Traveling with Parkinson's Disease
And some helpful travel tips
Illustration from ParkinsonsDisease.net
Yesterday, I saw that an article I wrote in 2022 for ParkinsonsDisease.net about traveling with PD was published again on their website. As we continue to travel while we still can, I have added a few additional things below that are essential when you travel.
Traveling with Parkinson’s can be a challenge
One of the reasons we like to take cruises is that you unpack only once for the length of the cruise, but get to see many different places with the ship as your base. There are cruises for almost any budget (the bigger the ship, the less expensive the staterooms). More importantly, all ships have accessible rooms and are very accommodating to those with limited mobility.
When packing for any trip, there are several important things that you must take care of before you leave.
ALWAYS put your medications in your carry- on bag. Never pack them in your luggage. I have a pill box for my morning meds and another for evening meds. Make sure that you include your prescription bottles with the pharmacy and prescription information in case you need to get more of anything while traveling.
Pack a small bag with a zipper closure for your medicines. I put all of my meds in the bag, including a list of medications. Go to the Parkinson’s Foundation website for easy-to-use forms to download. The bag needs to be big enough to hold all of your medications in the original bottles. Make sure that it fits into your carry-on bag.
I always take walking sticks. I tend to drag one foot and have gotten injured by tripping on uneven sidewalks (and even newly paved streets!). The sticks help keep me upright.
Take advantage of early boarding on airplanes. You should not have to explain that you have PD to the airport personnel. If you need wheelchair assistance, check with the airline a day or two prior to reserve it.
Some of the things that I take with me.
A massage stick or a vibrating massager like the Theragun, for aching muscles after a long day.
Pack an extra pair of clothes in your carry-on, just in case your checked bag doesn’t show up at your destination.
Any other equipment that you cannot be separated from should also be in your carry-on bag.
I hope this helps you plan for any upcoming travel, whether it is for business or pleasure.
Do you have any other tips for traveling with Parkinson’s Disease? Please respond in the chat.
Sunday Mornings with Twitchy Woman in August.
All meetings are on Zoom at 1:00 PM ET, 10:00 AM PT
Sunday, August 23, John Dean, MA-CCC, SLP will be joining me to talk about the work he does as a speech and language specialist in Parkinson’s Disease.
Register here
Sunday, August 30, Sanskriti Sasikumar, MD, from UCLA, will introduce us to Collabiora, Personalized Health Guidance for Parkinson’s, which she designed for her patients.
Register here
Have a great week
Good morning. Thank you for sharing all your tips and tricks about staying safe while taking trips. I'm glad to see you have a nice pair of walking sticks.
TSA helps tremendously when It comes to wheelchair access and early boarding. They were especially helpful when Sharon C and I were leaving the WPC. The GPS kept messing us up on the way to the airport. We were very late and TSA met us at the car rental drop off. We were each whisked away to our separate flights and got our bags checked on time. You have to call TSA a few weeks in advance but it's well worth it. Even if you don't need a wheelchair in your every day life I encourage everyone to let the experts take care of you at the airport. You'll be glad you did.