First of all, if I had never been in any car accidents, I may not actually be going on this adventure. The funds for this trip are a direct result of my ICBC payout and investments. Its a messed-up idea that because I suffered pain, disability, and mental/emotional trauma and stress that I was compensated and then could use that money for future care, investments, and yes - this trip. Sometimes I shake my head at it all. (As an aside - there is no amount of money in the world that can make right what was taken from me from those car & bicycle accidents. I may never fully recover all of my functionality, and its likely that some of my conditions will get worse as I age. But I am making peace with it).
Many people see me and have no idea that I have chronic pain. I am in my early 30's, active, and don't need walking aids. My disability is invisible. This has led to people being rude on public transit ("you don't need that seat") and ignorant in other areas of my life. I stand at my desk at work and people used to ask me all the time why I stood. Well, sitting for more than a couple of hours is too painful for me. I got tired of explaining all the time why I was hurting, why I needed the ergonomic things I have, and also why I often need to say "no" to events and parties. Then I heard out about The Spoon Theory and I felt that I had a tool I could share to help others understand what its like to live with chronic pain. Yesterday, this came across my Facebook feed and I love how it demonstrates the Spoon Theory:
Going traveling has been a source of excitement but also stress and frankly - worry about my chronic pain impacting my journey. But fear and worry only stop you, they don't offer solutions on how to move through obstacles and find a way forward. So I've created a "kit" of sorts to keep me going while I'm out there in the wide world. Here's what it looks like:
Clockwise from top left:
- Montrail Mountain Masochist walking/trail shoes (love the name!)
- Magnesium Glycinate - which is great for sore muscles
- Cervical foam neck pillow
- 1.5 feet of dowling for rolling out feet and legs
- Pain medications - topical and internal
- Montrail walking sandals
- "Yoga to Go" - cards with postures to remind me to stretch
- Tennis ball for trigger-point therapy (back, hips, feet)
- Thera-band to strengthen arm and back muscles
- Joy-a-Toes toe separators (these actually really have helped my foot fatigue and pain)
- Inflatable horseshoe neck pillow
- "Inflatable Luxury" (silliest name ever for a product!) but looks promising as a better way to protect my neck while I'm on a train or plane or bus.
- Foam knee pillow for sleeping (I tend to be a side sleeper)
- 4 wheel spinner luggage (not shown) so that I don't have to carry everything on my back
- Belt with armadillo pockets (not shown) and a water bottle caddy so that I can carry items on my hips and not my back.
All of these items are pretty small, light, and can be squished down as necessary. I am hoping that this will be enough ergo stuff to keep me on my feet, moving, and mostly pain-free.
I've booked aisle seats on my flights so that I can get out of my seat and move around as needed. I'll be booking a first class rail pass for Spain so that I can have more room, more cushy seating, and more comfort. I've highlighted places on my Portugal/Spain map where spa towns are located so that I can have a soak in some hot springs and perhaps a massage to rejuvenate. I've had both my RMT and my cranial-sacral therapist tell me that they think traveling will actually loosen up some of my stiffness because I'll be outside of my normal routine and not static. I'll be assessing during my trip how I'm holding up. Wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment