My husband was diagnosed 5 1/2 years ago and is likely in stage 2 of PD. He is experiencing more difficulty with movement, partly due to needing a knee replacement. We want to enjoy travel for as long as he is able, but want to be thoughtful in our planning that he won't be overtaxed physically. We will of course plan on our trip after his recovery from surgery. We'd love any suggestions from the community!
To remember medication and keep track when your dosages are
I just got back from vacation, and we had an interesting turn of events. It taught me some extra things we should know when planning vacations. My HWP ended up in the Emergency Room because he became dehydrated, was tired, and failed to take a dose of his CL/LD. They thought that he had a stroke. What I didn't have with me was a list of all of his medications, the prescribed amount, etc. I also didn't have handy, the names and phone numbers of all of his doctors, nor did I have the dates of all of his previous operations and procedures. In the future, I am going to bring with me the hospital safety guide: https://www.parkinson.org/resources-support/hos... don't mean to alarm you, but being prepared is key.
Also, with travel, helping them to stay on schedule, getting lots of rest, drinking a lot of water, or other healthy beverages, reassuring them when they get confused. I also found that my HWP can drive normally at home, but when traveling becomes agitated and confused. I now need to be the driver.
I hope this helps a little,
Dori
Hello Dori!
Thank you so much for the comprehensive answer to my question. Yes, this is very helpful!
We are looking at cruises so that my husband has the option of staying onboard or getting off the ship to explore. Either way he can determine his needs day to day.
I have a document with all his medications, etc., which has been given to one of our sons (as a back up) so it will be easy to update, copy and bring along with us. Thank you for this suggestion!
Thank you also for the link. I see that it is not functional at this time, but it gives me a starting point to dig deeper!
Thank you again for your assistance.
If you think of anything else, please do reach out!
Kathi