38 Tips To Make Traveling With Fibromyalgia Easier

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Troy Wagstaff

38 Tips To Make Traveling With Fibromyalgia Easier

Fibro Travel, A Reality Check.

I just went on a three-day two-night trip from Utah to Laramie Wyoming, located on the far eastern side of Wyoming. It’s a six to seven hour trip and about 580 miles one way.

My wife is a professional photographer. She had a friend that paid our way to drive out to Laramie and she paid our gas and food. All we had to do was drive out there. I will tell about things learned from the road trip and things we did right by comparing our experiences to the lists in the previous two articles on traveling.

Let’s see how I did on this short little trip. I am analyzing this trip against the 31 Tips For Traveling With Fibromyalgia . We left Sunday morning and arrived home Tuesday about 12:30 a.m. What did I learn from what I have written and from past experiences? How did I do in reality?

1. Don’t be negative but know your limitations.

Not only did this limitation issue go well, but when my wife and I were planning it, my wife was thoughtful of my limitations.

2. List of medications and Medical history.

Numbers two, three and four are on the same piece of paper in my wallet with a small overview of my health history.

3. List of allergies and a list of illnesses and which meds are used for which symptoms.

4. Take three extra days of medicine.

Did this one as and usual I didn’t need it, but it is smart to do because you never know.

5. Manage your own expectations.

Knowing your limitations and managing them are two different things. Did a good job with managing our expectations.

6. Manage others expectations.

My wife does well with this by now and our friend we went to see was very understanding. We did have to explain some issues but she was accepting of them all.

7. Plan ahead for things you may need like an electric scooter or wheel chair.

Didn’t apply to this road trip.

8. Plan for the flight, the check in time, and security lines. Give yourself more time than you normally would.

Didn’t apply to this road trip

9. Consider what is realistic when planning your vacation.

Knowing I would not enjoy being a part of Monday, the photo shoot day, I looked up tourist things to do in Laramie and Cheyenne and the Nebraska boarder. I did some research but my wife reminded me of my limitations so I kept my notes but didn’t plan on using them. I didn’t. I used Monday as a rest day. I worked on my Fibro Novel and read one of my books.

10. Always consider hot tubs.

Hot tubs would have been nice but we didn’t stay at a hotel and our friend didn’t have one. Thankfully I didn’t need one. I felt pretty good most of this short trip.

11. Always plan for rest time.

We were told it was a six-hour drive but it took us seven and a half hours. Probably do to the rest time we took. We didn’t rush while gassing up. We would use the restroom facilities and walk around the store. One rest stop managed by the State of Wyoming I actually did some walking.

12. Heating Pad.

I can cover items 12, 13 and 14 in one paragraph. Have not replaced my convertor so it’s not strong enough for my heating pad. I did use my converter for my I-phone to charge the phone and listen to music. My wires on my tens machines are broke so I didn’t bother bringing my tens machine. It always comes in handy and I missed it.

13. A convertor.

14.Tens Unit.

15. Make sure to get up and move around every couple of hours or as needed for your situation.

38 travel tips for fibroWe did this well. Could have done a little better but we did it pretty well. A shout out to the great state of Wyoming. The rest stops they have, are outrageously awesome. Clean indoor facilities, not “outhouse style” but really nice. They even hand out State maps for free and the have placards that tell of interesting things about Wyoming. It’s a great place to move around and let your dog out if your traveling with a dog.

16. Pace your self.

The only time things were out of control and I couldn’t pace myself was driving to Laramie. My wife drove about one and a half hours then got extremely sleepy tired, the tired that drives you to sleep. So I drove the rest of the way to Laramie which was about five hours. It wasn’t smart, but It didn’t hurt. I was blessed.

17. Know your limits.

My limits were well figured in but there was a new limit I learned about. Driving fast. Last week I read a study that said for women with fibro, their reaction time while driving is slower than someone without fibro. Fibro men didn’t show any issues. Turns out this guy with fibro when traveling at speeds of 80 to 90 mph has a slightly reduced reaction times. After a couple of scares I slowed down and felt much safer and better. I know another limit now.

18. Don’t be afraid to stop and rest as needed.

We ended up stopping every two hours and that worked for us.

19. Generous use of pillows if needed.

I have a special hypo allergenic pillow made from micro beads that is perfect for my neck problems and the mask I wear with my CPAP machine. I took it for sleeping but I didn’t need anything for driving. The mini van we have as extremely comfortable chairs for both my neck and head as well as my legs and back side.

20. Dramamine

Didn’t apply. No motion sickness for us.

21. Preparation. But remember that with all the preparation you make you can’t plan for rough days or flare ups. But you can plan to be prepared for them just in case they happen.

For me with flare ups I use a heating pad, a tens machine when it isn’t broken and my medicine as appropriate. I read, write or watch TV depending on the situation. So with my laptop and plenty of reading material and the heating pad I took care of this item very well.

22. Extra money.

We had very little. Couldn’t have made the trip if my wife’s friend hadn’t paid for it in exchange for the photo shoots.

23. Small squishy pillows.

My application of this item is the same as #21

24. Pics of pill bottles.

This is a different approach as item number

25. Plan on rest days.

We spent Sunday driving to Laramie and Tuesday driving home. The photo shoots were on Monday. I want to learn about some Wyoming history since I am a history buff and a fan of Western cowboys circa 1800’s. But I wisely took it as my rest day and it really helped.

26. Good reading material.

I had some excellent reading material in the way of novels and my scriptures are on my smart phone. I did a lot of reading and didn’t touch the TV at all.

27. A handicap parking placard.

Never go anywhere without it, in case I need it. I don’t always need it but it’s there for the days when I really need it.

28. Anticipate med. refills before you travel. I use Wallgreens which gives me access to my pharmacy records and refills if I mess up with my medications.

While I didn’t pack very well, I did go over my meds and made sure all was in order.

29. Prayer.

Prayer is a personal choice. My wife and I always start any road trip with prayer as well as starting our day with it, wrapping up our day with it and whenever needed during the day.

30. Bible study

Oops. I didn’t read my scriptures on this trip. Shame on me.

31. DVD’s – Videos

Due to the knowledge of the shortness of the trip I did not bring any DVD’s.

32. Extension cord.

This one is important if you bring a laptop, CPAP machine or any other electronic device, even to charge your phone battery. The room I stayed in had a very ackward layout for the outlets. My friend found an extension cord which helped a great deal. I recommend at least a six-foot modern extension cord that has three pronged out lets on it. This is probably even more important in a hotel room.

33. Pack ahead of time, proper luggage

Since we were leaving for three days it didn’t seem like a big deal to pack the morning before we left. It worked out ok, but it was unpacking when we got to our destination that was problematic. It was hard to find the toothbrush, and it was hard to find my packed medicine. Taking a little more time and organization for packing, I believe is wise.

34. Medical equipment.

Make sure to pack your durable medical equipment wisely and carefully. For me, my only equipment is a CPAP machine which comes with a case designed for the unique shape, the cord, hose and mask. My tens unit has a case as well but since it was broke I didn’t take it. My heating pad was difficult since it is so big and can’t be packed tightly. I just placed it loose in our van.

35. Don’t experiment with new drugs.

I didn’t experiment with new drugs but came up with the idea because earlier last week I tried Exedrine for my increased number or tension and stress headaches. I was comfortable with it enough to take with me for day time headaches. I don’t use it at night because of the caffeine.

36. Prepare for a travel crash after you get home.

From my small history of traveling with fibromyalgia, so far my crashes have occurred the day after I got home but this time my crash was two days after getting home. We need to be prepared for it. It can and almost always will happen within one to three days, from what I gather by feedback from other fibromites.

37. Clearly understand what going off plan will mean, consequences.

This idea came about because as we were passing Rock Springs, Wyoming and I thought of Carla and Russ, some old friends of ours we hadn’t seen in 25 to 27 years. We talked about seeing them on our way back to Utah. My wife talked to Carla and got it all set up. We knew that if we said we’ll only stay for a half our it would be an hour and we knew it would make us late in getting home. No big deal but my wife needed to get to work early the next morning. Long story short we were there for three and half hours. We got very late. It was worth it and we knew we would be behind schedule. You can’t plan everything perfectly but it’s nice to be as well planned as you can be. As long as you are aware of the consequences to a deviation in the plan then you should be all right.

It’s nice to be well organized when you plan. Chronic pain patients and other with chronic illnesses loose a degree of control being sick and being well planned gives you some control back so plan well and is there anything on the list I missed?

38. Message Seat Cover

This message seat cover isn’t very power full but it does the job. I took it as an experiment. The experiment was successful. I sat on it the whole time I was driving and it seem to make a noticeable difference. The big question is why didn’t I sit on it on the way home in the passenger set? I recommend it.

Here is an updated vacation prep list:

1. Don’t be negative but know your limitations.

2. List of medications and Medical history.

3. List of allergies and a list of illnesses and which meds are used for which symptoms.

4. Take three extra days of medicine.

5. Manage your own expectations

6. Manage others expectations.

7. Plan ahead for things you may need like an electric scooter or wheel chair.

8. Plan for the flight, the check in time, and security lines. Give yourself more time than you normally would.

9. Consider what is realistic when planning your vacation.

10. Always consider hot tubs.

11. Always plan for rest time.

12. Heating pad.

13. A convertor.

14.Tens unit.

15. Make sure to get up and move around every couple of hours or as needed for your situation.

16. Pace your self.

17. Know your limits.

18. Don’t be afraid to stop and rest as needed.

19. Generous use of pillows if needed.

20. Dramamine

21. Preparation. But remember that with all the preparation you make you can’t plan for rough days or flare ups. But you can plan to be prepared for them just in case they happen.

22. Extra money.

23. Small squishy pillows.

24. Pics of pill bottles.

25. Plan on rest days.

26. Good reading material.

27. A handicap parking placard.

28. Anticipate med. refills before you travel. I use Wallgreens which gives me access to my pharmacy records and refills if I mess up with my medications.

29. Prayer.

30. Bible study

31. DVD’s – Videos

32. Extension cord.

33. Pack ahead of time, proper luggage

34. Medical equipment.

35. Don’t experiment with new drugs.

36. Prepare for a travel crash after you get home.

37. Clearly understand what going off plan will mean, consequences.

38. Message Seat Cover

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A Supplemental Way To Manage Pain – TENS Unit

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Troy Wagstaff

A Supplemental Way To Manage Pain

Treating Localized Pain With a TEN’s Machine

I have always advocated a scientific pharmaceutical approach to treating chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and other chronic invisible illnesses. Here’s why. . .

More than thirty years ago, late in 1984 I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a unique form of arthritis. The symptoms of fibromyalgia and AS are very similar to each other. So, for more than twenty years I had arthritis, or so I was told. I learned back then, through literature published by the National Arthritis Foundation to be leery of “snake oil” remedies. Unscrupulous characters are out there praying on the people who are desperate with pain and are willing to try anything to get out from under dire pain.

Unless people selling these remedies have scientific research to explain why their solution works, I ignore it. It cost too much money, effort, emotion and false hope trying everything that comes along. Heck, people can’t even afford legitimate medicine let alone unproven solutions.

Additionally, using the TENS machine is not, in my opinion, a replacement for pain MEDs. I use it to supplement what I am already doing to manage my pain.

TENS UNIT

I am writing about a TENS Unit for treating chronic pain. I would not mention it, if I didn’t have first had knowledge of its proven ability to manage pain. I don’t have the finances to try everything that comes along and I don’t have the emotional energy to pin my hopes on every little unproven hope for a cure.

The TENS Unit is a proven piece of medical equipment that helps manage pain. I have more than ten years of experience with the TENS Unit. Back in those days, you had to have a prescription to get one and most of the time, a pre approval from your insurance to get a TENS Unit.

Now days you can get one from the internet, medical supply stores, physical therapy and chiropractor offices. From my experience they work wonderfully.

“TENS” means “Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.” The way it was explained to me about eleven years ago was the electrical signal scrambled the pain signals that are going to the brain. When these scrambled pain signals get to the brain, the brain doesn’t recognize the “ouch” signal and doesn’t know you’re in pain. They also said that the signal stimulates blood flow to the affected area which helps the body heal the affected area.

What they now say, eleven years later, about a TENS Unit is similar to what they said a decade ago with a few exceptions. “TENS machine works by sending stimulating pulses across the surface of the skin and along the nerve strands. The stimulating pulses help prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. The TENS device also helps stimulate your body to produce higher levels of its own natural painkillers, called Endorphin’s.”

They didn’t mention anything about endorphin’s eleven years ago in conjunction with the use of a TENS machine.

The electrode or pads as I call them send electricity into the body “Transcutaneously” which means under the skin but not very far. I wear a TENS Unit often and in public. Sometimes I can conceal the unit, itself in a pocket but not always. When people see, this machine clipped somewhere on my shirt they ask about it. When I explain that the machine relieves pain by sending electricity into my body, they are aghast at the thought of deliberately “electrocuting” myself.

tens_machine_pain_management1It’s not that way at all. If you have ever been shocked by electricity, don’t worry, a TENS Unit is very different. It is electricity, but it’s not like getting shocked. It feels kind of prickly and sometimes warm and there is a pulse like feeling. It is weird, very weird, but very worth it. I highly recommend it along with your tried and true pharmaceuticals.

You no longer need a prescription to buy a TENS machine. They are affordable for most people. There are a few things to consider about the TENS Unit. The wires that connect the electrodes to the TENS machine are very fragile and can easily get damaged. You have to buy electrode pads frequently as they wear out. For me it is worth it. It is very helpful in minimizing local pain. You can always buy new wires when they wear out or get damaged.

I have learned how to maximize the effect of the TENS machine for me by placing them very near the major nerves that come out from the spinal cord. Strategically placing them covers a wider range of your nervous system. They also have different size and shapes of the electrode pads. The effect of the therapy radiates out from the pad covering a bigger area than what is covered by the pad. I have found that the bigger the pad isn’t always worth the increased price.

Personal Experience

I have not had the benefit of a TENS Unit for a few weeks because my wires got damaged. As a result, my neck slowly and steadily got more and more sore and very stiff. The last four or five days the portion of my spine that goes through my neck feels like it has turned into a 2″ x 4″ stud in place of my neck. It was so stiff and sore that it hurt to bend my neck up, down or sideways. Then I started to get very dizzy. The dizziness came in spurts. Some episodes of dizziness last several hours and forced me to sit being too dizzy to walk.

I know that dizziness is a symptom of fibromyalgia, but it is also a result of other symptoms and medicines. I had a feeling the dizziness might be associated with the pressure in my spine and the stiff pain in my neck.

I waited to write this article until my new wires came in and I could have a several hours with the TENS attached. I knew it would help my neck and tension headaches, but wondered if it would also help relieve the dizziness from the pain and pressure in my neck.

I got the wires yesterday in the mail. I wore the TENS machine for about six to eight hours on two places on my spine. Most of the time the patches were attached to the neck area and an hour or so attached to the t-spine area because of the pressure in that region.

Within a half hour the chronic headache went away and the neck relaxed and the 2″ x4″ went away. As I finish this article, right now my neck is stiff, but not at all sore. Since yesterdays TENS therapy I haven’t been dizzy.

Pros and Cons

In my opinion, the TENS machine is a miracle item for chronic fibro pain. I even use it on my thighs, forearms, wrists and calf’s. But there are some pros and cons I can think of, you may want to consider.

PROS:

It relieves pain, even strong pain.

With widespread pain, sometimes MEDs will only work on certain areas. The patches of the TENS Unit can be localized just about anywhere, but not directly on bone or near the eyes. (Always read the instructions that come with the Unit.)

With intelligent use the TENS machine can be used for more than localized pain, but not for widespread pain. It will help wide spread pain, but not as effectively as localized pain.

Even though it is an electrical machine, it is natural and doesn’t have any medication side effects. Our nerve signals are carried by electricity in our body.

CONS:

If you wear it like I do, for hours on end, the skin touched by the adhesive on the patch can get red and irritated, sometimes even itchy. Most people and most recommendations do not suggest wearing the TENS for that long.

The patches need to be replaced. They can be pricey, but they tend to be more affordable online.

The wires are the single most fragile part of the Unit. If they get shorted out, you’ll need to replace them

All the TENS machines I’ve owned (around five or six) take nine volt batteries. They wear out and need to be replaced.

There are four pros and four cons. However, in my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons. If I ever travel, even for a single day road trip, I always make sure I have spare batteries and patches. They really make a difference. They are a good investment to make in pain management.

Members of my family and a few friends have used my TENS when they have hurt themselves with sprains, kinked backs etc. To me it is a miracle machine.

Troy Wagstaff ©

This article is written from personal perspective and is not medical advise. I am not liable for any medical issues arising from the information in this post

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