Having ALS doesn't mean the end of traveling or one's social life; it does mean adapting. I LOVE to travel. As my ALS has progressed where and how I travel has changed.
Before ALS I went to Europe several times. My grandfather was born and raised in Switzerland so I have a special fondness for that place. My grandfather's family still lives in there. When I have been there I feel like I am home. It just feels right. I have been there three times and wish I could go back but Europe is not handicapped-friendly at all. I am very sad about that.
I have been to the Netherlands twice, concentrating on Amsterdam and the surrounding area. If you have never been to Europe, excluding England, this a great place to get your feet wet. English is the unoffical second language and everyone speaks it. Signs, menus, etc. are all in English and Dutch.
I have traveled all over the US. Since my diagnosis I have gone on some of my dream trips. First we went to the coast of Maine; beautiful scenery and lots and lots of seafood. Then we took an Inland Passage Cruise in Alaska on a 100 passenger boat; icebergs, whales and so much more. Last year we went to New Mexico to see Santa Fe and Georgia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch among many things.
In Maine I used an ordinary cane, in Alaska I used a quad cane, in New Mexico I used a walker with a seat. Now that I am using a power wheelchair my options are more limited partly because flying feels like too much of a hassle for me. Road trips this year. We have a second home in Door County, WI and will continue to go there.
One of the biggest challenges for handicapped travel is accomodations. Not all "handicapped" rooms are created equal. Too many rooms labeled as handicapped don't have grab bars at the toilet or in the tub or a tub chair. Or the room is too narrow to allow someone using a walker or a wheelchair to manuever. It is very important to be specific as to what you need and have someone at the hotel physically check to see if the room will suit your needs.
A good resource: http://www.access-able.com/tips/
Showing posts with label disabled travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disabled travel. Show all posts
Friday, April 4, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
My introduction
Hi! I've never blogged before but here I go.
I use Speechless Mary as my "name" because the first symptom of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease for me was deterioration of my speech. Major bummer because I liked to talk, a lot. I have a form of ALS called bulbar-onset; more on that later. Now I am speechless in the conventional sense. However I e-mail, write notes, and now this blog. I can "talk" using a small Windows-based device that always me to enter what I want to say and then actually says it in a voice of my choice. Slower than normal speech but at least I can speak, sort of.
If you don't know about ALS a good basic description can be found at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/amyotrophiclateralsclerosis/detail_amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.htm#What%20is%20amyotrophic%20lateral%20sclerosis
Loss of speech was just the beginning. I have decreased strength on my left side resulting in very poor balance and a tendency to drop things from my left hand. Before I got a walker and now my fancy power wheelchair I "fell down and went boom" a few times. The last time was in January and I couldn't get myself back up for the first time. My hubby called 911 and several handsome firefighters came to help. The biggest embarrassment for me wasn't falling, it was that I was only wearing a nightgown! That made the whole situation very funny later.
Despite having ALS for almost five years I am trying to as much as I can for as long as I can. We have been to the coast of Maine, gone on an Inland Passage cruise in Alaska, and spent some time in New Mexico. I love to travel and will tell you more about that in the future.
Although being in a wheelchair requires more planning a lot of things are still doable. I even found a big perk. Seeing Stevie Wonder is on my "bucket list" and I never thought I would be able to see him but he is coming to Summerfest in Milwaukee (I live there) on opening day. http://www.summerfest.com/flash/ My hubby got the best seats anyone could get and they are for handicapped people. The seats are in the first row right next to the stage. The area is raised for a better view. We have to be escorted by security under the stage to get to our seats. How cool is that? I am a VIP!
That's it for now. Thinking and typing tire me out, especially the thinking part.
Mary
I use Speechless Mary as my "name" because the first symptom of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease for me was deterioration of my speech. Major bummer because I liked to talk, a lot. I have a form of ALS called bulbar-onset; more on that later. Now I am speechless in the conventional sense. However I e-mail, write notes, and now this blog. I can "talk" using a small Windows-based device that always me to enter what I want to say and then actually says it in a voice of my choice. Slower than normal speech but at least I can speak, sort of.
If you don't know about ALS a good basic description can be found at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/amyotrophiclateralsclerosis/detail_amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.htm#What%20is%20amyotrophic%20lateral%20sclerosis
Loss of speech was just the beginning. I have decreased strength on my left side resulting in very poor balance and a tendency to drop things from my left hand. Before I got a walker and now my fancy power wheelchair I "fell down and went boom" a few times. The last time was in January and I couldn't get myself back up for the first time. My hubby called 911 and several handsome firefighters came to help. The biggest embarrassment for me wasn't falling, it was that I was only wearing a nightgown! That made the whole situation very funny later.
Despite having ALS for almost five years I am trying to as much as I can for as long as I can. We have been to the coast of Maine, gone on an Inland Passage cruise in Alaska, and spent some time in New Mexico. I love to travel and will tell you more about that in the future.
Although being in a wheelchair requires more planning a lot of things are still doable. I even found a big perk. Seeing Stevie Wonder is on my "bucket list" and I never thought I would be able to see him but he is coming to Summerfest in Milwaukee (I live there) on opening day. http://www.summerfest.com/flash/ My hubby got the best seats anyone could get and they are for handicapped people. The seats are in the first row right next to the stage. The area is raised for a better view. We have to be escorted by security under the stage to get to our seats. How cool is that? I am a VIP!
That's it for now. Thinking and typing tire me out, especially the thinking part.
Mary
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