Hey Girl Listen: Summer Activities With Chronic Illness
Hey y'all let's see what's up today! Since it is officially summer, I wanted to kind of talk about doing outdoor activities and attending festivals with a chronic illness. I know this may not be advice that applies to everyone, but as someone who suffers with POTS, summer activities can really leave me with a little bit of FOMO, as I know it does a lot of other people that have it as well. This year I've been determined to attend some local activities and festivals even amidst this summer heat, so I wanted to share with you all how I've been preparing for that. As always, this is just what works for me, you should always focus on what you know works best for your situation and your body.
Tip 1: Prepare A Bag
Preparing a bag beforehand is something I've been trying to do more often. I pack supplies that I use to treat my more common POTS symptoms like heat sensitivity and dehydration. Preparing your essentials before the event will usually provide less chance of forgetting something important.
What's in My Bag?
For festivals I try to keep things pretty simple, I usually carry a medium sized bag instead of the larger backpack that I carry to work. This ensures that it is big enough for me to fit all of my essentials, but that it's small enough to not raise suspicion or alarm at the festival. I tend to go for a cross body bag for my festival going needs, as I can secure it around myself which makes it a bit harder to steal. Here's what I carry in my bag:
🎒Hygiene Bag: I think this is one of the most important things I carry, I keep feminine hygiene products in here as well as travel deodorant, Colgate Wisps which are travel toothbrushes pre-loaded with toothpaste, mouthwash packets, cotton swabs, and wipes.
🐳Cosmetic Bag: In this bag I keep a mini hair brush, hair ties, travel sized dry shampoo, makeup remover wipes, a travel sized perfume and lotion, my nail kit, along with some extra disposable nail files in case someone else needs one. I also carry nail glue just in case I or someone else loses a nail.
🎒General First Aid Kit: In this kit I keep just basic things like band-aids, gauze, triple antibiotic ointment, some antiseptic wipes, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Excedrin, and Midol. I also keep Tums, because everyone knows festival food is not always easy on your stomach and I'd hate for someone's day to be plagued by heartburn
🐳POTS First Aid Kit: This is a little more personal, but this is my first aid kit. I keep some extra Liquid IV packets, salt packets, and my blood oximeter in there just in case I start having a flare up. These are just for quick fixes like if I catch my symptoms in time before I faint.
🎒Handheld Fan: I actually carry two of these, I carry one that is a manual fan, and then I also have a rechargeable fan. This is just to keep me cool so that I don't pass out.
🐳Cooling Towel: This has been a lifesaver, is a little towel that folds up, mine even came with a silicone case, and when you pour water on it it will start to cool you down, I got mine from Temu, however you can generally find them anywhere.
🎒Liquid IV: I carry these all the time, they're hydration packets and while I do keep some in my first aid kit, I also keep a box in my purse for quick access and also to pass to someone who may be struggling with the heat.
🐳Wallet: This is a given, I make sure to clip mine to the inside of my bag when I'm at festivals because I don't want my wallet to get stolen. I'm legally blind and I have no peripheral vision so this ensures that someone would kind of have to fight with my purse a bit which will get my attention.
🎒Phone Bag: I cannot stress how much I recommend these if you're going to the beach, a theme park, or anything else. You can get them at Walmart fairly cheaply and not only are they water proof, you can secure them inside your purse or around your neck which will make it harder for your phone to be stolen.
🐳Digital Camera: I always take a digital camera, for the simple fact that my phone is hard for me to see when it's really bright out. I can also secure the camera to my wrist so that makes dropping it or having it stolen less likely.
Tip 2: Locate Shaded Areas, First Aid Areas, or Nearby Buildings
While this may not apply to every event, I try to look for any area that is shaded, especially if it has seating. I also locate where first aid tents are that way I can get to them if I need to. Where I live, these festivals also usually have air conditioned buildings which is really nice, these are typically walk through areas, but if I get too hot I just hang out in them until I cool down enough to carry on with my business.
Tip 3: Hydrate
I carry a water bottle with me everywhere, staying hydrated when you're attending these festivals is important, it's even more important to stay hydrated at these events when you have POTS. I personally keep a straw cover on my reusable water bottle, just to keep contaminants out. If you don't have a reusable bottle, you can always locate food trucks and purchase one, some festivals will even give water out for free especially at summer events.
Tip 4: Travel With Friends/Family!
I cannot stress this enough, if you are chronically ill please try to travel with a friend or family member, even a coworker if you have to. This is especially true if you have chronic conditions like diabetes which can be life threatening. I'm legally blind, so thankfully if I'm traveling at all I'm traveling with a friend or family member. The reason this is important is because if you have a medical emergency that may render you unconscious you will have someone there to assist you and ensure that you get the proper care you need and that is so so SO important!
Tip 5: Keep Your Medical Info Available!
If you are chronically ill I highly suggest making a note card or something that lists your name, medical conditions, at least one emergency contact number, and your current medications. I personally keep 2 I keep a basic one in my wallet and a more detailed version in my planner. Some phones also have an emergency option that will allow you to fill out emergency contact information, as well as a brief medical history so if you have that available I would highly recommend utilizing it. If, for any reason, you are alone and you end up unresponsive and unable to advocate for yourself this information could very well save your life!
Closing
As I mentioned before these are just things that I try to do to make going to events easier on me with my health issues, I know they may not work for everyone, but it never hurts to try something new to make your life and disability easier to manage! The fear of "what if?" shouldn't stop you from making memories or trying new experiences. While accessibility can sometimes be limited or difficult to navigate, we can always take the first step in ensuring our safety and comfort regardless of the circumstances and that first step is being prepared for those what if moments! If you want to see more from me feel free to click the link below where you can find my other socials. Y'all take care, and thanks for stopping by!
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