Connecting The Dots

As full-time travelers, many say we are living the life – perhaps we are, but living the life has its own challenges. To begin with, it’s more work than anyone can imagine. It’s not just merrily going from point A to point B, but figuring out a general route, and trying to connect all the dots – and there are a lot of dots! There’s plane and train schedules and canceled connections while en route, car rentals, length of stays, and of course finding beds within our budget criteria. Oh, and don’t forget making all these plans while working with subpar internet connections. And, it’s not about just finding the beds but determining best location for local transportation, what we might want to see and do, how close the market is, nearby restaurants, and on and on. Connecting the dots takes a huge amount of time and energy, granted it’s time and energy we have now, but it is tedious work nonetheless - and quite frankly at times has my head spinning. Don’t even get me started on what happens when we actually live the planned dots by schlepping our bags through crowds and hopping on the train connections, hauling them over cobblestone streets, and up several flights of narrow spiral staircases.

You might be surprised to find that we seldom have the time to research the things to do and see in locations we are traveling to until we are actually there!

The main thing is that this type of living is not for people who have issues with detailed planning or adapting to change. This type of living is not for come what may attitudes because the results would vary greatly and create unnecessary levels of stress. In short, living the life is mentally and physically challenging, exhausting, and wonderful all at the same time! Fortunately, there are two of us living the life and connecting the dots as a team. With every change, there comes a certain amount of stress even for the most unflappable laid-back type – I’m thinking of my husband Dennis here. For me, the key is to move through any stress I may feel while living the life and get to the other side of the situation as soon as possible – and of course, believe I can. I wasn’t always able to embrace adapting to change in this manner. I’ve learned what I am capable of and trust I can get through whatever is ahead as we continue to connect the dots and live the life.

Michelle

Some cheerful data photo courtesy of Dirkcuys

Moments of Gratitude

Recently, when I was visiting family and friends in the Pacific Northwest, my friend Ann was telling me how amazing she’s been feeling these days, and how happy she is. While she has had some low moments and a myriad of health issues the last few years, hearing Ann talk about how great she was feeling filled me with joy! Ann’s a trouper, the grins and bears it type. I was curious what she attributed this new-found happiness to. Smiling, she told me started bringing more gratitude into her life and the things that used to upset her no longer do. Three months previously, it was suggested to her to start a gratitude journal, and that’s all it took. She realized how many things go on throughout her day that she feels grateful for. It’s just that she hadn’t taken the time to consider the moments of her day in quite this way. And it’s not about all the big things one would imagine, it’s about the small stuff. Ann began to find joy in the little moments by taking the time to realize how significant the little moments are.

A number of years ago I realized I wasn't taking the time to be grateful for the things in my life that made a difference to me. Instead of keeping a journal, I decided I would temporarily isolate the moment of gratitude and focus on grateful feelings as they happened. I even found myself saying a quiet thank you at times as I enjoyed my moment. I also began reviewing my gratitude moments as I fell asleep each night and found it to be a lovely way to end my day. I have continued to honor gratitude as it happens every day since.

Being grateful moment to moment is sometimes all we have when dealing with whatever we are dealing with. The key is to bring attention to gratitude when we see it – when we feel it. Happiness is a good thing, and I don’t think we take the time to allow ourselves the happiness being grateful can bring. Like Ann said, it’s really just an attitude change, but it has made such a difference. As Ann was sharing with me her new found gratitude practice, I felt myself thinking that I should have shared my gratitude realization with her years ago, and I decided I should share this with you so you, too, may find the happiness being personally grateful has brought to me and now Ann.

Michelle

Enough is a feast photo courtesy of Irudayam for which I am grateful

How I Travel With Medication

Due to the autoimmune disease Crohn’s, I travel with the medication Humira and use the pre-filled pens twice a month. Humira is an injectable biologic (genetically engineered protein) that blocks inflammation and is used for treating a number of autoimmune diseases. Any kind of traveling with this type of medication can be a pain in the butt because it must be stored at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit. But having to deal with this inconvenience is not going to keep me from living my life as I choose; and right now, I choose to live my life as a full-time traveler.

I have found one must be creative when traveling with refrigerated medication. Long travel days with layovers and such, or no in-room refrigerators can be frustrating. But I have found many people to be quite understanding and helpful in keeping my medication cooled within range. I have given my medication and gel-packs to complete strangers to store even though I can't monitor the temp. On layovers at airports, I extend the time my medication can travel safely by going to one of the lounges or bars and asking them to freeze gel-packs and refrigerate the pens. If they can, they are more than accommodating. In Barcelona, the hotel freezer quit so my gel-packs were not frozen when I was leaving for a long travel day. I found some ice, loaded zip-lock bags and filled my cooler. We were not flying so the ice was no problem. But what would I have done if we were flying? I would have found a restaurant or bar willing to help prior to takeoff, and once on the plane, I would either ice it down or the airline attendant would have refrigerated it depending on the airline’s restrictions.

It helps to keep an open mind and sense of humor anytime, but becomes even more important when traveling with refrigerated medication. Am I worried about keeping the temperature range? Absolutely not! Otherwise, I'd be a nervous wreck and I wouldn’t travel! I try and have a sense of adventure and look at any glitches as a learning opportunity for future travels. I can’t predict all potential problems and I don’t worry about not always being able to monitor the temps. I trust it will be okay. I’m sure you have a lot of what ifs going through your mind, so let’s cut to the chase, what’s the worst that can happen - if the medication is spoiled, damaged, or lost? If that is ever the case, I know I’ll take charge of the situation and sort it out. Pain in the butt, you bet. But I'm willing to deal with it so I can keep myself healthy and enjoy my traveling lifestyle.

I have been asked by a number of people how I manage traveling with this type of medication, so for those who would like to understand more, read on...

• Receiving medications: My health insurance allows me to have up to 3 months medication and my mail-order prescription company will send them to me anywhere in the United States. When out of the country, I must travel with whatever medication I may need for the time I’m gone, and fortunately my health insurance allows me to order one vacation override per year. That has covered the number of pens I have needed.
• Gel packs: Humira is shipped with gel-packs. I always keep a few in a freezer with someone at our home base. These are much easier than traveling with ice because they don't turn to liquid when they melt, and with a good insulated cooler can last for at least 18 hours in the proper temperature range.
• Monitoring temperature rage: I can monitor the temp by carrying a wireless thermometer. The sensor is kept along with the Humira pens and the small readout device fits easily into a very small compartment in whatever else I may be carrying. It’s also handy to monitor refrigerators before storing my meds. I find most hotel and home refrigerators are not in the correct range for the food even if they are currently storing food! Nevertheless, I adjust the temp and keep an eye on the monitor.
• Insulated coolers:
• Thermoelectric Cooler: When driving around North America I use a Koolatron cooler that plugs into a car battery, and has an AC adaptor if necessary for motel rooms without refrigerators. It's an easy way to store medication on long drives - particularly when it is warm outside. I can also add refrigerated or frozen gel-packs for when the car is not running.
• Insulated Cooler: Polar Bear coolers work well along with 2-4 gel packs.
• Air travel and airport security: There are strict guidelines for flying with carry-ons but medications are considered essential carry-on items. Even so, every time I fly I check restrictions prior to flying. Any medications or supplements we carry are labeled, and I carry more extensive information regarding prefilled injection pens in case there are any questions. Most of the time I'm asked by security screening personnel to open the cooler so they can insure nothing will leak. I keep each gel-pack in zip-lock bags for this reason even though Polar Bear coolers do not leak, but try explaining that to security! I’d rather not have to open the cooler as it lets the cool air escape and reduces overall storage time, but I have no choice in this matter either. And believe me, I’ve tried!

Michelle

Finding Space

On a recent crowded hike at Zion National Park, I felt pushed as people were constantly coming up from behind and we were constantly moving over. Then when we would want to stop and refresh ourselves with water, the slower folks would pass us and then we would again have to pass them. After a while it reminded me of the children’s game of leap-frog which, quite frankly, I never cared for. I was about ready to turn around and head back down to the car - even though I knew we were not far from our intended destination of Upper Emerald Pool. I sent my husband, Dennis, ahead as well as numerous groups, and finally there was a huge gap. I enjoyed my little space of quiet. Seems most people these days jabber constantly while hiking rather than listening to the surrounding natural environment, but I digress. Up ahead I saw a large squirrel enjoying what looked like a dust bath. I didn’t make a sound or move because I wanted the squirrel to finish what it was doing. It rather looked as if it were swimming in the dusty trail. Then a group walked towards the squirrel, I pointed to the squirrel and they stomped by nodding and smiling my way as the squirrel scampered away. As I walked to the area where the squirrel had been, I noticed it cleaning itself off not far from the trail. About that time, my peace and quiet ended abruptly as I saw more groups catching up behind me. The first person passing me was a girl who was about ten years old. I pointed to the squirrel and she slowly walked up, saw the squirrel then shrugged her shoulders and screwed up her face. Then the rest of her family passed me by jibber-jabbering along with many other groups. My idea of hiking is to get out into nature and engage my senses while enjoying the diversity of the area I am visiting, but I digress once again. As I continued up the trail, I wondered why some of the people were even on this hike.

When I arrived at Upper Emerald Pool, everyone was around the pool – playing, resting, or having a bite to eat. I had noticed a rainbow shining in the small waterfall spilling into the pool when I was coming down the path, but when I got closer to the pool there was no longer a rainbow. So not wanting to hang with the crowd, I hiked up and out of the way of everyone else and found a continuous rainbow shining over the waterfall. I was the only one above the pool enjoying this lovely rainbow, but soon Dennis joined me, and of course others began migrating our way - time to head back down the even more crowded trail.

On the way down, we passed a young family trying to make their way up the trail. There was a boy of around 5 and his 4-year-old sister. The boy had started to complain about the hike as we were passing them. I stopped and said, “It’s okay, it’s not so bad. And when it seems like it’s too hard, just remember that there is a rainbow at the end of the trail.” The little girl’s eyes got big and the little boy stopped complaining. Their mom told me I knew just what to say. This encounter made me smile and consider my own thoughts about the hike.

Had I turned around and gone back to the car one of the many times I had considered it, I would not have seen the rainbow at the end of the trail. If I’m not enjoying myself, it is up to me to make the choice to either put up with whatever it is and not allow myself to fuss and fume, or to somehow make the necessary changes that might make the difference in my day. I couldn’t change the fact all of humanity seemed to be on the trail that morning, and that they all seem to be so set on the destination they failed to see what was going on around them. Once I figured out that I just needed some space, I found the space and could move forward and enjoy the rainbow at trails end.

Michelle

Finding space photo courtesy of DaMClark's

Eating to Live: Water the Driving Force

“Water is the driving force of nature”

 Leonardo da Vinci

I do what most people probably do first thing in the morning-I head to the bathroom. While sitting on the throne, I begin my day by rehydrating with a 10 ounce glass of water. I drink it slowly and allow my body to soak up its goodness, but this is not how I always felt about drinking water. I had my first bladder infection over thirty years ago. My doctor told me I should consider drinking more water. Up until this point I really didn't care for water and never gave a thought to how much I drank during the day. After the painful bladder infection I was determined to start a new water habit.

We have all heard at one time or another that we need to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but what size of glass? I found a glass refers to 8 ounces. So I began trying to work 64 ounces of water into my day. I decided I should start with a glass of water first thing each morning, because I read that after sleeping 7 or 8 hours we begin the day dehydrated. That was an easy habit to get into-10 ounces down, 54 to go! I worked in an office with a ladies restroom down the hall. By the second day of my hourly trips to the bathroom, Gloria, the secretary, popped her head out of her office and asked me if I was feeling okay. I told her what I was doing and she pointed to her desk. There sat a tall bottle of water. She mentioned my body would get used to drinking water after two weeks and I would not be making so many trips to the restroom. She also mentioned she always had water with her, kept track of how much she was consuming, and that she wrapped up her water drinking before 7 or 8 pm so she wasn't up all night. The next day I had a bottle of water sitting on my desk and it followed me throughout my day. Gloria was right, after about two weeks I no longer made hourly trips to the ladies restroom.

By drinking water on a regular basis I started noticing a number of improvements over a short period of time:

• My skin, hair, and nails were not as dry.
• My face looked revitalized.
• I slept better at night.
• I carried less water weight-go figure! But the fact is, drinking water flushes toxins out of the body.
• My body physically felt better-almost as if I finally had what my body needed!
• I felt more refreshed.
• I got extremely thirsty if I was behind on my water intake, which was not something I noticed before my new water habit.

Interesting facts:

The body contains 55% to 78% water depending on your body size.

Our bodies can lose approximately 68 ounces of water through normal bodily functions. It just makes sense to replace what we lose each day.

Drinking alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or taking various prescription medications is dehydrating so you might consider drinking that much more water to offset the dehydrating effects.

Most people are in a state of dehydration which can lead to a number of health related issues. Because of that fact, we should all be aware of the following:
As part of the blood workups for physicals a CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) is done. This test covers many different levels including Estimated GFR (kidney function). Recently, I have known more than a few people with a Stage 4 flag on their blood workup. Stage 4 indicates possible kidney disease and advises nephrology (kidney specialist) consult, Stage 5 is kidney failure. And, of course, their doctors told these patients they needed to see a kidney specialist. BUT, before seeing the nephrologist (which can take 6-8 weeks) and after sharing their concern with me, they began drinking 40-60 oz. of water a day for 6 weeks. They asked their regular doctor to recheck their eGFR, and they no longer needed to see the specialist! A one-off test does not make something wrong, and on my blood lab results for eGFR it states that a single determination is not considered diagnostic. Had these people gone to the nephrologist, it would have meant an appointment or two with more tests when all these people needed to do was drink more water, AND continue to drink water on a regular basis! Most general practitioners and internists are willing to work with you if you have a reasonable plan of action (if not then you are going to the wrong doctor). Obviously, if more eGFR testing shows Stage 4 it definitely is time to see the nephrologist.

Over the years they have told us how much water to drink, and they have told us we don’t need to drink as much water as they originally told us. Who knows? Like so many other things they say, we need to figure out what makes sense and works for us. All I know is I feel better when I am consuming around 60 ounces of water a day. I am a driving force in my life and it all starts first thing in the morning with a glass of water. How much water do you drink in a day? Are you willing to allow water to be a driving force for change in your life?

Michelle

Splash photo courtesy of Shawn Harquail