Travellers with long term medical problems HUBB 2016
 

Hi all,

I'm putting together a presentation and discussion event for HUBB 2016 on traveling with long term medical conditions.

The idea is a presentation on traveling with a number of different chronic illnesses. The absolute thrust of the whole thing is to empower travelers to make good decisions with support and advice from others who have gone down a similar route.

The whole subject is quite wide ranged so I think it is best to limit it a little, although I recognise, beyond the limitations, there are really important issues that need to be addressed. Therefore, rather than concentrating on obvious physical problems, I am going to centre this talk on purely medical problems. (perhaps a good alternative presentation there?)

If I define medical problems as those which will cause concern to an insurance broker, ie, Heart, lung, liver disease, cancer of any type, mental health, asthma, diabetes, neurological problems, strokes, the list will go on and I will have missed some very important conditions there too.

I'm looking for an couple of people who might be able to expand on my own medical history in the field of overland travel. I've had a long and varied history of all sorts of trouble with type 1 Diabetes, so we have that covered.

The idea is not to provide instruction manuals, although tips are always of great use, but seeing as we all need to manage our illnesses in particular ways, to help people to get hold of their conditions, face them head on and allow them to travel with more confidence. A lot of time is to be given over to discussion, from which some further paths might become apparent.

I'd like 2 people to share their condition and how they cope with it on the road. I'd like them to talk for 5 minutes or so with the emphasis on coping with the condition, rather than how crap it is. As I say, I've got Type 1 diabetes covered, but any other conditions and i'm happy to work with it.

Drop me a PM if you can be at HUBB 2016 and can help out, I would love to hear from you and I think we could really help to give a bit of power to the elbow of those that might think their travels stopped when they left the doctors door.

cheers

Dave

First, I think this idea is a great one! Don't let what follows suggest otherwise :innocent:

Perhaps I'm just used to it, but having had Asthma all my life (40 years and counting :oops2:), I'm not sure I find travelling with it difficult. I've only travelled for max 4 1/2 weeks at any one go as of yet, but it's been fine for me. In fact, the warmer the weather, the better my chest gets :clap:. I'd be interested to see if being Asthmatic has put anyone off? If anyone is actually anxious about this, I'd be happy to join in the discussion, I'm just not too sure my 'condition' has put anyone off. After all, it never affected Seb Coe in his Olympic efforts (showing my age there)!

This is one discussion about which I actually feel experienced enough to discuss at the HUBB!

Excellent idea, and I may be of some use to you if I can come to the meeting. Unfortunately I have a date clash at the moment, and am trying to move things around. My own story is liver cancer back in 2003, cured by transplant. Whilst I'm on top form now, I'm not a good risk with med insurance companies as far as travel is concerned, or the medical authorities for obtaining a decent supply of the expensive daily immunosupressant pills I must take for life. Quite restricting on both counts for long distance/time travel outside Europe. I can't afford the first ( retired on fixed income) and difficult getting the second.

But this doesn't stop me having fun in my own back yard! ( Europe) which is certainly big enough to keep me occupied for the forseeable.

Thanks for your replys, and it really brings home how diverse the subject is. If you can make it, come along and bring your experiences. I'm quite looking forward to it myself, it will be good to hear from others.

It looks like the whole thing is moving away from a lecture to a circle. I'm quite glad of that!

If I can get all the puzzle pieces together and make it to the gathering I will be sure to catch the presentation. You say you have diabetes covered but if I could talk the wife in to saying a few words she could add to it. The wife has diabetes and traveled with me, some times two up and some on her own ride. We were known as the couple with the refrigerator on the bike when in South Africa, (to keep her insulin cold). Her biggest problem is getting me to stop so she can eat on schedule.
Bob

Hi Bob, thanks for that. I know all about taking the right food stops! Glad to hear about other type 1 travellers. Its developing into more of a discussion forum than a presentation. However, the more the merrier and everyone's experience is going to be useful to othersi'd like to chat to your wife in re to insulin types used in the USA. I spent 3 months in N Americain 1993 and insulin's back then were certainly incompatible.

Sleep Apnoea and travel
 

Has anyone had any experience travelling having been diagnosed with Sleep Apnoea and under treatment with C-PAP? Would be very interested to hear how one copes whilst on the road with a relatively big piece of kit, as I was recently diagnosed with this condition.