A last-minute trip required me to face my fears head-on

Sometimes it’s important to dive right in and conquer your fears.

In 2018 and 2019, I suffered two major health events: a pulmonary embolism and a severe sickle cell crisis, which happened while I was on a flight. As a result, air travel has become extremely cumbersome for me. I can’t fly without supplemental oxygen, so each flight now involves an added administrative burden. This is complicated further by every airline having different protocols, processes, and paperwork. I detailed these woes in a previous column.

Given all of this, I stopped traveling short distances, believing the effort was only worth it for long-haul trips. Also, because it can take a while to get all the paperwork signed by the proper people, I don’t travel at the last minute. Everything is planned well in advance.

But all that changed recently when I took a short, last-minute trip to Switzerland. So how did that happen?

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My husband and I wanted to spend a long weekend together, but we weren’t sure what we wanted to do. After much deliberation, and realizing how expensive a staycation here in the U.K. would be, it made sense to go abroad. Once we factored in other considerations, such as work commitments, timing, and airport locations, we decided on Zurich, Switzerland.

I was extremely apprehensive at first because of the cold weather. For many sickle cell patients, cold temperatures are a crisis trigger. I had to consider this while packing. Before this trip, I’d only traveled to a colder country once many years ago, before my major health decline.

It might sound like these decisions occurred over a lengthy period of time, but that wasn’t the case. Everything was decided within about two days. By the time we booked our trip, there was only one week until our departure.

The next step was to reach out to my medical team. After the weekend had passed, I had just three days to take the paperwork to the hospital for my doctor to review and sign. Then I needed to submit the documents to the airline, which would either approve or decline my request to fly with all of my medical equipment and medications.

This is just one example of why having an excellent medical team is crucial. Because they are invested in my quality of life, and not just ticking boxes, they understand the importance of me being able to travel and live as normal a life as possible. They worked so hard to get everything done correctly and on time, for which I’m extremely grateful.

The trip itself was wonderful. The weather wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated, and I was adequately prepared for the environment thanks to my thoughtful packing. I had a great time and would absolutely go there again. As a chocolate lover, I can tell you Switzerland is truly chocolate heaven.

While those of us living with sickle cell must be mindful of risks to our health, sometimes it’s important to face our apprehensions head-on. You never know — it could pay off in the long run.

Yes, life is for living, but of course, always consult your medical team and ensure you’re sufficiently prepared. Taking risks can be great; recklessness is not.

Switzerland, I look forward to seeing you again — soon, I hope!

Note: Sickle Cell Disease 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 other 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 Sickle Cell Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sickle cell disease.