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Traveling abroad

In May, I will be going on a mission trip with my church to the UK. I'm so excited to be a part of this mission team!! I know that God is going to work in and through us for His glory. However, I can't say I'm not nervous about taking care of all my health stuff while I'm over there. This will be my first international trip without my parents and first time to fly with all my medical equipment by myself. Even when my band flew to Seattle in high school, my mom was a chaperone and helped me check baggage, go through security and lug all my equipment around. This time, I'll have to manage all of that on my own (of course, the other team members will be with me, but I'll be the only one intricately connected to my CF and who actually knows what all I have to bring with me on the trip). On top of that, when we went to Europe for my make a wish trip, my Vest and compressor "burned up" due tonthe voltage difference, even though we used the power converter like we were supposed to. I didn't have my Vest or inhaled medicine for a week, and my parents had to do manual CPT on me so that I could sort of breathe. There won't be anyone on my trip this May who could do manual CPT on me in a worst-case scenario. I am doing plenty of research about how to use my American devices in the UK, but I'm still concerned about what happens if something goes wrong. 

Ultimately, I have no plan B. My treatments need to work, and I need to be able to travel with all of my stuff. I'm fully relying on God to provide, which is expanding my trust in Him. I know I'm meant to go on this mission trip; therefore, I know I can trust Him in every aspect of the journey. 

Comments

  1. Breath. Love. Justice.March 4, 2014 at 7:59 AM

    Hi there! I've travelled abroad in Europe several times over the years, and I totally understand the apprehension that goes along with wondering what happens if something goes wrong with my medical equipment that's kind of absolutely necessary to get me through the day. I'm not sure what kind of compressor you have, but yeah, the normal "big" ones really don't work well overseas, even if you use a power converter with the adaptor (I've found that, while they technically still work, they are SOOO SLOW - my albuterol treatment can take like 45 minutes). The best option I've found is the Pari Trek portable compressor. It's a travel-friendly size and runs on a battery, so you only have to worry about using electricity to charge the battery, not run the machine (though I've done it both ways and never had a problem). Plus everything with the machine is AC/DC, so you only have to use a plug adaptor and not mess with a power converter. Another plus is that they have PARI reps everywhere - I was in England once when my charger chord completely stopped working. I contacted the UK PARI people, and they overnighted me a new chord for free. It was awesome! Also, sometimes I bring my normal compressor with me, too, just as a back-up in case something goes wrong.

    As for the Vest, though, I've never figured out a good method for making CPT electronics work over there, because they all have the grounder prong. I once had a percussor with me that I (with the help of the hotel staff) was able to make work with a hilarious chain of adaptors and power convertors, but even then I think it started overheating after a while. I usually just bring a flutter and assume I'll be getting enough exercise walking around everywhere that I'll be ok for the length of my stay.

    But yes, ultimately just prepare as best you can and trust that God will provide and take care of you throughout your journey! :)

    Have fun on your trip!! Sounds like it will be a really special time! I'll actually be there for a few days in May myself, and am super excited. (Also, sorry this is such a long comment - I just get really REALLY excited about traveling) :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily IngramMarch 4, 2014 at 9:46 PM

      Thank you so much for your advice!! It's so helpful. :)

      Delete
  2. Jenna SarasMay 31, 2014 at 7:20 AM

    Thanks for the nice post.

    ReplyDelete

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