Dr Kelly Fleming

There is a significant difference between planning for a weekend getaway for abled and disabled people.

If you don’t have a disability, you look online for a hotel in the area you want to go, check the price range, like it and book it! Then pack your bags and head off for your nice relaxing getaway.

For me, it’s not so simple.

I need an accessible hotel with an accessible room. I need a fridge in the room to store my food supplies since my diet is 90% liquid. I can’t just go to restaurants or order in for every meal.

I need a wheel-in shower with grab bars.

I need to know where the closest hospital is and have all my medical papers in order, just in case there’s an emergency that goes beyond my normal everyday life.

That’s just the absolute basics of a hotel room.

Then I need to plan ahead and prepare all the things I need to take with me on my weekend getaway.

I need my toilet support bars that were custom made by my Dad. My wedge for the bed for safe sleeping. My special pillow that elevates my head to keep my airway open while I sleep.

I need to plan how much food supplies I will need for the number of days I’ll be going.

I need to make sure all my meds are prepped and I have extras of occasional meds. I need to bring my nebulizer and back up portable one in case something happens to my electric one, as well as enough vials for each day and extras for an emergency. And of course my pulse ox can’t be left nor my epi pens.

I need to bring my own drinking containers and cleaning supplies for all the things I need to make my food.

I need my turbo blender to make my food.

I need to bring my seating system to be able to sit up on the bed to watch tv.

Let’s not forget the charger for my chair!

Then there’s also all the personal supplies that need to be packed and arranged to make sure I have enough to last and extras, just in case.

This is just basic planning.

Packing a suitcase of clothes is easy.

Let’s not forget the weighted blanket I need to make sure I don’t accidentally roll over in bed. And my head support pillow in case I have seizures.

If I’m taking Dayton with me, I can’t forget his food, medications, food bowls and tray. Since he can’t drink tap water, I need to make sure I have his bottled water with me. He sleeps with me so that means I need to bring a ramp for him to walk up into the bed since he’s almost 13 and lives with Addison’s Disease so he can’t jump up on a bed.

Let’s not forget the extra bed in the room for my PSW who will be joining me. I can’t be in a hotel room for a weekend getaway without someone else with me to help me get dressed, shower me, transfer me, position me in bed and so much more.

Does all this stop me from going away for a weekend? Not at all, but planning must start a month in advance.

What about other travels? Surely with everything I need to prepare for a simple weekend getaway means going further and for a longer period of time is out of the question.

Nope, not for me! I’ve enjoyed trips numerous trips to Ottawa, Toronto and Québec. The trips to Ottawa have taken about 3 months to plan with constant emails with hotels as well as places I planned to visit.

My trips to Québec begin about 6 months before my trip. Again, constant emails with the hotel, accessibility taxis, the Greyhound bus company or the airline I plan to use.

So after all the planning to go on a single trip, it’s it worth it? You bet your life it is!

I may not be able to just pack a bag, hop on a bus, train or airplane and sit back and relax but stop me from going away or on a trip? Not going to happen!