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What preparations do you make when travelling with epilepsy?

Posted by Chris Gautier, Volunteer Mentor @santosha, Feb 23 5:35am

As I prepare for a 3-week holiday in Uruguay, I want to start a discussion about travelling with epilepsy.

Travelling with epilepsy takes a little extra planning — but it shouldn't hold us back from exploring the world or simply getting from point A to point B with peace of mind.
For this trip, I'm making sure I have enough medication and that everything I take is accepted in Uruguay — especially my CBD oil. As always, I carry a letter from my doctor with details about my epilepsy and the medications I take. Since my seizures aren't fully controlled at the moment, I also researched the medical facilities at our destination, which brings me real peace of mind. And thankfully, Uruguay and Brazil share the same time zone, so no adjustments needed there!

I'd love to hear how you prepare for your holidays away from home. Please share your experiences — your insights could make a real difference for someone planning their first trip since their diagnosis, or who has been hesitant to travel at all.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group.

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Chris Gautier, Volunteer Mentor | @santosha | May 16 8:51am
In reply to @dannoyes "What I didn't mention in my previous comment, @marianne72, traveling to France was far more difficult..." + (show)
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What I didn't mention in my previous comment, @marianne72, traveling to France was far more difficult than traveling to London. I felt cognitively that my brain faced an added challenge in dealing with the language difference. Cognitively, I hadn't expected this challenge.

One small thing that helped me was I had a notebook where I reminded me things to observe. What were the most prominent colors I saw? What shades of those colors did I see? Were people smiling? Did they make eye contact? How could I engage with those around me (a simple nod was often enough)? Were there any unique plants, trees, or wildlife I saw? This helped me get past the hustle and bustle. I also went out of my way to engage with Uber drivers. Sometimes, even a grunt and raising of the hand in frustration at another driver was enough to help build a common bridge. Lastly, taking to engage with others helped me get out of my own head. One outcome was I made a friend from Uganda that I still chat with today.

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@dannoyes
Hi Dan!
I understand you completely. Interestingly, even though I speak French fluently and hold French citizenship, I can still get quite stressed in Paris. I think it's more about the city itself than any language barrier.
During my recent trip to Uruguay, I faced a language barrier of my own, but the people there were so warm and went out of their way to make themselves understood. Montevideo is also a wonderfully calm city.
What a great tip about taking little photos along the way to remember the small conquests. I love that idea!
And my suggestion for next time: try the French countryside. There's so much beauty to discover there, and the people tend to be far friendlier and more relaxed than in Paris.
Did I understand correctly that Gabe was with you on that English and French adventure?
Chris

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Chris Gautier, Volunteer Mentor | @santosha | May 16 9:08am
In reply to @dannoyes "@santosha What I found incredibly difficult was coming back home. While I had a few impactful..." + (show)
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@santosha What I found incredibly difficult was coming back home. While I had a few impactful events on my trip, I had several significant ones during my first week back. It was interesting to see how my body took time to adjust. The trip reminded me that life doesn't have to pass me by and that I could intentionally spread my wings and fly (no pun intended).

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@dannoyes
You're not alone in this, Dan! Coming back home was harder than I'd imagined. Readjusting to São Paulo after three weeks in a city as calm and peaceful as Montevideo was quite demanding — and not just for me. My husband felt exactly the same way, and it's left us both reflecting on where we'd truly like to spend our lives in the future.
That said, my neuropsychologist wisely reminded me: there's a difference between spending holidays somewhere and actually living there. And my yoga teacher once put it beautifully — there are stressed people in peaceful cities, and calm people in busy ones.
Chris

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Chris Gautier, Volunteer Mentor | @santosha | May 18 8:23am

Good Morning to All of You!
I just came across an article that might be of interest to you.
How Do You Adjust Your Medication Time During a Time Change?
My Epilepsy Team
https://www.myepilepsyteam.com/resources/how-do-you-adjust-your-medication-time-during-a-time-change
This article could be a good starting point for a conversation with your doctor before your next trip to a different time zone.
Chris

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