PH and Travel: Fun Travel Destinations

Part 1: Fun Travel Destinations
Travel is always a topic of interest in the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community, as having PH or an associated condition may affect one's travel plans. Summer is one of the most popular times for travel and often brings up a lot of PH and travel-related questions. This two-part PH and Travel blog will feature vacation stories and travel tips from people in the PH community. Part 1 is about travel destinations and vacation stories. Here is a look at what Evette and Carol have been up to this year.

Road Trip Summer 2013
Evette is living with PH and scleroderma. In July, Evette took an eight-day road trip with her husband. She started in her hometown in Tennessee and ended at the Scleroderma Conference in Atlanta. Along the way, she visited state parks and other attractions in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

During the trip, Evette climbed to the top of the staircase of the Tybee Lighthouse in Georgia, which has 178 steps. Evette demonstrates that having PH or an associated condition should not stop you from your summer plans. She has climbed the lighthouse staircase on Simon Island, which has 129 steps, as well as the St. Augustine lighthouse in Florida, which has 219 steps!

To reach the top of the stairs, Evette took small breaks along the way. There were landings with windows every few flights where she could take a break and get some fresh air. At the top, she observed that other people climbing the lighthouse were just as out of breath as she was!

Evette stresses that before traveling, you should talk to your doctor about your plans. Before her first lighthouse climb, her doctor approved her plans and recommended that she take oxygen with her while climbing, but Evette made it to the top of the lighthouses without having to use oxygen! Evette is excited about her accomplishment and says, “It feels good to do things that you don’t think you can do!” Way to go Evette!

Disney Vacations: An All-Time Favorite

Carol at Disney with her granddaughter, Lexi. 

Carol Bowling is quite the experienced traveler! She has been to Disneyland and Disney World multiple times. Her favorite Disney Park is Epcot, where she can meet cast members from all over the world and sample food from different countries. France is her favorite country in Epcot because of the French accents and delicious baked goods! 

In the park, Carol uses her scooter to get around. She has found Disney as a company to be very helpful and accommodating of her PH-related needs. “Each park has a First Aid Station. I have left oxygen bottles there so that I didn't have to carry them all day. I have left medicine that needed to be refrigerated. The medical staff will even let you take a nap or simply cool down. They have always been very friendly and helpful to me.” You can go to Disney's website to learn more about their accommodations for guests with disabilities.

Carol with her husband, Michael, visiting Disney World.

“My favorite part of traveling is creating the memories with my family. The moments when we are all laughing, being silly and enjoying each other. It is almost like we don't have a care in the world and we are all living in the moment. We are just focused on experiencing an adventure together and creating a lifetime memory.”

If you want to learn more about travel, make sure to check out Part 2 of the PH and Travel blog on PH Plus with valuable information about flying and cruising.

By Laura Johns, Patient & Caregiver Services Intern