Most of us with disabilities know that taking a trip anywhere, no matter how short the distance or stay, requires much planning. This is particularly true if a condition entails the need for durable medical equipment, medications, or is one that could flare up at a moment's notice, such as asthma or MS. We research our destination to find out about accessible hotels and transportation. We check the TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) website to find out the most recent list of taboo items, and we check with those who have been there before about accessibility, medical facilities and what-not. We put instructions on our wheelchair. Then after all that work and worry, we get to the airport, train/bus station, or cruise dock and pray everything will go smoothly. Most of the time it does. Sometimes it doesn't.
But what do we do if we have a family emergency that requires traveling ASAP to a destination in another state or country, and we have no time for trip planning or research?
The trick is to plan in advance for the possibility of such an emergency, no matter how remote the chances of such an event happening seem to be.
I learned this lesson the hard way. Having grown up in a large family in Central Florida, I left the family and Florida behind when I relocated to Louisville many years ago.
Several years after this my sister collapsed in an emergency room and doctors did not think she was going to make it through the night. I immediately began calling airlines. This was a nightmare. My sister got sick in March, which means it was spring break. In Florida. Good luck.
And of course I had no phone numbers in my address book, the computer was not cooperative, and the phone lines were constantly busy. When I finally reached an airline, I was told that all I could do was come to the airport and wait for a cancellation and get on that flight. I was told it was best to come right away, as there was a flight leaving for Tampa in 45 minutes (this was pre-9/11) and one leaving for Orlando in three. I had no time to pack. Fortunately a relative living nearby took me to the airport. I arrived in Florida without hearing aid batteries, asthma medication, or my cane. Of course I had a flare-up of both the asthma and the MS in-flight.
Since Florida is my home state, I knew where the pharmacy and anything else I needed was. But I learned a valuable lesson from that experience. I now have a small tote bag loaded with an extra pack of hearing aid batteries, which I check periodically to be sure they work, a folding cane, an extra inhaler, plus a change of clothes and a small umbrella. My son has his own emergency bag backed. My address book contains phone numbers for airlines and
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EMERGENCY TRIPS, CONT'D
travel agents, and I keep a constant check of TSA's websites so there are no nasty surprises at the airport. I no longer use a wheelchair, thanks to hip replacement surgery, but if I did, instructions on how to transport it would ALWAYS be on the back of it in case of emergency. I would also have accessibility information on every location where I had a close relative or friend in my tote bag or purse at all times. As it is, I have the phone number for the pharmacy nearest a relative's home in Memphis, Chicago, Montgomery and Atlanta. This way, if I have to take an emergency flight and need hearing aid batteries or an inhaler (or anything else) I know how to find out where to get them.
I also frequently check with Greyhound and various airports in Florida. I now know how to get home in an emergency during spring break-even if it means flying to Jacksonville or Miami and taking a Greyhound bus home from there.
No one wants our loved ones to experience any type of crises, especially a medical emergency. But for those of us with disabilities, it is a good idea to plan for one just in case.
