Travel is one of the most important things in the world to me. I find so much enjoyment in discovering new places and cultures, and going from seeing a place on a screen to experiencing it myself. I’m privileged to have ample opportunities to pursue this hobby. When I was going through my diagnostic process, one of my biggest concerns was the impact that whatever was coming my way would have on my ability to travel. In fact, while waiting for biopsy results that would determine if I fell into the category of indolent or aggressive systemic mastocytosis (SM), I made a list in my phone of the countries I wanted to make sure to visit if it was the latter. I still remember the list to this day: Peru, Greece, Indonesia, Argentina, Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt and Turkey.
Now, a few years into diagnosis, I can confidently say that my ability to travel has not been impacted; I’ve just had to tweak the way that I travel.
Planning and preparation
An obvious but important precaution I take every time I go away is making sure that I have more than enough of all the medications that I need. For prescribed medications, this means packing enough to tide me over in case something happens and my return is later than planned, or if I misplace the bottle. If I lose a bottle at home, I can easily go to the pharmacy and pick up a refill. In a foreign country? Not so much. I also make sure to pack an abundance of the over-the-counter medications that I usually find helpful — but I also make the effort to look up the common brand names for these medications, as they will often differ abroad.
I am selective about who I travel with. I need to make sure that I am with people that have something of an understanding of my illness: people who won’t make me feel guilty if there are days when my body just can’t, and who I can trust to take care of me if I become symptomatic. Most of the time I travel with my parents, who are excellent caregivers and share the same love of travel that I have.
I always bring packs of powder electrolytes. I have found that they can be helpful even with the slightest glimpse of symptoms; they are sometimes the difference maker that gets me through the rest of the day. This also stops me from needing to find some when I get to my destination.
When I have room in my luggage, I’ll bring snacks that I like to have when I do get symptomatic — rice cakes, plain crackers and cereal.
One thing I always force myself to do is take a break during the day. This break might look a number of different ways. Sometimes it means going back to my hotel room and laying down for a little while. Other times it’s as undisruptive as sitting on a bench in the shade and people-watching. It’s hard sometimes, because I don’t enjoy interrupting my own fun, but ultimately I know breaks are a necessity to avoid a flare and make the most of my trip as a whole.
Less stress, more exploring
Despite all of these precautions, I have still have flares while travelling. Prior to my diagnosis, I was travelling alone from southern England to Paris when I had one of my worst flares to date — and I needed to run to catch trains. I learned I needed to be more prepared.
Now I make sure that I have what I need in case I do get sick. This limits my need to go out and find things, and maximizes the amount of time I can spend exploring. All the items I bring with me play a critical role in getting me through a flare, and knowing that they aren’t too far out of reach reduces my stress levels.
My travels and knowing that I will have such experiences again are what help me cope on the bad days, or when I’m stressed about appointments and what may come of them. I have such a passion for travel, and I am so grateful that I can still live out those experiences.
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