Stress-Free Traveling With IC

Over this past weekend, I traveled from San Diego back to New York to visit my family for an extended holiday.  Traveling can take a toll on even the healthiest of people, so we ICers need to be extra careful. While it was wonderful to see all of my loved ones, the trip was fairly hard on my still quite fragile body. I forgot just how challenging traveling can be for us IC patients! While I usually feel quite normal and IC isn't a major worry of mine, I found myself combating a flare-up while I was on the East Coast.  

Flying out of beautiful San Diego to head to freezing cold New York!

People with IC know just how stressful traveling can be while coping with a chronic illness.  There are all sorts of things we must take into consideration that we once took for granted: packing IC friendly foods, making sure we get aisles seats on the plane, bring our emergency tools to cope with unexpected flare-ups... the list goes on! My experiences this weekend got me thinking, and I've developed a list of travel tips for ICers to make the experience as enjoyable as possible.

• If traveling by plane, make sure to book an aisle seat. This will take away the stress of disturbing your seatmates while getting up and down if you aren't feeling well or if you are experiencing urgency. If you are having a particularly bad flare-up, it can be helpful to let the flight attendants know so that they can work to accommodate you better. One time during a brutal flare-up, a saintly flight attendant allowed me to stretch out and sleep over the back row of open seats.  It's better not to keep it to yourself when you are in pain.
• Wear comfy clothing. I'm talking leggings, sweatpants, a flowing maxi-skirt... anything with an elastic waistband that won't constrict your pelvis.
• Bring a pillow or cushion to sit on. This can help lessen the impact of plane turbulence or a bumpy car ride on your pelvis.
• Bring your favorite heating pad.  Everyone with IC knows that a heating pad can do wonders. I bring mine everywhere, and I even have a portable outlet in my car so I can plug it in during a long car ride!
• Pack your favorite on the go IC snacks.  Make sure you have options! Don't get stuck eating something because you are starving and have no other choice.  Some of my favorites are plain almonds, Larabars, or Kind Bars in IC friendly flavors! I also make sure to pack some herbal teas so that I can enjoy a comforting hot beverage while on the go. 
• Make sure to get adequate sleep. When traveling, we often spread ourselves too thin to get everything done in a short amount of days.  This is bad news! When we are tired, our bodies are more prone to flare-ups. While traveling, it is important to be selfish and make sure to care of ourselves; we can only do so much.  Your loved ones and friends will understand!
• Make sure to stay hydrated. While on the road, our water intake can often drop.  Also, flying dehydrates our bodies, badly! Make sure to continue to drink water during your visit, but make sure to take small sips instead of chugging so that you aren't running to the bathroom.
• Bring distractions. When we experience flare-ups, our minds can often be our worst enemies.  I like to distract myself with music, a good book, a movie, or meditation techniques.  During my most recent plane ride, I wasn't feeling very well so I used a new meditation app on my phone, HeadSpace, (I will write about this soon!) to help calm my nerves.  Within a few minutes, the pain had lessened. Having enjoyable distractions can really make a huge difference.

Happy holiday traveling and happy healing!