#traveling with chronic pain

[thedisablednaturalist]

Disabled people should be allowed to travel in comfort just like everyone else. Idc if their wheelchair "takes up space" or if them using the airport transport service makes you jealous. Idc if you get mad bc they got to be seated first even though you paid a lot for your seat. I don't care if you think they are some TikTok influencer pretending to be disabled. I literally don't give a fuck. That person has a right to be there just as much as you do. Mind your own fucking business.

[anotherqueersnailowner]

dude why don't we have more public benches throughout towns. I'm fucking disabled if I have to walk the mile back home after work I'm either not gonna make it or I'm gonna end up laying motionless on the floor for the next half hour

[youngchronicpain]

One year ago today I was exploring Colorado with my best friend. 🐢

This is your friendly reminder that you can and should use whatever mobility aid suits your needs in the moment. And it is okay if those needs shift over the day. Medications, temperature, pain levels, fatigue, unsteadiness, inaccessibility. These are all very valid reasons why your needs could potentially change.

So rock that cane, then switch to your wheelchair when you need. Or go out with your wheelchair early in the day so you can be in less pain when you go to an inaccessible venue later and have to use either your cane or rollator.

Having a dynamic disability can be difficult to explain to others and I definitely understand the fear you feel. We will just have to be brave together.

[tea-cat-arts]

Actually, I hope Jiaoqiu stays blind (at least for a couple years in our time) and just bullies the Xianzhou alliance into inventing disability aids and treating disabled people better

[cletus]

Traveling while disabled is so fucked up because I have to bring all my medical stuff and mobility aids just to get through the trip but that also means I have to carry all that shit which is really hard to do when you’re fucking disabled.

[decora-kai]

Hey, quick question for those with mobility aids, more specifically those with forearm crutches and/or canes.

I don't personally have any mobility aids, other than this cane that my dad got like in the 90s and it's basically a prop ex: it has no rubber tip, I can't hold the handle properly due to the weird shape and i can only use it inside the house to get around

I've been contemplating getting forearm crutches for a while (or possibly a cane but I feel crutches would work better) and recently my pain + fatigue has gotten worse.

About to go on holiday for the summer in 2 weeks and I'll be In Canada for a month, my main problem is that most of my time will be spent walking around and exploring which I absolutely love to do but it causes bad flare ups a lot of the time. Yes, I would just buy crutches without hesitation, but I'm currently living with my parents who make most of my financial decisions for me and although I have sort of, vaguely brought up getting a mobility aid, I'm kinda scared to properly ask as I'm not yet diagnosed (I am in the process though) + I'm a little worried about being looked at weird/being called a faker for using crutches since I 'dont have a broken leg'

Basically, I'm just wondering what advice y'all have about asking your parents to get crutches and possibly about travelling with crutches (specifically flying with them)

Any help would be great tyy 😭🙏

edit: I don't really have the funds to buy crutches over the price of £40 but I also don't want to buy amazon crutches unless I absolutely have to for obvious reasons

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

Hey, wanted to ask where the last gifs you reposted (Alex frolicking on the beach) are from ?

Thank you :)

hii 💗

i’m assuming you mean this post? unfortunately i don’t know where the gifs are from either, but i’d also love to know - if anyone can help out please do! 🙏

he’s such a little cutie pie 🥺

[charliesfuckery]

Guys I’m on exchange rn and I’ve been here for about three weeks and my legs are killing me. This entire campus is just hill after hill after hill and I’m just not built for this anymore. I’m so frustrated no one let me know how inaccessible the campus was when I applied like I know it’s not something you advertise because you want people to come here but come on I keep nearly having asthma attacks when getting to class because I struggle so much to walk up there fucking hills. I think I’m just gonna have to start taking my cane everywhere but that presents its own issues because it’s always so busy and no one can walk in a straight line to save their lives and I just know someone will trip over it because they aren’t paying attention. Like it’s one thing to be in pain all the time but it’s another to have to actively do something everyday that makes it much worse with absolutely no alternative. Anyway rant over for now I guess, we’ll see if I can still walk by December.

[emberkyrlee]

Now that my neck isn't screaming at me, I'm able to get onto the computer and type this out properly and tell you how I was almost forced to miss my flight.

I got to the gate and as I approached with my boarding pass, the gate attendants wouldn’t let me board. Because as far as they were concerned I had four separate items which, regardless of size, exceeded the limit. I had a tiny backpack and a switch carrier, which can both EASILY fit under a seat together better than one normal size backpack. Fuck's sake...

They insisted I had to check something. I COULDN'T check my backpack, because I NEEDED it on the flight. It had foods that are safe for me to eat, and my medications, as well as compression gloves and other potential necessities. And I certainly wasn't checking my tiny-ass switch carrier. So I tried (begrudgingly) to check my laptop bag. BUT. The dollie to my laptop bag was considered a separate item (despite them both literally being designed for this purpose and move as one item) and they told me it couldn't be checked.

Guys, they were telling me I couldn't board, and talking about re-booking me and telling me I needed to figure something out as everyone else had already boarded and they were ready to leave without me. I was barely holding back tears, I was panicking. Like WTF DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO WHEN I HAVE LIKE 5 MINUTES AND YOU ARE REFUSING TO DO THE THING YOU SAID I NEEDED TO DO.

I ended up finally convincing them to check my laptop bag and its dollie as SEPARATE items, and got them separated and the dollie closed up. (I am unable to carry the laptop back on my shoulder due to a permanent neck injury, hence the dollie situation. Though it got flared up anyway thanks to this shit) They told me it'd be sent to the baggage claim people and to go to them with the claim tags. I was the last person on the plane, still barely holding back tears. During the flight I was squished between two people, and the pressure was HELL on my joints, so I was in incredible pain for 5-ish hours. Even while medicated.

Then we landed and I made my way to get my checked items. Grabbed my suitcase from the carousel, and went to the baggage claim office to get my laptop and dollie. But instead of sending the gate-checked items to the baggage claim office like they said they would, they put my SOFT LAPTOP BAG on the fucking carousel. Laptop and other contents seem ok, thankfully. Was only now able to check.

Anyway… FUCK United Airlines.

[kodii-ak]

Back Pain 💥

[id: A sketch of a fox lying on the ground. It's back is facing the camera, and a long, jagged line runs along where it's spine should be. /end id]

[thedisablednaturalist]

people who've used both a scooter and a powerchair, which do you prefer? Do you like one for certain activities or is one better overall?

[sonofapunk]

Genuine questions, for anyone who has flown with forearm crutches (or a mobility aid similar): how was the experience? What advice would you give someone about to do so for the first time in a few weeks? What should I prepare for? How can I carry my luggage as a crutch user?

[youngchronicpain]

I was in Las Vegas recently with my partner and we were going around the city. I had a drink in my hands. And, as a wheelchair user, I just knew that a stranger was going to try to make a bad joke.

Of course, I didn't have to wait long.

"Are you allowed to drink and drive?" laughed an older woman as she passed.

I usually just give people a mild smile and move on. But this time, I was mentally prepared.

I decided I would say "You owe me 5 dollars! Every person that says that to me today owes me 5 dollars."

And I did!

The woman stopped in her tracks and grabbed out her wallet.

"I'm sorry. I only have a 20, will that work?"

I waved her off.

"You're okay, I just hear it a lot when I'm out trying to enjoy myself and it can get tiring."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize." she said, looking embarrassed.

And off I went!

I was really proud of myself. Little things like that take time to have the confidence to do. It was empowering. I don't have to fake laugh at jokes made at my expense that aren't funny. Give me 5 dollars for even having to listen to it!

[dinosaursgowoof]

How are you asking me to attend events a year in advance when I don’t even know what my health will be like an hour from now?

[crazycatsiren]

Me, in a mega flare after a week of traveling: I regret NOTHING!

[consider-your-potatoes-mashed]

Okay so I’m heading back to school after spring break and my trip was AMAZING like seriously I loved it but wow I’m in so much pain now from everything we did. I had rest time and most days were laid back but damn even still. I made the mistake of bringing neither my crutches nor my braces with me because I thought they’d be a nuisance rather than helpful but I have definitely come to realize that any potential level of nuisance-ery is far less than the helpfullness of them. I hopefully won’t make that mistake again.

On another note screw the stairs you have to take up to a plane sometimes. Those are so wobbly and steep and long. And oh my my knees wanted to CRY.