In 2016, I was diagnosed with Unspecified Connective Tissue Disease, Raynaud’s Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia. These conditions have significantly impacted the way I travel, but they haven’t dampened my never-ending wanderlust.
My Chronic Illness Story
Back in 2010, I was living in England, obtaining my Master’s Degree at the University of the West of England. It was there that I started to experience the dreaded Lindsay Special. This random illness lasted for 2 weeks, happened a few times per year, and pretty much wiped me out. During these episodes, I experienced low-grade fevers, and next-level fatigue, and barely left the couch or my bed.
This continued on and off over the next 5 years without a firm diagnosis. By the time 2015 rolled around, I was fed up and determined to figure out what the heck was going on. I became a regular at my local hospital, in South Korea, and they started running tests. I had my lungs checked, my blood, my heart, and more. Each doctor would be stumped and refer me to another specialist in hopes they’d be able to have better luck coming up with a diagnosis.
In 2016, I caught a “break” – a new symptom emerged and I knew which specialist to try next. I had my first episode of Raynaud’s phenomenon (explained further below), coupled with persistent fatigue, body aches, and lack of mental clarity. According to my obsessive internet research, I decided a rheumatologist was the next specialist I needed to see.
It took about 5 minutes of chatting with Dr. Kim, and explaining my symptoms, when he told me I definitely experienced Raynaud’s Phenomenon and that he would run some specialized tests to see if it was acting alone or in conjunction with another autoimmune disease.
A week later, I was back in Dr. Kim’s office and he explained to me that I had not 1, but 3 chronic illnesses: UCTD, Raynaud’s Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I was scared, but not terribly surprised, and somewhat relieved to finally have an answer.
A Little About Unspecified Connective Tissue Disease
UCTD (Unspecified/Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease) is an autoimmune disease whose symptoms align with bits of Lupus, Scleroderma, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. It can often develop into one of the more serious diseases and is also referred to as pre-Lupus. The exact cause of UCTD is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, environmental factors, and infections. There is no cure for UCTD, but there are treatments that can help to manage the symptoms.
Symptoms vary, but can often include:
- Joint pain
- Fatigue
- Skin rashes
- Raynaud’s phenomenon
- Dry eyes
- Dry mouth
- Fever
- Muscle pain
A little about Raynaud’s Syndrome
Raynaud’s Syndrome is a condition where your blood vessels overreact to cold weather or stress, and spasm (called Raynaud’s Phenomenon). This can cause the fingers and toes to turn white, blue, or red. The spasms usually last for a few minutes, but they can sometimes last for longer. Just like UCTD, there is no cure for Raynaud’s Syndrome, but there are treatments that can help to manage the symptoms.
A little about Fibromyalgia
Out of all the diseases talked about here, you’re probably most familiar with fibromyalgia (fibro). You probably also know someone who suffers from it as well. Although doctors typically arrive at a diagnosis by excluding others, there are a few common symptoms: widespread pain and tenderness, fatigue, sleep problems, cognitive difficulties (aka fibro fog), and more. The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, environmental factors, and infections. Again, there is no cure for fibromyalgia, but there are treatments that can help to manage the symptoms.
How I travel with chronic illnesses
I travel slowly. I’ve never been the type of person who wants to cram as much as possible into a short trip, but my chronic illnesses have made me slow down even more.
I now try to spend at least a couple of weeks (preferably 4 or more) in a single country. I choose a city or town that I’m interested in and use it as a home base. From there, I take short trips out to explore the surrounding area. This allows me to cut out the stress of constantly being on the move and gives me ample opportunity to go at my own pace and stop and smell the roses as often as I like.
Here are some of the benefits of traveling slowly with chronic illnesses:
- It allows you to pace yourself and avoid overexertion.
- It gives you more time to rest and recover.
- It allows you to adjust your plans as needed if you’re not feeling well.
- It gives you more time to connect with the local culture and people.
- It’s more affordable than constantly moving around.
If you have chronic illnesses and are thinking about traveling, I encourage you to consider traveling slowly. It may not be the way you used to travel, but it can be a great way to see the world and still enjoy your trip.