Preparing for Travel with Chronic Hives

I wondered how parents did it when they started packing for travel. They have so much to take with them on trips. From diapers to the playpen and toys, half of the car is loaded with things that make their life more comfortable for a short period when they are supposed to be relaxing and finding a break from the "real world." Since my diagnosis of chronic hives, I now understand their reasoning and system.

My must-haves when packing for a trip with hives

I currently work for a job that has a decent amount of travel. And with the travel comes a range of situations that I find myself having to prepare for with chronic hives.

If I am in between my Xolair shots, I have to worry about flareups, angioedema, and how I keep the swelling and itchiness down while on the road. This takes a lot of preparation and thinking ahead. And at times can be exhausting.

Medications

I have to pack (at minimum) antihistamines, medications, any therapy creams (I like Cerave Anti-Itch or Vaseline's Calming Therapy Cream), Benadryl, ice packs, flowy clothes that aren't going to irritate my skin and make sure that I have enough of it all to last me the whole week or timeframe that I am gone. You can imagine the jokes about bags I have to travel with already. I wish it were just shoes!

Preparing for flareups

All of these products and preparations make it a chore to pack for a trip that I would otherwise be very excited to take or go on. As someone who loves to travel, I find it slightly inconvenient.

My flareups can happen more frequently when on the road, sleeping in hotels, or outside my bed. While not allergic to anything in particular, the stress of not being in my routine can sometimes cause a flareup to go from minimal to full-blown in a matter of minutes. I can't tell you how often I have woken up with a swollen eye or lip, only to explain to co-workers that it will go down in time—almost calming them more than myself so we can have some sense of normalcy on the trip.

If I have learned one thing, it'syou can prepare as much as possible, but there is a reason hives are idiopathic. You have no control over when they decide to make themselves known. That means being flexible when handling your attitude and stress on the road. It's made me stronger and more patient, knowing that I have all my usual tools with me but that sometimes it is out of my control. And that I am still going after fighting this internal battle.

Staying positive with chronic hives

I still keep up with my work, leading meetings and collaborating. This takes a lot of stamina and peace with chronic hives and your diagnosis.

Having a range of no control to semi-control over an auto-immune disorder is frustrating. But look how far you have come! Keeping a positive mindset on travel with all my bags keeps me level-headed and productive. That mindset makes me look forward to summer vacations and upcoming trips. We can conquer this diagnosis, one (very full) suitcase at a time!