Who doesn’t love holidays? What should be
an exciting little stint away in the sun (or snow, if you’re that way inclined)
can turn out differently when you have some extra baggage. Carrying around an
invisible disease like hypermobility syndrome is stressful, painful and often
off-putting.
Most sufferers will have there home set up
in a way that means they can get themselves comfortable, access things they
need easily and not to have to worry about coming unstuck in an emergency. “I
need to be picked up off the floor, my hips has come out and I can’t move.”
Happy holidays everyone!
I’ve done a fair bit of travelling since I
was diagnosed and can remember dreading the first plane journey I did PD
(post-diagnosis, for fun). I had just about got used to sleeping without being
woken up by extreme shoulder pain and started worrying about different beds and
coaches and plane seats and train journeys. It’s not fun, but you realise you
just can’t help it. Most savvy people will pack their painkillers and so on,
but if you’re going somewhere a bit unconventional or backpacking, there’s
plenty of objects for your survival kit you might never have imagined.
Three years and I am happy to say I flit
away without barely a second thought now. My pain is well controlled, which is
very fortunate and helps, but I now have a hit-list of important joint
crime-busting items.
Cotton wool- This sounds weird, but if you
are travelling with a rucksack and you know you’ll need to carry it a fair bit,
buy yourself a few of these and put them under the straps. They’re the perfect
cushion. I have a travel cushion, but it's awkward to carry and I don't find it that comfortable after five minutes, so don't bother with it.Also cotton wool is SO handy, for like nail varnish emergencies and
such. You can pick them up for about 40p so it doesn’t matter if you chuck
them.
Deep heat and freeze- Probably obvious to
anyone who has hypermobility. Our muscles work much harder to pick up the slack
from joints so when the aching it starts, it really starts. I find only the
Boots brand really helps me, and others I have spoken to about muscle pain
relief have always had a preferred brand. Take it with you. I forgot mine when
I went to Thailand and couldn’t find anything nearly as good as what I would
use at home.
A big thick jumper- The bigger the better.
Hopefully you won’t need to wear said jumper on your lovely sunny holiday, but
if you can fit it in the suitcase, I recommend. You can fold them up to add an
extra pillow, lay on them to cushion your back, put them between you and a
rucksack, rest them around your neck on planes or just sit on them when you
need something soft. Jumper-pillow-cushions have been a lifesaver for me at
festivals over the last five years. Hotels often only provide one crap pillow
and if you’re in a hostel you might not be able to get another. Also, if you do
get cold…
Massage balls- They look a bit like
colourful sea creatures. You can get them on amazon for about £6 for three and
they are definitely worth it. They’re also small so you can chuck them in your
handbag. Hotel beds and particular hostel beds are not always forgiving on sore
joints. All you have to do with these is stand against a wall or sit up
straight on a chair with a back and roll the ball around. If you get
particularly good at it you can even get knots out.
Don’t forget your trainers- Earlier this
year I was in Paris with my friend and we walked miles and miles. I packed a
nice pair of shoes for looking nice and wore dolly shoes to the airport. Two
days later, there I am in a Parisian McDonald’s sitting crippled over some
chips and a coffee. Never again will I not take trainers away with me. Even
though I had been untroubled for weeks before this, I was troubled for weeks
after just because my shoes didn’t support me properly. It was even warm enough
for the nice shoes anyway. Le sigh.
I spent last week at a music festival in Croatia and spent the last three nights using a big hoodie as an extra pillow. When back ache calls, you gotta answer with something. Hypermobility is a pushy illness, but there is plenty out there to help shut it up.
Oh and Croatia by the way, is BEAUTIFUL.
