Amputee Post-Travel ThOUGHTS

I just returned from an eight-day trip across two states and three cities. Although I used all the tips I shared with you in last week's blog for packing, planning, and airport travel day, I now realize I should have mentioned the single most important thing every amputee needs to remember to do when traveling - take breaks.

Sweat is a huge problem for prosthesis wearers. I like to carry a small bottle of alcohol spray in my purse so that I can find a bathroom, when necessary, and take off my leg to handle any sweaty situations. On that same note, hotel soap is not a good option for cleaning your liner at the end of a long, hot day. I always bring The Liner Wand travel kit with me so I know I'm cleaning it properly. No one wants a nasty rash on their residual limb while traveling.

Sit on a bench and rest in between longer walks - You might feel great. You're excited to be in a new city. You are with your friends or significant other who aren't missing any limbs. You are trying to keep up with them. Please don't do it, trust me. If you don't take breaks, you will spend the last two days of the trip with your baby leg elevated by hotel pillows with a huge bag of ice resting on top. And if you're swollen enough, you might not even fit in your prosthesis. Not only is it costing you way more energy to walk with a prosthesis than a non-disabled person with two legs, but your skin can't breathe in that hunk of metal.

Listen to your body. The best way to enjoy a long trip is to stop ignoring all the signs your body is sending you. When you're hurting, stop. Take a break, stretch, rest, ice. You may have to make a slight change in your itinerary to allow for activities where you're not walking as much, but trust me, it will be worth it if it means you don't have to spend any full days in bed.

You can, and you should travel. You can, and you must listen to your body to have the best time ever. Now go show that prosthesis how to crowd-surf in Ibiza!