Latest / Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry / Why I Still Travel With Parkinson's (Despite These 3 Disasters)

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Why I Still Travel With Parkinson's (Despite These 3 Disasters) · Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry

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  They told him he had five good years left.
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  That was 15 years ago. He's still standing, still
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  speaking, still living. This is living with Parkinson's,
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  The good, the bad, and the reality.
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  A podcast about what happens when life throws you something
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  incurable and you fight back anyway.
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  Hosted by Bryce Perry, diagnosed at 4015.
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  Years into the battle, This is the truth behind the tremor.
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  Let's begin Do. You think Parkinson's means
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  you're stuck at home? Well, think again.
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  Let's unpack the good, the bad, and the downright hilarious side
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  of traveling with Parkinson's and how to keep that wanderlust
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  alive. Well, welcome back to the
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  broadcast. I'm so excited you're here.
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  Huge shout out to my inner circle, private community and
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  all my channel members. Thank you for your incredible
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  support. And if you're new here, I'm
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  Bryce and this is Life in motion, the Parkinson's podcast.
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  This channel is all about providing strength, hope, and
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  support to individuals living with Parkinson's and their
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  caregivers. We share motivational stories,
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  tips, and insights to help you navigate life with Parkinson's.
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  And if you're looking for that type of contact, make sure to
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  subscribe. So today I want to talk about,
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  I've been traveling now for like 2 weeks like crazy and I really
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  want to talk about traveling because I know I've talked to so
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  many people that they're like, you know, traveling was one of
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  the things that I didn't want to give up.
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  And I'm like, well, what do you mean you didn't want to give it
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  up? Did you give it up?
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  So I think that we have to tackle this and know again, this
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  is life, this is a, you know, the good, the bad and the
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  reality. So let's talk about it.
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  I've been travelling a lot lately.
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  And so it gave me some real and not to me inside.
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  I mean, I knew it all. I know it all.
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  Of course, I know it all. I mean, come on, I'm just, Oh my
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  gosh, I'm just kidding. But you know, but I, you know,
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  I, I travel quite a bit. I've always travelled for work.
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  And so, you know, I've always had these things.
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  But today or this past couple weeks, as I was doing it, I just
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  kept kind of thinking about it, thinking about things that
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  people have asked me. And that's why I want to talk
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  about it. So a lot of people ask me, is it
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  even worth traveling anymore? Well, see, Parkinson's can make
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  even a trip to the grocery store feel like an expedition, right?
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  So packing up and hitting the road might sound impossible.
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  But here's the thing, I refuse let Parkinson's clip my wings.
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  Travel is still one of the best ways to make memories.
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  It's the best way to stay connected to family and friends.
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  And I feel like I'm still living life.
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  I'm just not managing this disease right.
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  So I just got back from a trip last week and and let me tell
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  you, it was a mixed bag of triumphs and fails.
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  And let me start with the fails the airport.
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  You'd think that all this time I'd I'd have it down to a
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  science. After all this time I'd have it
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  down to a science. But let's just say standing in
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  line for 30 minutes while my legs were playing freeze tag
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  wasn't exactly fun. Add in the fun of trying to
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  trying to juggle my carry ONS, my meds and all my ID and you've
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  got a recipe for a one man circus.
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  But here's a triumph. I made it.
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  I figured out my own rhythm, like giving myself extra time,
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  asking for assistance when I needed it, and not being afraid
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  to laugh at the small stuff. Parkinson's is not Parkinson's
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  is not travel is unpredicted part.
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  What the heck am I trying to say here?
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  Parkinson's or not, That's what I want to say.
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  Parkinson's or not, travel is unpredictable and that's half
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  the adventure, right? I mean, I sometimes get into the
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  craziest adventures just because of things that I were
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  unexpectedly happened to me, and they always do.
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  That's my cartoon life that I live.
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  But anyway, let's talk practical.
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  So here are some top travel tips that keep me moving forward,
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  literally and figuratively #1 tip #1 medication.
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  First, I always pack my medication in my carry on and I
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  bring extra enough for at least a few extra days in case of
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  delays. Now why do I do that?
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  It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Have you ever had your, have you
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  ever had your luggage not arrive with you on time?
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  Can you imagine if you only had enough Lemidopa or enough of
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  your medication to get you through a day or two in your
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  carry on and then you're now what do you do when you're
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  scrambling to get medication? So I always carry it in my my
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  carry on. So what I do is I pack all my
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  medication, everything I take in one big Ziploc bag.
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  And I just do that in case they ever want to look through it.
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  And you have to make sure that you, when you're carrying
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  medication, you have to have your original bottles right,
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  with the prescription on it. So you know, the, the pill cap
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  timer I have, I make sure that I have that empty right?
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  And I keep everything just in case, just in case so I can
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  prove that it's an actual prescription.
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  So I carry all that in this big zip on or zip, you know, zip bag
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  or whatever. And inside my carry on, like
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  deep inside my carry on. And then it I use a backpack and
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  then the, the closest pockets where I can reach is where I
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  carry my meds for that day or for the trip so that I don't
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  have to go into my big giant bag of meds to get out my levodopa.
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  And I don't, I just going to reach for it and it's very easy
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  and convenient. And then I don't mess up all the
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  other stuff as well. So that's my first tip is your
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  medication first make sure you have medication that's the most
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  important thing and cap pack in your carry on and pack your
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  separately the the medication you're going to use on the plane
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  and in the airport to all of your medication.
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  All right, tip #2 extra time equals extra calm.
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  You know, whether it's airports, train stations, or just getting
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  to your hotel, give yourself more time than you think you're
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  going to need. It helps with stress.
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  And stress makes symptoms worse. We know that, right?
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  Stress makes symptoms worse. So don't do things that are
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  going to add stress. And this one I'm telling you,
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  not from a a not from a like this is the way I roll stance,
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  but more from a, you know, do what I say, not what I do
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  because I'm the worst. I try to, I don't want to be at
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  the airport very long. So I try to make it just in
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  time. But I'm realizing that that is
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  not working for me that well anymore because with delays,
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  with going through security delays and you know, even even
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  traffic delays on the way to the airport, I'm putting a lot of
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  stress in myself and to get there and I'm running, I'm
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  trying to find my gate. So I'm going to be very
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  diligent. And I'd ask you to as well to
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  take your time, stay calm. The more time you take, the
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  calmer it's going to be, right. OK, all right.
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  So I'm going to write that one down.
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  I need to do tip number 22. So let's do that together.
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  And how about you? Are you like a last minute to
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  the airport kind of person or are you the person that wants to
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  get there, you know, hours in advance?
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  My wife and I are completely different.
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  So when we travel together, it's really different, you know,
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  because I like to be just in time.
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  She likes to be there, I don't know, hours and hours and hours
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  before a flight just to be safe. So what are you put it in the
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  comments? I'd love to hear.
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  I'd love to kind of see how many last minuters we have and how
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  many people that that are well prepared in advance.
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  OK, that was tip #2, tip #3 don't be afraid to ask for help.
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  Now. It's a big one because I'm
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  always the one that never wanted to ask.
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  I'll figure it out, but don't be afraid to ask, you know, whether
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  it's a wheelchair at the airport or a helping hand from a friend,
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  it's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of smart planning.
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  And you know you can, if you're flying, you can call ahead to
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  your to your airline and they can arrange if you want.
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  You know, if you're going to have trouble walking or it's
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  going to be a long walk, You know, if you're catching, what
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  do you call it? Again, if you're going from, you
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  know, it was not a direct flight, so you can call ahead
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  and the airport will supply a wheelchair for you when you get
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  there and they'll have it at the ramp when you get off.
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  So you know what? And you're kind of thinking
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  like, well, I don't want to be pushed around in a wheelchair.
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  You know what, there's some days I really wish I was pushed
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  around the wheelchair having to make my way through the airport.
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  So don't be afraid to ask. Just suck it up and do it.
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  It's so much easier to ask where something is or how something
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  works or if we can get some help than it is struggling through
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  it. OK.
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  And then tip #4 you have to be flexible.
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  Things might not go perfectly and that's OK except that you
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  have to accept that hiccups are all part of the journey and
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  focus on the experience and not the speed bump.
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  You know, that's the big thing. You know, I always say, like
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  wherever you are, be there. So focus on the experience.
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  You never know, like delays used to drive me bananas.
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  They would drive me absolutely bananas.
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  Just say I don't want to sit in an airport.
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  I don't want to wait for this delay to be over.
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  But you know, there's always opportunity there.
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  Maybe you bump into somebody that or start a conversation
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  that is profound or you know, there's always things you can
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  do. Just keep in where you are and
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  stop worrying about what's what's happening and just worry
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  about, you know, just being you in the situation you're in.
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  So focus on the experiences and not the speed bumps.
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  Okay, listen, Parkinson's is Parkinson's is part of of your
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  journey, but it doesn't get to call the shots.
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  If travel is something that lights you up, then you have to
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  find ways to do it because the memories you make, the laughter
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  you share, and the courage you build along the way, that's what
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  makes worth life worth living. Listen, you know, if you have
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  Parkinson's and you're watching this, don't be afraid to just
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  try it and do it. And you know what, you might be
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  a different type of vacation than you've done before, but
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  different type of trip than you've done before.
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  But I'm such a big believer in pre planning.
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  Just pre plan everything. Plan how long things going to
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  take you and add 30 minutes to it and just try the adventure.
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  And you know what, you might have a day in between where you
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  just going to rest and relax in the hotel room or wherever
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  you're staying. And that's OK.
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  Don't think that you're a burden and you can't do it.
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  So if travelling is something you enjoy, you just do it.
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  My wife and I love going on spontaneous road trips, you
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  know, like we have events that we have to be at and I'd rather
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  drive, We'd rather drive 2435 hours, 36 hours to, to, to our
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  destination and take a few days and, you know, see the
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  countryside and, and experience brand new things, stayed in
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  places we've never stayed before and really make a memory out of
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  it. And that's the thing.
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  So maybe if it's, you know, if driving, if you love to drive on
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  road trips and you can't do it anymore, then it's flying or
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  take a bus or take a train, you know that type of thing.
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  Or you know what, if you are don't want to get on the plane
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  anymore and you're afraid of you know how it's going to be and
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  everything, then try a try a road trip.
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  Just go for it. You know what it's you're,
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  you're going to miss out on a lot of the things that you can
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  still do. And this I was trying to explain
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  this the other day to somebody or somewhere, I can't remember
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  where it was. I think it was on the other
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  podcast and I was saying, I was saying that, you know, we only
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  have so much time, right? And we only have so much good
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  time. And we know this, the
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  Parkinson's is a progressive disorder, right?
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  It's going to get worse. And if you take it's the time
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  now when you can still do some things, worrying about things
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  that you're not going to be able to do down the road or, or you
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  don't want to do because it's different or it's not the same,
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  then you're wasting that time right now when you could still
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  do it. And you might again adjust your
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  how you do it, but you can still do it.
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  And then I promise you this, try to live regret free.
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  You don't want to be at a place in your life where you're now
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  immobile and you're not able to do things.
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  And you look back and say, I should have taken a chance.
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  I should have stopped trying. I should have listened to that
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  guy. I should have listened to that
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  really smart, handsome man that I was following along, you know,
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  on this podcast. And I should have just went for
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  it. So go for it.
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  What's and, and let me know, like just let me know how you're
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  doing. How about this in the comments?
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  What's the place you'd love to go?
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  Right. And when you haven't yet?
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  And then let's start believing together that you're going to do
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  it. And I would say just do it
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  because again, you have to enjoy what you've got.
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  We've got this thing right? We've got it right.
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  We can decide today I'm going to lay on the couch.
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  I'm not going to do anything because it's got me.
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  It doesn't have you. You control it.
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  OK, so thanks so much for joining me today for this
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  adventure. And to my Inner Circle private
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  community and channel members, thank you for being a part of
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  this journey with me. And if you're not a member yet,
• 11:53
  consider joining the Inside the Inner Circle private community.
• 11:56
  You can direct message me, you can post and chat with other
• 11:58
  members, and you can join our live monthly calls right inside
• 12:01
  the community. You also get early access and
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  bonus content. And I personally reply to every
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  message. And if you join this episode,
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  please give it a thumbs up, share it with someone who needs
• 12:09
  a dose of encouragement and don't forget to subscribe.
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  And hey, drop a comment below. Where's the best place you've
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  travelled with Parkinson's? Where's the best place you've
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  traveled with Parkinson's? I'd love to hear your stories.
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  Until next time, keep moving forward and remember,
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  Parkinson's doesn't define you, you define you.
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  Parkinson's may be part of your life, but it doesn't get to
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  define it. Thanks for listening to Living
• 12:37
  with Parkinson's, the good, the Bad, and the Reality.
• 12:41
  If this episode moved you, helped you, or reminded you,
• 12:45
  you're not alone to share it with someone who needs to hear
• 12:48
  it. Want to go deeper?
• 12:50
  The Inner Circle is waiting. Monthly Zoom calls, 24/7
• 12:53
  community, and a Direct Line to Bryce.
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  You'll find the link in the show notes.
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  Until next time, keep showing up and keep doing life today.