By Kalí Rourke
I have written posts about Burning Mouth Syndrome for this blog in the past, and if you do not suffer from it or other chronic pain, this may be of no interest to you. But if you do, or if you know or love someone who does, take a minute and join me in my Burning Journey.
My husband and I like to travel, and we have always dreamed of going to New Zealand. The timing is right (We have the resources but aren’t too old or infirm to enjoy the activities!) and so we have planned an adventure-filled excursion. We will deal with a 15-hour flight there and back, crossing the International Dateline, and a time zone change beyond what I have ever experienced.
The question arises…How do you stay on top of Burning Mouth Syndrome or other chronic pain under these circumstances?
Plan, my friends, and plan well.
Make sure you have enough of whatever medicine works for you and keep it on your person. If there is lost or delayed luggage, you don’t want it to have your meds in it. Plan your coping strategies and then be sure you are keeping those with you as well. In my case, I will have a large bottle of water to sip on and xylitol gum to chew sparingly as needed. Stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol and keep your coffee and tea intake at your normal level since it can be dehydrating if you have too much. You know what your triggers are, so avoid them and care for yourself like any person with a chronic illness should.
Think about the time differences and be sure to stay on your medication schedule so you don’t unintentionally under or overdose yourself.
Stress, lack of sleep, lack of control over your diet and other factors may cause a flare of your burning or other pain. Sometimes this is inevitable and you just have to get through the flare to the other side, so mentally prepare for that and nap when you can. Stretching and deep breathing are also great ways to relieve the physical stress of travel so I will be doing that as much as I can!
Relax as much as you can and allow as much distraction and fun as you are able.
That’s my plan!
Do you have some other travel tips for BMS or other chronic pain sufferers? Share them in the comments! You never know when something you think is basic information is very helpful to someone else.
Kalí Rourke is a wife, mother, writer, singer, and active volunteer. She is a Seedling Mentor and serves as a Mentor for the Young Women’s Alliance. Kalí is a philanthropist with Impact Austin, Austin Community Foundation Women’s Fund and serves as a Social Venture Partner with Mission Capital.
She blogs at Kalí’s Musings and at A Burning Journey – One Woman’s Experience with Burning Mouth Syndrome where a version of this post also appears.
Thanks, Kali, for this. I so identify with what you say here. As I age (what a terrible sentence), my husband and I become more and more hesitant about either long-distance and, or traveling for an extended time. Chronic issues that are dealt with while at home can often become an issue. Still. I’d hate to stop travelling.
I hear you, Ariela! We are going to keep doing what we love to do as long as we can, and one of the things that spurred us on to this trip was the thought that we didn’t want to be doing it with walkers in the future! 😀
This is the first I’ve read about Burning Mouth Syndrome, other than inside my doctor’s office. Good advice!
Thanks, V.J.!
Welcome!
have a safe trip…thanks for sharing