’.  Today is the 16th day of this month-long writing challenge; and once again I have chosen to write a post based upon one of the bonus prompts provided.

The topic I  have chosen as you may have guessed by the title is travel.  The prompt asks to write about what it is like to travel with your condition.

Admittedly, I haven’t actually been on holiday for around six or seven years (it’s actually been so long since I have been on holiday I cannot actually remember the year I last went on holiday!).  Instead, I have decided to write a post on some of the challenges, I would face if I were to go on holiday – and if anyone has any ideas on how to overcome these challenges, I would love to hear them, so get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or email, or add a comment to this post!

If I were to go on holiday, my dream holiday would definitely be Italy – I love the food, and it just looks like such beautiful scenery.  I have especially wanted to go and visit the country after watching the film ‘Letters to Juliet’ – especially, as the beginning of the film is set in Verona, which is the place within Italy I would most like to visit, as Romeo and Juliet happens to be my all-time favourite play, and so would love to visit the balcony etc!

Some of the scenery in Verona

So, what about some of the challenges I feel, I would face whilst travelling.  For starters, if I had to fly to go overseas somewhere, it would not in fact flying that would prevent me from doing so, but instead the airports themselves!  If you have been reading my posts, you would know, that I have problems with high ceilings, as they increase the severity of the dizziness, and also increase the incidence of the episodes of vertigo.  Obviously, most airports have high ceilings, so spending time in such a place for approximately 3 hours (not including delays!) would be incredibly difficult for me, and would certainly make me feel incredibly unwell – all before even leaving the UK!!

So, what are the other options – I know that local bus companies offer a holiday to Lake Garda, including a trip to Verona; or perhaps an option would be a cruise?  However, my fear there would be all the motion from the bus or cruise ship would also make me feel very unwell, and could potentially make the dizziness or vertigo even worse.  My balance is incredibly poor on dry land, so i can only imagine what it would be like on a ship!!  Then there’s the weakness in the legs, recently, I was invited to a meeting regarding the introduction of a Life 4 Living group elsewhere in the South Wales area, and was collected by a Social Worker who runs the group in Pontypridd.  I cannot remember how long we travelled for, but it must have been over an hour – and by the time we arrived at the venue, my legs were so weak, and incredibly stiff, and was in a lot of discomfort afterwards.  And this was only after an hour, goodness what I would experience after several hours travelling on a bus.

Another potential problem is the unpredictability of the condition; never knowing which days I am going to be well, or even how I will feel an hour from now.  It would be a shame to spend a lot on a holiday only for me to be laid up in bed for a day or two; it would feel like a wasted trip especially considering the costs involved with holidays.  Often, the symptoms are often exacerbated by fatigue and overexertion (too much walking for example), and very often on holidays, there is a lot of walking involved, whilst sightseeing and many people report feeling fatigued whilst on holiday or immediately after – so what would a holiday do to someone like myself living with a chronic illness.  I would certainly have to use a wheelchair that has been recently been given to me, although before I even think about going on holiday with it, I will really have to learn to be able to get used with using the wheelchair (at the moment I am having trouble adjusting to it – but will save that for another post!) in places that I am familiar to, before going somewhere unfamiliar.

I know a lot of people, often spend holidays lying on the beach or around the pool at the hotel they are staying in, but that has never really been me – I have always preferred to go out and soak up the atmosphere and culture of the place where I am staying.  I love to go and experience local museums, art galleries, or other tourist attractions – I would much prefer to be doing something rather than just lying around somewhere – even though it has become more increasingly difficult as the illness has progressed, becoming worse and its symptoms becoming more evident.

What are your experiences of travelling with a chronic illness?  Are there any tips that you could share that would make it easier for someone living with a chronic illness to travel and go on holiday?  Share your thoughts!

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