{"id":737,"date":"2013-07-23T18:40:30","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T18:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=737"},"modified":"2013-07-20T19:28:09","modified_gmt":"2013-07-20T19:28:09","slug":"illness-on-the-road-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2013\/07\/illness-on-the-road-part-one.html","title":{"rendered":"Illness on the Road Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maureen<\/a>Vacations can be relaxing, rejuvenating, exciting, and wonderful. But when you have a chronic illness, well, vacations can be something else entirely.<\/p>\n

As much as we wish it weren’t so, chronic illness doesn’t take a vacation. No matter how many frequent flyer miles we have, or how terrific it is to see friends and family, our aches, pains, medications, and other health baggage come with us.<\/p>\n

As difficult as it might be to travel with an illness, good planning can help make the way a bit easier and a bit less worrisome. Here are some tips:<\/p>\n

Talk with your doctor about the trip you’ll be making, and ask what you need to take with you, as well as what you should do should an emergency arise. Today, many docs have contacts in other cities, which can be very helpful if you need immediate, personal assistance. Also, with modern ways to communicate, your doctor might only be a call or a text away.<\/p>\n

Make room in your luggage for what you need to take care of your health –\u00a0Insurance cards, prescriptions, etc. And, make room in your schedule for rest, exercise, and the other activities that help you take care, too.<\/p>\n

Communicate with loved ones and family in advance about any restrictions you might have – reducting sun exposure, for example, or not participating in strenuous sports, hiking, or other physical activities. Help them understand you want to spend time with them, but need to manage your health situation carefully.<\/p>\n

Pack all of your relaxation techniques and prayers – and put them to use as you navigate highways, airport lines, and other tiring aspects of travel.<\/p>\n

Allow yourself to look forward to the trip, even if it does mean extra work. Although illness doesn’t take a vacation, that doesn’t mean you can’t!<\/p>\n

Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vacations can be relaxing, rejuvenating, exciting, and wonderful. But when you have a chronic illness, well, vacations can be something else entirely. As much as we wish it weren’t so, chronic illness doesn’t take a vacation. 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.maureenpratt.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/author\/mpratt"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/548"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=737"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":746,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737\/revisions\/746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}