Lyme Life ~ Travel Tips

Traveling with Lyme can be tough. Lymies have developed ways to manage symptoms ranging from brain fog to severe, migrating joint pain and everything in between. We could all use some travel tips for Lyme ease. Talking with others and in my experience, I developed a few hacks.

Travel tips for Lyme

Chronic Lyme Disease or Neurological Lyme is often misunderstood and often we try to keep it from the people around us because the usual comments tend to diminish, deny, or discourage. Depending on your experience, you might be able to tell the people you’ll be with how you feel or you may not. So, some of the travel tips for Lyme sufferers might be done more covertly.

Research the trip.

Look into accommodations, where you’ll stay, what is the environment like in terms of temperature and other sensory input, like light and sound, smells and furniture. It will help you to determine some ways to deal with any possible aggravations. You might want earplugs for sleep. Sunglasses for daytime or a sleep mask for nighttime may avoid photophobia or migraine headaches. You might need to bring your own pillow or even blankets.

Will there be long car rides? Are you expected to eat out? Will you spend time inside or outside? How will you be able to manage your time or will you be at the mercy of others? These questions will help you mentally prepare, but also might draw out contingency plans and help you think of the sensitivities you have and how you might manage them and be able to enjoy your time.

Pack well in advance.

I take days to pack. Brain fog could be the culprit or it could be the stress of infrequent travel or it might be the wide range of needs we have that cause us to forget little details. Packing and piling the things we plan to take can help to remind us as we prepare in other ways. If the suitcase is open partially packed, you can add to it or subtract from it as you get details about the trip.

I keep all of my meds and supplements in one place. The day before I leave for a trip, I put them out on the counter. That way I can see if I might need to add some things I don’t usually need. Also do the same with toiletries. We seldom need hand cream at home, but I always bring it on a trip. Because, I don’t take pain medicines all the time, I might forget them. It helps to see them ready to go.

Write notes and lists.

Depending on the reason for travel, notes and lists will help to stay organized. From packing to staying on task when you get there, even if you don’t have a clear agenda, notes about who you’ll see and where you’ll be can ease anxiety. Lists of activities will prepare you for the day and help to make it smooth. We have a routine at home that will invariably be disrupted while traveling. Think about how much of your routine you can adhere to. Try to include that in your notes, so you’ll have less trouble with your body.

Think about your dietary needs. Your body is the ruler with Lyme. Keeping it running well will be the only way to get along. Certain foods may not be available, so you might need to pack things that you normally eat. Writing down alternatives that work for you will help too.

Enjoy Life!

I would love to hear about any travel tips for Lyme Disease patients you know of. More Lyme-Life blogs are here.