Taking RA On The Road

Sometimes it seems chronic disease takes more care and maintenance than a delicate exotic animal. Going away from home needs careful planning and a lot of lead time. Travelling alone would be even more challenging than going with a partner. Some illnesses may be a largely invisible but the items needed for support and success caring for them are only too visible and overall they're heavy.

Here are some  examples of what helps make travelling easier for me.

The drugstore that I use made a set of small labelled vials for prescription drugs marked "For Travel". That helps reduce the volume of pill containers. 

For vitamins I used a muffin tin and saran wrap that sticks to itself to make little "pill hills".

I worry  about taking hard to replace custom-made splints even as carry-on luggage so I am using older ones that take up less space and are not so fragile. Breakage or loss wouldn't be as critical.

Long ago I got tired of pulling out tubes and containers of creams and moisturizers so I now put them in these sample size jars. It saves a lot of wear and tear on my hands and it takes weeks between fillings.

Finally the flip phone has been replaced. The iPhone seemed so slippery and small when I started using it. Even a sensible shell case was not quite the answer. The one below is perfect. It's soft plastic, has nice curves and the beak makes a great backstop. 

iPhone in case

For my one "personal item" allowed in addition to my carry-on on for the flight I chose a backpack. It's roomy and easy to handle. That makes it great for hands-free shopping and carrying a computer, cables and rechargers.

On the trip I took my Tranquil Eyes in case it was too drafty or bright during the flight. Using them can help dry eyes with Sjogren's Syndrome.

So far the thing I miss the most while travelling is constant access to the internet. It's so hard to go back to former practices like "remembering".

Another plus on the last trip was a new suitcase with 360 wheels. When the floor is smooth it's a bit like walking a dog. So easy to push, even though it is still heavy. Now that I'm so ready to go it's Saskatoon here I come!