It's that time of year again....packing UGH

Summer is finally here and so is our much awaited family vacation. But for rme it adds to my "packing" anxiety that I have always suffered from. Even a short weekend trip has caused much stress on what I could wear vs what I will actually wear. I have been known to pack a 50lb bag for a weekend trip and 3/4ths of it came home unworn. Short Bowel Syndrome and an ileostomy have caused my "packing" anxiety to be much worse. I no longer have to plan what I want to wear but also what medical supplies I need and where they need to be sent. The first thing I do is call the hotel to let them know I will have a package coming and will need a refrigerator to keep supplies cold. Most of the time they don't charge for deliveries or refrigerators but have had that happen once even after I explained it was for medical reasons. I submit all my supply orders with the correct shipping address and arrival dates so everything arrives on-time. TPN and some IV fluids are refrigerated and  date sensitive (anwhere from 7-14 days) so it's important that it arrives at the correct time. ThriveRx is very helpful about getting my supplies where I need them to go but I still have to figure out how many bags of fluids, tubing, flushes, port change kits etc. I like to be as thorough as I can to avoid emergency shipments of supplies.

My ostomy supplies are another issue, I have to plan enough to cover the trip but also extra's in case of an accident or blow-out. Those supplies are harder to get since you can order only from the supply company you have signed up with, it's not like you can walk into any pharmacy and pick up any supplies you need.  

Since we are driving, all the medical stuff takes up precious cargo room so I try to pack as light as possible. When I fly, I always take a days worth of supplies in case my checked bag gets lost. Flying has it's own problems with going through the security checkpoint. I am always getting asked what fluids I have in my pocket and they check any fluid bags in my carry-on. Each time I fly, I allow for more time to get through screening since each airport is different. One might let you go through easily where others give you the whole bomb pat-down. You just never know!

After the family vacation, I am going to the Oley conference in Orlando. The Oley foundation supports those on Parental and Enteral nutrition by education, outreach and interaction. I look forward to meeting others that I interact with on their Inspire website. The attendees are from all walks of life, medical conditions and ages. It's very inspiring to watch the young children that have never know a life without lines and backpacks go about their lives like it's no big deal! I willl keep you posted from there.

So for now I must finish packing so I can rejuvenate at the beach to keep on Living, Loving and Laughing!

The small amount of supplies I am bringing just to get me started...