Lessons Learned: My Top MS Travel Takeaways

A recent bit of international travel in celebration of a roundy birthday for my wife, Caryn, brought a few previously learned lessons to the fore as well as reminded me that there is always more to learn.

It was only a long weekend trip to an adjacent country to meet up with friends, but there were planes, trains, automobiles, hotels, apartments, and airports with which to contend.

If you focus on these few things before, during, and after a planned trip, you might just find yourself enjoying (or at least not hating) travel a little bit more.

Plan Extra Time

This isn’t just arriving at the airport well enough in advance. We padded our travel with an overnight stay at the point where we changed modes of transportation.

Breaking up the trip — even if it’s with an extended lunch on the way — can alleviate stresses before they arise. If you’ve an early flight (with multiple sclerosis, that’s any time before midday!), think about staying at an airport hotel the night prior to your flight.

Anticipating where fatigue and stress points might figure in and planning in a break will start you off on the right path.

Plan Extra Expenses

An extra night on one end of the travel or another (or both) will add to the cost of your trip, but I find it a wise investment.

Upgrading your travel — be it on planes or with a bigger rental car — so you are more comfortable can be expensive. So, too, can being miserable when a few extra dollars could have bought you (and your traveling companions) a bit of ease.

Plan to Need Help

If you sometimes use a mobility aid to help you get around, bring it! Even if you only need it occasionally, we all know that travel (and the events to which we travel and the people for whom we may be traveling) can take it out of us.

Arrange for assistance — such as a wheelchair or a cart — to get you from point A to point B at airports or rail stations. If you’re ordering an Uber (or some such) for ground travel, upgrade to a vehicle that’s easier to get in and out of.

And make sure you know where the nearest hospital is in relation to the places you’re staying and that they can handle any MS issues.

Look for the public toilets in advance, and then confirm their location upon arrival … everywhere.

Food Is Both Fuel and Fun

Pack snacks that can make it through airport security. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (and see the note about toilets).

Ensure that restaurants are aware of any mobility needs when you make your bookings. Book in shoulder times when possible so you’re not rushed, as things take more time for us.

Consider in advance foods that might cause MS digestive issues and avoid them. Sometimes room service is going to be your best friend.

Remember You’re Returning Home

Whenever possible, we book our housekeeper to come in while we’re away.

Making the house that you’re returning to ready to receive you before you leave can be equally rewarding. If you’re leaving that extra day before, you might have time to put on fresh bed linens and hang fresh towels in the bathroom before you head away. Doing the laundry before you leave means that much less to be washed when you unload your luggage at the far end of the trip.

If, like us, you have dogs that are staying with friends or in a kennel, arrange for that extra night so you can settle in before collecting your four-legged family members.

Remember Why You’re Traveling

Whether it’s a quick getaway for a relaxing weekend, a long trip for a family function, a required business trip, or a trip to celebrate one of life’s milestones, you’re packing up, leaving town, and spending a good bit of money for a reason.

Let all of the preparations and planning be in service of that reason. You’ll be more relaxed, you’ll enjoy the family (and they, you) more, more business will get done and better, and you’ll create the positive memories that can get us through some of the difficult times that likely lie ahead.

I hope these lessons that I’ve learned to put into practice help you enjoy your travels as much as they’ve aided me over the years.

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers,

Trevis