There are quite a few things you need to keep in mind when planning a trip with a chronic illness. When traveling with a chronic illness, part of you is excited about being somewhere different and exploring your new surroundings, but at the same time, you know there are many unknowns that could affect your trip.
It can be extremely overwhelming trying to make sure you have everything as prepared as possible and that you are thinking about everything you may need on your trip.
In this post, I share a list of five of the most important things to consider when planning a trip with a chronic illness.
Things to Consider When Planning a Trip With a Chronic Illness
1. Trip Length
The duration of your trip could arguably be one of the most important things to think about when planning a trip with a chronic illness.
Living with a chronic illness, I have learned doing things takes three times the amount of energy it used to take before becoming ill, and traveling is no exception. This is where considering the duration of the trip comes into play when planning.
In my experience, travel often takes a toll on my body and results in needing a day or two, once at my destination, to recover and get back to my usual chronically exhausted self.
When thinking about destinations, keep in mind you may need to factor in one or two days of rest and recovery. This could drastically filter out travel destinations if you only have a few days for a trip.
Ex: If I had five days of time off from work, booking a quick trip to Europe would not work for me. It wouldn’t be the best use of my time because I would need at least one or two days after landing in Europe to let my body acclimate and allow myself time to tend to any symptoms that flared during the travel day. That would only leave me with a day or two to explore the destination.
By simultaneously knowing the amount of time you have to travel and factoring in the one-to-two rest/recovery days, you can make the best-informed decision about what travel destinations make the most sense.
2. Budget
Budget is another topic to really think about when traveling with a chronic illness. There are so many extra aspects of life that are out of your control, and with that can come some unexpected expenses.
That said, you don’t want to completely max out your budget without having a chunk of money set aside for unexpected situations.
By unexpected situations, I mean needing to stay an extra night somewhere because your symptoms flared up really bad. It could also be the case that because of dietary restrictions, food is going to be a lot more expensive than you originally budgeted for.
I suggest adding a section to your trip budget called “unexpected expenses”. This way, you can feel more at ease knowing you have a bit of a safety net if something comes up.
3. Weather and Elevation
Most people pay attention to the weather when they are planning a trip, but how often do people think about the elevation of their destination? For me, paying attention to the elevation is just as important.
Weather and elevation can play significant roles in how people feel. In my experience, going from one extreme to another, whether it be with weather or elevation, can take a large toll on my body.
A quick Google search about the weather and elevation of a destination can help you plan ahead to be prepared for the possible flare from any temperature, pressure, or altitude change.
Paying attention to weather and elevation is really important for people with any type of heat or cold intolerance, along with people who have difficulties with altitude and air pressure changes.
In my article for the National Parks Service, I write about the struggle I had with elevation changes while at Haleakalā National Park when I went from sea level to over 10,000 feet.
4. Accessibility
Accessibility is another one of the most important things to consider when planning a trip with a chronic illness. Doing research about the accessibility of the destination before the trip can be tiring, but in the long run, it saves time and worry.
In my experience, this added step of accessibility research can also bring up feelings of frustration and sadness that many places are inaccessible.
When planning my own trips, I take the time to really look into the accommodations, activities, restaurants, etc., that I am interested in to make sure they are accessible and meet my specific needs.
Ex: I look for accommodations that have elevators because I have a difficult time climbing stairs.
5. Proximity to Medical Care
While knowing the number of hospitals nearby isn’t really the type of fun fact you want to know about your travel destination, it is very important. Proximity to medical care should be on every traveler's radar, especially for those travelers with chronic health conditions.
When planning your trip, take a few minutes and look up your destination and see where the nearest hospitals, pharmacies, and urgent care centers are in relation to where you will be staying.
Taking five minutes now to look at Google Maps and scope out where these places are may help you in a future situation or it may just help you feel more at ease while on your trip. Having a note on your phone or a piece of paper in your bag with these locations written down may also be helpful.
Final Thoughts
Planning for a trip with a chronic illness does have a few added steps, but it really is not that different from planning any other type of trip. Everyone has different things they need to consider when planning.
Whether you are planning a short day trip or a three-week-long jaunt around Europe, keeping trip length, budget, weather and elevation, accessibility, and proximity to medical care in mind will help you plan a wonderful trip.
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