Holiday Travel Survival Guide:
Make it stand out
How to Survive the Holidays with Chronic Back Pain or Spine Issues
We may look forward to quality time with family or friends we miss all year. Yet, after approximately two hours, we may still get annoyed by their presence. Many of us are craving traditions and merriment more than usual this year. (Conversely, we may want to avoid our families even more this year. What a dumpster fire 2024 was, in some ways, eh?)
Sure, we Spoonies want to see family and friends, celebrate holidays, and ring in the New Year just as much as the next guy/gal/non-binary pal! However, we have an extra set of considerations and accommodations that need to be mulled over, like:
Will traveling be too hard on my body? Can I bear the travel time and the actual event time?
What will the furniture be like where we are celebrating? Will sitting and visiting cause me to experience a flare-up of pain? Will I likely be in a flare-up for one or three days?
How will I carry my medications? How will I remember to take my medications if I'm out and about, away from my routine?
How will I accommodate my food allergies or special anti-inflammatory dietary needs? Will there be anything to eat at this party, or should I bring my own food? Is it tacky to bring your food into someone's home? (I'd rather be tacky than spend three days on the toilet.)
Alas, I have written this 2024 Holiday Survival Guide with tips and tricks to make it all more bearable. This list of little life hacks can help.
Make it stand out
Did you know that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and major airlines offer accessibility services to those with (invisible) disabilities?
Contact TSA at least 72 hours before your flight to make these arrangements.
Depending on your needs, someone may greet you with a wheelchair at the airport entrance. (Staff texted me before arrival so that we could decide on a meeting spot.) Then, they'll bypass the security lines and immediately get you through baggage screening! Yes, you get to skip the lines at baggage check and move right on through.
Because of my spinal cord stimulator implant, I am unable to go through the X-ray machines and metal detectors. So, a TSA or airport staff member will pat me down, check my wheelchair, and run my carry-ons through the machines for me.
After screening, they'll take you to the terminal to wait for your flight. Since you're receiving disability/medical assistance, you will likely be granted early boarding privileges.
Upon arrival at your destination, someone will be waiting to escort you off the plane and then on to baggage claim. It's easy peasy, lemon squeezy! You can learn more at www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support.
“A woman sitting in a very uncomfortable wooden chair in a great deal of pain” generated by Canva AI.
Always be prepared for the worst possible furniture.
I love eating out, especially on a special date night with my partner, Jeff, or meeting with a large group of friends for a celebratory meal. But finding a "Kelly-Friendly" restaurant in the allergy and furniture departments is virtually impossible. Holiday gatherings are challenging, too! Neither our families (nor my friends) have furniture accommodating a lousy back. So, I sometimes carry my own cushions and supports to stay and visit without putting myself into a flare-up so bad I can hardly walk by the end of the evening.
I have two of these coccyx cushions at home and carry them when needed. At first, I was embarrassed to travel with them. After a while, I thought, "Do I care more about being embarrassed or being comfortable?" Comfort wins every time. This cushion helps prevent my sciatica from flaring, which means it is worth its weight in gold.
This weekly pillbox is excellent because it covers seven days, with four daily compartments. The best part is that you can pop out a single day from the larger container and carry it easily. This is an outstanding feature if you are out celebrating, lunching, or traveling when it comes time to take your meds. You can simply carry one day's worth of medications in your purse or pocket.
Of course, if you travel for more than one week or need backup medications or extras in case of bad flares, you'll need to look for other options that best suit your needs.
If you contact the TSA ahead of your trip, bring a printed or handwritten list of current medications with you to the airport, and let them know at security that you're traveling with medications, you should have zero issues traveling with your meds. (I always take mine on the plane because I trust no airline.)
Make it stand out
Order your specialty food before your trip and deliver it to your destination.
Besides having a laundry list of food allergies, I also stick to a simplified anti-inflammatory diet as much as I can to prevent pain flares. Accommodations can be extra tricky when traveling to or attending a holiday meal at someone else's home. Even if my family or friends offer to accommodate my needs, I may buy and carry my food. It's better than eating nothing but cheese, plain, raw veggies, and cold cuts all night, hoping that the meat is gluten-free!
Daily Harvest is my favorite pre-prepared food. I use the meals as supplements to my regular groceries. Everything from Daily Harvest is organic, vegan, gluten-free, and corn-free, and it is delicious. The food is frozen but doesn't taste like frozen food; it tastes like freshly picked fruits and vegetables.
Thrive Market is perfect for finding easy-to-carry snacks and allergy-friendly ingredients for meals.
It also ensures that no one in my family accidentally poisons me. They need to figure out what ingredients to look for or that maltodextrin and corn are just other names for corn. It's a lot, especially for anyone not used to it. I hate to put it on anyone else’s shoulders!
Finally, suppose you happen upon a local restaurant that accommodates allergies. In that case, there's nothing wrong with grabbing and carrying a meal, either. Being away from home is much more comfortable if I prepare for these things.
If you know you may have difficulty socializing with other holiday guests, plan mental health breaks. Or stay in your comfort zone!
If you know you'll encounter people who grate on your nerves or sometimes cause your blood pressure to spike, plan your escapes in advance. If I want to visit my mom, I need a human buffer between my stepdad and me; I can't go alone. I know that because, historically, it has never gone well when I go alone.
I know that he is going to have CNN on 24/7, accompanied by the soundtrack of the video games on his computer and the constant pinging and panging of his telephone. I know that my sensory processing issues make that an incredibly uncomfortable and slightly rage-creating environment. So, when I visit, I sit on the other side of the house and visit with my mom as much as possible.
Make it stand out
I've faked sick to avoid family functions to protect my energy and mental health. I'm just saying that staying home or going to a party full of people you enjoy being around, rather than the obligatory family function, isn't against the rules. There are no rules. You are an adult with autonomy over your life and body. Huzzah!
In conclusion: Be kind to yourself.
I enjoy my time with family and friends much more when I'm not writhing in pain or getting sick in the bathroom after dinner. As Spoonies or the dynamically disabled folks, we'll never control every environmental aspect of our lives. Still, we can be as prepared and comfortable as possible. We deserve quality of life, and that includes other people! (Sometimes.)
Make it stand out
Merry Everything and Happy Always, from my family to you and yours.
Take care of yourselves this season.
Drink water, take your meds, eat food, and try to get the sunshine.
I love you.