Taking Risks as a Chronically Ill Person

As a sick and disabled person, it isn’t very often that I actually get to take risks or even have the choice to.

I recently took a road trip with my boyfriend and his family to The States (I’m from Canada), and it brought up a lot of worries, but also a lot of good feelings.

The worries I had

Obviously, traveling as a chronically ill and disabled person is difficult. There’s always the worry that you will flare, or something will happen while you’re away and you won’t have everything you need.

I was worried about my pain and fatigue. With this being a multiple-day road trip, I knew I wouldn’t do too well in a car for hours every day. I tried to pack everything I could possibly need, from icy-hot patches to blankets. Of course, I forgot a heating pad (the most vital thing I needed), so I bought one at Target the first chance I got.

There’s always worry when leaving your house with a chronic illness. Being outside of your comfort zone can be difficult, and leaving things behind that you need when you’re not feeling well is hard.

I obviously couldn’t bring my cat along with me for this road trip, but she brings me the most comfort out of anything. Even just being near her makes me feel better.

It was hard to leave my room and cat behind, but I knew I would be back, and I knew I could do a few things to bring me comfort on my trip.

What I did to help ease my mind

I had a therapy appointment before the big trip. This was so important in helping me calm down and think about it rationally. I am triple vaccinated, and I am allowed to take risks, as long as I am safe about it. Cora and my bed would be waiting for me when I got back.

I also brought a few things from home to help bring me comfort on this 8-day trip. I brought a fuzzy blanket from home, as well as 2 calico plushies I have to remind me of Cora. My mom also agreed to send me lots of photos of Cora, so I could know she was having a good time and she was in good hands.

Taking risks as a disabled person

As a disabled person, taking risks is pretty rare. Most of the time I just stay in my house, in my room, and watch videos on my laptop. I go for walks down my street. I hang out with my boyfriend at his house and we take it easy.

I used to love traveling, but now that I’m sick and this pandemic is never-ending, I don’t really do that anymore. This was my first opportunity in 2 years to travel somewhere new, to see new people and see new sights. Of course I wanted to take this risk!

I knew it was a possibility that I could flare, I knew that coming home I would probably be in bed for a week, but at least I would have lived a little. I would have seen new sights and experienced new things! Taking risks is something I don’t get to do often, but it was so, so worth it.