Life and Travel: Chronic Illness Support
Having multiple chronic illnesses was not in my life “goals”.I had big dreams a child. I wanted to a marine biologist. An actress. A film director. A writer.
I wanted to travel the world.
Through my childhood I suffered a bit from pain but nothing that seemed like a red flag. Mind you it was the 80s and 90s and my Mom who was trained as a nurse - and to her everything was manageable.
A lot of the times I just pushed through. Took some naproxen and used a heating pad. Slept a lot as a teen. But of course I did not eat very healthy, no one was talking about whole foods then or what we should do for our gut health. Was told by my GP that I just had dairy intolerance. Maybe IBS. Your hormones are just high because you are a teen. You know how it goes…
It would take a couple more decades before I would start to connect the dots.
But this post isn’t about the journey. That is a story for another day.This is about sharing how I now provide daily support to my body as a middle aged woman with multiple chronic illnesses in order to live my life to the fullest, continue to be present for my son and go on new adventures.
The 2 MOST important things that I did to change my life
I stopped drinking alcohol
I drink an obscene about of water (4 litres a day)
*There are countless reasons that these 2 things are good for you but when you have chronic illness it is even more important: getting rid of toxins, being clear headed, staying hydrated, improved overall health and sleep.
My Tool Kit: (links included!)
A BIG ass water bottle: yes. Doesn’t need to be a Stanley. Just something you will actually use and can take everywhere and stay hydrated.
Garmin Watch: suggested by my MECFS specialist and helps me track everything from my heartbeat to my respiration to my sleep score. All super important for me and my doctors.
Heating blanket: with aches and pains due to my fibromyalgia, poor circulation and early arthritis this blanket gives me the comfort I need I feel unwell.
Heating pad: I no longer have a menstrual cycle because I had a hysterectomy at 39, and I did have extremely painful cramps, but now with my microscopic colitis - I get a lot of discomfort in my bowels and ribs and even lower back.
Castor oil:a naturopath suggested using this in combination with my heating pad at night to help soothe my pain and promote healing, its a habit that has stuck.
Compression socks: whether I am travelling by air, sea or land - I often have to drive a couple hours for doctors appts - compression socks have legitimately assisted with preventing swelling in my legs and prevent added exhausting to my already depleted system.
Blood pressure reader:because of my dysautonomia symptoms I like to have one on hand, to check my blood pressure when I have severe flares.
Magnesium: it is proven to have countless benefits for our body - and most people are not getting enough in their diet. For my body, magnesium helps with sleep, migraines and muscle recovery.
Collagen with protein: being a women - I have always been concerned about my collagen for the health and strength of my skin and hair. As I reached middle age this has been even more important - and now supplements have added protein which makes my life easier, because I do not get enough protein in my diet. Tasteless and easy to just add to my coffee every morning.
Vitamin C and D: due to my bowel disease I have some vitamin insufficiencies - this is important for we especially to prevent infections and catching something with a weakened immune system to keep my C levels up.
Eye mask: with my chronic migraines, I have light sensitivities and when the migraine hits there is not turning back, I need an eye mask to block out all of the light.
Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones: being stimulated easily by noise and it can affect my nervous system and trigger migraines or I need relief from them - noise cancelling is the only way to block it out.
Electrolytes: I need to keep my levels up. These help me so much when I travel. I swear that I do not have jet lag as bad when I add them to my water for my flight. And they do assist with my migraine management as well. It has been recommended by all my specialists.
Gua sha: of course as a middle aged woman I am concerned with my skincare - but more importantly I am worried about my circulation and and lymphatic drainage.
Dry brushing: this seriously helps my circulation in my legs and chest while making my skin feel softer.
Melatonin: I am an extremely tired person but I am a restless sleeper - this assists me to get the REM I desperately need.
Peppermint roller: I have always had a sensitivity to smells. But now it is much worse and I can feel nauseas and it can trigger a migraine. This helps with the pain and covers the smells I can’t handle.
Magnesium Bath Flakes: I love these bath salt for really soothing my aching joint and helping relax me for bed.
The collagen, electrolytes, vitamin C, and melatonin are all from a Canadian company that I really love called Organika.
**this is my tool kit, and might not work for everyone. I am not a medical professional. I am just sharing what works for me and my chronic illnesses.
