Have just had a lovely few days away with my husband in Kent, but not too long ago the thought of travelling anywhere would have filled me with dread. Would I be able to cope with the travelling? Would the room and bed be comfy? Would it be boring for D when I can't join in because of pain or tiredness?
But now I look forward to our times away because like a good boy scout I make sure I am well prepared for the journey and the increased activity when away from home.
Its all in the planning about a week before I will start thinking about and getting together anything I think will make my holiday more enjoyable:
heating pad, enough medication, ipod, magazines, Nintendo DS, notebook, pain machine (Remedi pain device) and good beer guide for nice pubs.
I will try to research the area we are going to for things to do and places to visit checking out disabled facilities if I think I need them. I used to feel embarassed about asking for wheelchair assistance or concessions but now I just ask. The problem is one of not looking disabled but we had a really good experience at Leeds Castle in Kent offering disabled concession- free carer, land train up to castle, entrance through front door instead of down steps and wheelchair if needed.
Some other places have made me feel a bit like i am trying it on and was once given an enormously wide wheelchair I think because they thought the disabled person was in the car- I hope that is the reason anyway. When we went to Cornwall it was the first time of using a wheelchair and I cried the first time beause it is just admitting you need it but D convinced me it was better to use it and be together than him look around the gardens and me waiting in the coffee shop. D had to get used to it too as he kept abandoning me in various places while he went to look at plants and the like.
At the Eden project I used an electric wheelchair which was great apart from my lack of driving skills as I ended up managing to climb up a tree trunk in it until D came and rescued me. It was handy though when it started to rain as I could just speed off under cover and leave D to get wet.
The most inportant thing to take away is enough medication- I also have a letter from my doctor stating that my medication is on prescription and would check the country I am going to in case they have any rules about what medications are allowed. I always take them in their original boxes maybe being a bit paraniod but better not to have any worries.
Strangley enough had wierd reaction to sheets at hotel in Kent sneezing and itching every night so now will have to add own bedding to list. I have now bought a travel tempur matress but forgot to take it!!! In the past if the bed is too hard I have used any extra bedding in the accomodation to pad the mattress like blankets or spare quilts to make it more comfy.
If your journey has been long don't forget to allow time to recover- I didn't do that last year when we had flight delays and an awful journey and wasn't right for a good few days after arrival when I would have been better to have rested completely the first day and left D to his own devices.
I find that any holiday means spending some time apart but we are used to it now and will decide to go out during the day or in the evening or David might go for a walk while I rest or do somethng less taxing.
We even took a Dvd player with us this trip in case there wasn't one in the room and watched a nightly episode of "The Prisoner" together.
