Labor Day is four days away which mean that a long weekend is upon us. This also means that many will be packing their bags and hitting the road to enjoy the holiday. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA) about 35.5 million Americans will be traveling at least 50 miles over this weekend. With that many people traveling you’ll probably want to get a head start, but there are a few things that should be done when traveling with a thyroid condition.
1. Check Your Meds
If you haven’t already done so, ensure you have enough thyroid medication to last you through your trip and a couple extra days just in case. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere without your medication causing your situation to be that much worse.
2. Get the Appropriate Documentation
If you are traveling on a plane/out of the country, you will need some form of documentation for your medication, especially if they are injectables. A short note of necessity from your prescribing physician should suffice.
3. Carry On Your Medication
For those that will be flying this Labor Day weekend, make sure to place your medication in your carry-on bag. This will greatly lessen the likelihood of it being lost or misplaced leaving you without your medication.
4. Continue Taking Your Medication
This may seem like a no-brainer, but with all the fun and possible chaos that can happen on a trip it is possible to forget to take your medication. This is especially true if you are traveling to an area in a different time zone.
5. Leave Doctor Contact Info with a Trusted Individual
Before leaving for your trip, compile all of the appropriate contact numbers for your treating physician and your insurance information, and leave it with a trusted family member or friend. This is vital if you are traveling out of the country (your doctor may be unable to make/take international calls). The trusted individual may become your lifeline and link to your doctor if something happens with your meds or if something non-life threatening occurs with your condition.
This will be a busy weekend for most people and hopefully an enjoyable one for all, but in the midst of all the busyness and excitement don’t forget about taking care of yourself. This will help you enjoy your weekend even more.
Do you have any traveling tips that you swear by? Share them with us below!
Seriously, if this is the quality of advocacy, advice and information dispensed by NAH, I think I’ll unsubscribe.