Overcoming my EDS pain and anxiety before a big trip

The past few weeks have been busy. I’ve missed writing my last two columns because of a trip abroad to spend time with my brother and his family. He’s a school administrator, and his wife is currently staying home with their young daughter. They live in Europe and usually come to the U.S. for the summer, but this year we decided to meet in Europe instead. It was a fantastic trip, but the preparations for it were affected by my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and related anxiety.

While this trip has been in the works for almost six months, I didn’t pay much attention to it until right before I left. My brother is a whiz at planning and has traveled all over the world, so we left the details to him. As a teacher deep in the chaos of the end of the school year, I was more than happy to take a back seat. Then, a few days before I was supposed to leave, reality hit me like a brick wall.

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I work on a small horse farm and have several rescue dogs and cats, so leaving isn’t easy. Traveling to another continent is even more complicated. I had to ensure that all of my animals would be cared for and provide permission for medical treatment in case of emergency. One of my dogs, Happy, is about 15 years old and has both good and bad days, so I was worried his health would take a turn for the worse while I was gone.

Making sure all the animals had their food, medications, and everything else, along with doing as many farm chores as possible ahead of time, felt overwhelming. Like so many others with EDS, I have anxiety. Plus, I was physically taxed by the manual work I had to do, so my EDS soreness flared.

For me, there’s a connection between pain and anxiety. Even though a friend had agreed to watch the farm for me during my trip, and I know she can handle anything, my anxiety soared. Most of the time, I can manage my anxiety relatively well, but occasionally it’ll worsen when I’m experiencing severe stress. Preparing for the trip certainly put me there.

Additionally, my flight plans were changed at the last minute. I was supposed to travel alone and meet my family in Europe, with a connecting flight in Canada, where they speak English. Buy my connecting flight was changed to Frankfurt, Germany, and I definitely don’t speak German.

By that point, I was extremely anxious and couldn’t figure out why until my parents asked if I wanted to rebook the flight so that I could meet up with them in Canada and fly to Europe together. Upon hearing their suggestion, I realized that I was scared to travel abroad alone and navigate a country where I didn’t speak the language.

It took some finagling, but thankfully we were able to change our itinerary, allowing me to meet up with my parents in Canada. Our connection eased my stress and anxiety a bit, but I was still extremely exhausted from a lack of sleep.

With support from my family, I knew I could do it, although the flight was tough on my body. Once we were on our way, I was so glad I’d decided to fight through my EDS pain and anxiety and go on the trip. We had an amazing time!

Note: Ehlers-Danlos News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Ehlers-Danlos News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Ehlers-Danlos.