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Flying, Traveling, and Living with MS

Mobility Issues
Advice for Wheelchair Travelers

Living with a chronic disease is life-altering.  What was is no more.  Nevertheless, it isn't all doom and gloom, even if that disease is multiple sclerosis, MS.  For the newly diagnosed, you may worry after learning that the disease uses a person's own immune system to attack nerve connections in the brain causing varying symptoms.  

However, if you have the relapsing-remitting form, which is the most common, there are drugs that help keep the disease at bay for some time.  In fact, many people have few symptoms until the disease progresses.  For some, that progression never comes.  For others – like me – we are not quite so lucky and go directly into the progressive types of the disease.  This is my story. 

In the Beginning, There was a Chair

My disease began with a bang.  Severe nystagmus, dizziness, and difficulty walking kept me tethered to a wheelchair for many years.  Most of the time, even on my worst days, getting around the house without assistance was not an issue.  However, who wants to stay in the house when there is so much of the world yet to be explored?  This was my biggest challenge.  I love to travel.  Still, it was not all doom and gloom.  It is all about readjusting.  Moreover, there is a nice happy ending coming up soon.  So, don't reach for the tissue just yet. 

Flying with the Chair

Yes, traveling with a wheelchair can be a major hurdle, so special arrangements were always required.  Calling well before our scheduled flights and securing wheelchair assistance at airports ensured we could get to the gates in plenty of time.  In addition, security was a breeze, even for my hubby.  Storing the chair, however, was not a breeze.  These must be stored with luggage.  Arg.  Chairs can be easily damaged, so it's best to minimize the chances. 

To ensure I had a chair once I deplaned, I always requested to gate-check my chair, so I could ride it right up to the door of the plane.  Once here, I could remove the leg supports and portable seat cushions to store in the overhead bins; these do not travel well.  After collapsing, I'd tie the arms of my chair together, creating a tight and much smaller package.  Even these precautions did not keep my chair safe in all situations.  So, I advise including research of wheelchair rental shops to your travel-planning list. 

Pluses About the Chair

Rejoice!  There are perks to being the person in the chair.  The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and even many local zoos are free or discounted for the chaired and assistant.  In fact, when we visited the Louvre, others parted the way so I could see the Mona Lisa, which would have otherwise been impossible.  At my level, all I saw were others' derrieres.   

Today

As I promised, there is a happy ending.  Because MS offers its victims reprieves now and then – even for the most progressive forms – I have been chair-free for over 15 years.  I cherish every moment of walking and riding my three-wheeled cycle—still dizzy, so no bicycles.  There's no way to know when my legs will stiffen up again nudging me back into the chair.  And this is how it is for most of us with MS.  None of us know the how and when of the progression and symptoms.  Thus, it forces us, or at least me, to live each day as if it were the last day of freedom.  It's rather liberating in a way, rather ... joyful.

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