November was a busy month, but I could not let it pass without talking about PH Awareness Month.
I have shared my story before of my initial diagnosis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) here. But this year, I want to share what PH has not stopped me from doing - Traveling.
When I was first diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in January 2018, the one thing I was unwilling to give up was my love of traveling. I knew the risks - I knew that flying by plane can be cautionary due to the stress of travel on the body and the effects of plane travel on heart rate, pressure and oxygen saturation. I also knew that with other forms of travel, like by car or cruise, it is worrisome because I could be far away from medical care, supplies, and my usual doctors. However, not to be deterred, with hard work on my part, lots of coordination with meds and supplies, doctor approval, research on how to travel safely, and support I knew that travel would not be too far out of reach.
Since my diagnosis, I have traveled to London, Paris, Iceland, Germany, Stockholm, did a week long Caribbean cruise, traveled for over a year and a half in an RV and many other road trips in between.
I know that having such a serious disease can make travel scary, but during PH Awareness month I want to show that it is doable - with precautions and planning. With the use of pre-boarding, medical bags, cardiac or pulmonary rehab, knowing how to order meds on the road, and travel insurance the stress of traveling with a medical condition is lessened. I started this blog and my Instagram to not only show how to travel with a medical condition, but show that it is actually possible. With these tools and doctor's approval, you can be back to doing traveling too.
It is coincidental that November is the month I started traveling by plane again after a hiatus due to the pandemic. Within this month I've flown on a total of seven planes, and it felt good to be getting back to normal - albeit with more safety precautions. If November has shown me anything, it is that despite having PH it does not have to dictate every aspect of my life, and for me that is the best awareness. It is important to keep sharing our PH stories, not only of diagnosis but of our hobbies that we can still enjoy, so those who have the same condition can see that things are possible despite a diagnosis. I can't wait to share more travel stories and tips, and help all those who wish to travel with any questions or concerns they may have about traveling with PH.
Eventually, I'll do a longer post about flying during the time of the pandemic and how it changes how you travel, so look forward to that post! Hope you all had a great November, and a great PH Awareness month, and will be back soon!
