I’m now in NJ to visit my parents for 2 weeks and attend the funeral of a childhood friend in support of his family. Though it was a sad time, it was also a time of happiness to be united with people who I haven’t seen in many years. We all came to support one another and find peace in our hope of the future.
Since I had to fly 3000 miles, I determined that there was no way I could just come for a weekend as my body would probably suffer from the flight. So me and my hubs figured 2 weeks would be enough time for me to recuperate between flights.
On the forum and other blogs people mention their traveling but I haven’t really come across what they do to cope physically with the strain of traveling. So here is what I’ve done, in case you are planning to travel while suffering with Red Skin Syndrome. (This is the 2nd trip across the country I have taken in the last 12 months of TSW.)
Booking your travel:
Be realistic about your limitations. Take into consideration climate change and time changes. If as a healthy person you are prone to having difficulty with these changes, they will for sure take their toll on you while going through withdrawals. So plan your travel with the thought in mind that you may need to rest for a day or two when you arrive before doing any major activities. You will also need to have enough time to recuperate before turning back around and going home.
Packing the “check-in” bag:
Double ziplock bag all the creams, ointments and oils you plan on stowing with your clothing. Although I can buy similar things at different stores near my mom’s I found its economical to just take what I have with me.
Don’t forget to bring your special shampoos and body cleansers.
If you are anything like me, you can only use special laundry detergent. So get a travel bottle filled with your special laundry detergent for 1 load of wash per every 7 days.
Be sure to bring a set of your sheets and pillow cases that are cooling and soothing to your skin. Also at least 1 set of your own towels. Too many people wash their stuff in scented detergents and bleaching agents which can really irritate your skin.
Bring plenty of gauze, bandages and compression wraps as well as an ice pack and/or heating pad.
While I was only coming for 2 weeks, I realized that sometimes I have to change my clothing twice during the day and once during the night if I go through night sweats and oozing flares. So don’t feel unreasonable if you need to bring a lot of garments to get you through the day. Bring what you need, it would be horrible if you were miserable because you were trying to be a frugal packer.
The “Carry On” Bag:
Have 1 change of clothes in your Carry On Bag.
Bring enough bandages/gauze/compression wraps to last you for 2 days.
Be sure to fill travel bottles with enough shampoo, cleanser, laundry detergent, ointment/cream/oil to get you through 2 days. Heaven forbid the airlines lose your luggage for a day or two.
Be sure to keep your medications and supplements in your carry on bag as well as a few things that will knock you out on the plane. For instance, I took a Benadryl an hour before I boarded so that the sensitivity of my body would be dulled by the time I got on board. You may need to take something stronger but have back up medications on hand.
Take along snacks that are easy for you to digest and will not cause any allergic reactions. So like dried fruit, raw nuts (if you are ok with nuts), raw fruit, carrot/celery/cucumber sticks.
You can always get water on the plane. Try and drink 8-ounces of water per hour on the plane. Yes, you’ll have to get up a bunch for the bathroom but you don’t want your skin to get dried out, it will become more itchy than normal in the plane.
If you feel claustrophobic as a result of people staring at you or just the discomfort you’re in, get up and stand near the bathroom. If you feel you may be told to sit back down, take one of the flight attendants aside and explain briefly what you are going through and that you need to stand for a bit so as not to let your nerves trigger an uncontrollable flare. Do NOT be embarrassed that you have special needs. The flight attendants want you to be happy and comfortable and may even find a better seating arrangement for you.
Also, keep things with you that will distract your brain from the discomfort you experience while traveling. Books, music, paper and pen, laptop, ipads and tablets all can keep you very occupied.
Wallets, Money, Licenses and Passports are always good to have around too.
🙂
eczemancipated 