Staying Healthy While Traveling

SPEAKER_00 0:00

The following is for informational purposes only. For medical advice, please see a medical professional.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Welcome to Staying Alive with Margaret and Susie. Yes, welcome. In this episode, we're going to cover healthy travel, whether you're close to home, going on a hike, or on an international flight, we want to cover uh ways to stick to your routine, finding the transportation mode that's best for your health, getting the help you need if you're traveling, and being realistic about any physical limitations you might have. So that's what we're going to cover. I was thinking that uh I love to travel, and I a lot of seniors start traveling when they're 66. When I was 66, that was March 2020. So travel was put on hold, and we had to really think about how do we do this healthy now? And so um we're gonna talk about that and we're gonna start with sticking to routines when we travel. So do you want to say anything about that, Susie?

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Well, I I have uh, you know, I have challenges when I travel because I have to take prescription medication and um I have dietary things that I have to stick to. And I find it I find it challenging sometimes when I'm away from home. Even yesterday I went to uh on a little road trip with a friend and they picked a restaurant where there really wasn't anything that I could eat, you know. So I mean, it it can be challenging. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Yeah. So um as far as food goes, I noticed that the mode of transportation completely changes what my needs might be. Like if I'm doing a car trip, I keep cases of water in in the trunk of the car. Like I I buy water by the case to make sure I have all the hydration I need. I I have a cooler, I you know, I pack so much food. Um food food and water is never a a problem for me. In a car on a car trip. On a car trip.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

And then yeah, it's challenging though. I we went we were on a train recently and um the train got delayed. And you know, so like maybe a five or six hour trip turned into an eight-hour trip. And you know, there was almost only so much train food that I wanted to eat. Yeah. And um, you know, and that impacted me in other ways too, and that was my comfort level, you know, not being, you know, move you gotta get up and move around, you know, because sitting for that many hours was just not very good for me.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

So um, yeah, it can be it can be challenging. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

And then and then there's medications. Like if you if you um check a bag and put your medications in it and think uh like Susie did, well, it's only gonna be a three-hour trip, but then it it goes on and you're supposed to take that med twice a day and it's in a checked bag. Like you have to keep your medications with you at all times.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

Yes, and I liked your idea that you had when we were talking earlier about making sure you write down your medications, you know, the the actual official name of them, so that if you lose your medications, you can get them, perhaps wherever you're going. Oh, yes. Look, you know, so I take pictures.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

I take pictures of the bottles. Yeah, yeah. But write them down too, because what if you lose your phone? Yeah. Some of the names are so long, it's like, well, what the heck? Yes, yep. Yeah, that's really good.

SPEAKER_02 3:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

I usually bring special socks with me when I travel. Like I didn't know about that when I was younger. What? People wear compression sh socks on long flights. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So there's something about that that keeps your blood pressure regulated.

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Well, you know, I was just reading an article about that this morning, and they say it's not necessarily true for everyone, but it's around venous insufficiency. And so when you're sitting for a long time, it certainly can't hurt. Yeah, I think it's a really good idea.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

And you know, when you're on the plane, you can't bring liquids through security. And so I have my empty water bottle, and then as soon as I get through security, I find the water and I fill it up. Because uh, what if the the the flight is delayed? I don't want to wait till I get on the plane to ask for water, and they're not even that um forthcoming with the water on the plane, and so I want to make sure I stick to my hydration. So I have a big w water bottle that I bring and the little um food bags with the with the nuts and and all that sort of thing. Um when I travel uh on I've I've tried train travel recently, and that's been interesting, like long distance train travel. They do have good food on those trains, and I was good, I I recommend signing up for that because they do have good food.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Not on the train I was on, but yeah, but mine was a shorter trip.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Yeah, that wasn't they didn't have like overnight compartments and and and that sort of thing. And for for some older friends, like I used to really look down my nose at the idea of cruises, cruising, you know. I mean, we know like environmentally there there's issues around cruise ships and all kinds of things, but with my friends who are now in their late 80s, 90s who love to travel, that's really all they can do now is a cruise. I mean, I live in some in a place that's on the coast so they can get access to a cruise ship and they just love it so much. Um, I would never begrudge that. It's like never say never, Margaret. Maybe someday I'm gonna be going back to a cruise. I don't know, you know. Because you got everything you need on that. I remember the last family trip I did with my parents was a cruise, and that's where I realized and they have great physicians on those cruises. My dad needed care and he got it. Like the there's physicians on the cruises.

SPEAKER_02 6:42

Yeah, I have friends that travel quite a bit, and um, I talked to one of my friends who travels about travel insurance, and travel insurance can cover some things like having to rearrange your reservations, you know, if there's fees involved in that, but it can also cover like if you get injured and have to fly home and maybe need some help with that, maybe with a nurse, or you know, you need special place in the airplane, like maybe you know, you were we're flying coach and you might need to go first class or yeah, so travel insurance can be helpful and some people do that. I read that it's between five and ten percent of the cost of your trip, which uh sort of depends on how expensive your trip is, whether or not that's you know, something you want to do. But um, I think for some people it's not a bad idea because I've known people who ended up um having a blood clot or a broken leg or you know, something that really interferes with their trip.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

Yeah. Well, if we we happen to have any international listeners, we we're gonna tell you right now, if you're coming to the United States, get travel insurance. Yeah, really. You know, really different countries have have different uh health care plans, and maybe some are more doable for for people without health insurance than others.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

Yeah, you don't want to get sick when you're traveling, that's for sure. That's a bummer.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

Yeah. Yeah. But uh it does happen and it and it has happened. And um one one time I had a a fall when I was um in Europe, and that was when I had the first experience of wheelchairs in airport. Yeah, and they are a wonderful thing. And yeah, um, let's just talk about that for a minute. That um there are special assistance services on airlines and also on cruises and also on long distance train trips. I've experienced all of those where, you know, maybe you're at an age where you were only somebody who liked to travel in your car, but you know you can't be behind the wheel of a car doing that anymore. And so, um, and and maybe you are even handicapped now in some way where you're thinking, oh, I can't travel anymore. But the handicapped services on airplanes, long distance trains, and also on cruises, fantastic. And and there will be people to meet you with a wheelchair from from door to door.

SPEAKER_02 9:32

There's nothing wrong with using a walker or a wheelchair, you know. I mean, if you need it, you need it. And who wants to be uncomfortable? Sometimes you have to walk a long ways in an airport, right? You know, and sometimes there's a change in your flight, and then you have to go further. And yeah, no, it's I think it's a really good idea to take advantage of those things. I was always amazed at my mother, you know, she had a hard time walking, but with Walker, she could really fly.

SPEAKER_01 9:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

You know, it's like, whoa, okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

So so ask for the help you need and and being keeping in mind that there are special services. And on on some airlines, well, on on all airlines, they will give you a special seat for a price, uh, but on some they will do it for no additional charge. Right. Make absolutely certain that you are on the aisle near the the bathroom if you need it or whatever, whatever that need is. Um they will help you. So don't feel that, oh, I'm I'm embarrassed to ask for help because they're there to help and and they want to help.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

I mean, just think about it. People who travel with small children, they have to make all sorts of accommodations for themselves when they're traveling, and everyone goes, Oh no, I'm gonna be sitting next to the baby. But you know, uh it's no, you know, the mom feels really embarrassed. And it's like, it's like, well, different people of different ages have different needs, you know, and there's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Yeah. Yes. I saw a comedian recently who said, I think when we travel, there should be one airplane for the the adults and the parents and one for the children, and put all the children on that plane and say, See you when I get there, sweetie. Like, have fun, and then you can have like the daycare center on there and the nannies and like bye, you know, something funny, right? So um, and also be realistic about any physical limitations that you have. I um had an experience with that, which I won't go into too much detail, but it's so sad. Uh, I had an elderly family member traveling with me for six hours to a family funeral, and they didn't want to be a bother, so they drank no water for six hours. And by the end of the weekend, they had a kidney infection. And I was like, How did you get that? And they said, like, oh well, I didn't drink any water on our on our way to the funeral because I knew we needed to get there right away. And I I know how frequently I have to go to the bathroom if I'm drinking water and I didn't want to be a bother. And so um, so you really have to you have to get your needs met. And of course, like I I was like a 40-something at that point, and so I didn't even know like what it was like for for elders, and I didn't even think about it. I didn't feel like I had water bottles in the car, and I was able to go hours without going to the bathroom. It never occurred to me that they couldn't do that, and so they just weren't drinking water, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:49

So, so be a real it can be hard too because um sometimes it's hard to find a restroom when you're in a car on a car trip. That was really hard. I had to take my mother um often and it was it was challenging. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Yeah. And so and so that's a reason why maybe some peop person might give up car travel because they know they need the bathroom more often, and so they want to get on a mode of transportation where they have some something else. But the point is don't give up entirely, don't give up traveling, and enjoy enjoy it and yeah and keep going. And um right. Anything else you want to tell?

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Well, yeah, because you don't you want to get out there and see the world if you're sometimes people have special needs.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Like, didn't you say you have a friend with a special eye care routine?

SPEAKER_02 13:44

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

And sometimes you need modified devices to bring with you that with you.

SPEAKER_02 13:50

Yeah, she has to use eye drops, which aren't a problem. You can take eye drops pretty easily, but she has to use um compresses on her eyes, I think three times a day. But she told me that you can buy disposable ones in packets so that you don't have to worry about that when you're traveling. Because um, so I I don't remember it's a glaucoma or macular degeneration, all those kind of uh even dry eye. Some people have to have those things with them.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:21

And so you can buy them in a disposable little packet. Yeah. So you can still use them.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

My friends who are say diabetic, you know, they they bring their energy bars with them everywhere. I mean, they have special foods that that that they have that they know they can take a bite of it and they'll be okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

And sometimes flight crews have little things. I remember I was on a flight once it got, and then when we got landed, we got delayed getting off the plane, and a guy next to me was a diabetic, and they gave him some orange juice or something, you know. I mean, so that they're they can help you. Don't forget to ask for help.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

And and don't forget exercise too. Like if you need to get up and walk, you get up and walk on a plane. Like, you know, what when they allow you to take the seatbelt sign off. But right, right, um, move around because as a senior, we need to keep moving to keep our circulation going in a way that a younger person might be able to get away.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

And you might want to do that in the airport too. I mean, while you're waiting, because otherwise you're sitting, sitting, sitting, and then you're sitting, sitting, sitting on the plane, and you don't sometimes don't know how long that would be. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, enjoy I think I think we've covered what we want to cover.

SPEAKER_01 15:33

And so stay healthy and keep traveling and just really enjoy your love.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

Remember to subscribe and um, you know, review our podcast and check out our like us and like us, yes. And check out our website, which is staying alive with Margaret and Susie S-U-S-Y.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Great. Okay, thank you. Thank you. See you next time. Yep. Until next time, we are Staying Alive.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

You've been listening to Staying Alive with Margaret and Susie. This show is hosted by Margaret Cooley and Susie Hymas. To subscribe to our show, leave a comment, or ask a question, please visit staying alive with margaretandsuzy.com. Our podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. If you've enjoyed our program, please feel free to leave us a five star review. Thanks for listening.