Travelling at the best of times can be stressful, confusing and tiring. Now imagine whilst doing that whilst you’re ill. It can be incredibly difficult at times, but the rewards of travelling making it more than worth it. I’ve travelled numerous times since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I’ve gathered a few tips that I think are invaluable when travelling with a chronic illness.

1. For the love of all that is holy, get travel insurance!

Now I know what you’re thinking, it’s gonna be expensive. It’s an expense I can’t afford. Now imagine you’re travelling in south east Asia and you suddenly get ill and have to spend a couple days in hospital. Well that’s going to cost you at least a couple thousand pounds, can you afford that? I know I can’t and that’s what I would have had to pay in Thailand if I hadn’t taken travel insurance out beforehand. My 10 day stay in intensive care would have cost over £4,500 and I only had to pay my excess of £75. You never know what will happen when you travel so it is always best to be insured. And for god’s sake, disclosure your illnesses otherwise you’ve just voided your expensive insurance.

2. Check to see if your medication are legal in the country you’re travelling to.

Save yourself the headache of being accused of smuggling medication into the country by checking to see if it is legal. This especially applies to opiate medications. Some countries will accept a doctors letter to allow you to take the medication in, again check in advance. It may cost to get the doctors letter, but the small nominal amount is better than a few years in a foreign prison for drug smuggling.

3. Be mindful of your medication.

Travel with it in your hand luggage, try to keep it in it’s original packaging or your repeat prescription or a doctor’s letter. Take as much as you need for the trip plus as extra 3 days supply. So if you’re going for 7 days, take 10 days worth of medication. This covers you in case something happens like your flights are delayed or if you have to stay behind for a couple days for an unexpected reason. Personally I would also pack your medication in your suitcase, this may cause a slight inconvenience at security but if your bag was to go missing during transit, so would your medication. Keeping it on you means you know where it is at all times.

4. Carry only the essentials

If you can check a bag, put as much of whatever you are taking in the checked bag as possible. Keep your hand luggage light as you possibly can. Only have the absolute essentials in it. You are having to carry your hand luggage with you all around the airport, on and off the plane, so there’s no point in making it heavier than you need to. Unnecessary weight can add to the fatigue travelling already creates, by eliminating this you can save yourself some energy. I regularly travel with just a small handbag as my hand luggage with my essentials in it.

5. If you adhere to a special diet, take some food with you.

If you have a special diet, or if you eat vegan or vegetarian; take some food with you. This ensures you will always have something to eat I have started eating more of a vegan diet as this helps with my fibromyalgia.  Obviously there are some foods you can’t take through security if over 100ml such as the obvious ones like soups and stews but then foods like hummus and jam are also restricted. By taking food with you, at least you know there will be something on hand that you can enjoy, it’s also cheaper to bring your own. Food in the airport is expensive. For example a boots meal deal is £3.39 in stores but in Manchester T3 it’s £3.99. Now while 60p isn’t a massive increase these do all quickly add up.

6. Don’t be afraid to be weird if it makes you feel better.

As I write this, I’m currently sat by my gate waiting for a flight, wrapped in a blanket and eating peanuts. I have several layers of clothes on and am considering putting on my gloves. Prior to sitting down to write, I did some walking lunges so my hips where all stretched out. Yes, I looked insane. Yes, people stared. Did I care? No! If it’s going to make my flight better then I don’t care. If it’s not going to inconvenience others, but will make the flight easier on you then do it. Just don’t be that person who douses themselves in essential oils because they need it to make flying easier, because I’ll tell you now it makes everyone else miserable. Especially Eileen three rows down who has an allergy to perfume.