Whether it be for a vacation, occasion, reunion, spiritual retreat, or medical care, packing is a fun filled task that can also be a little nerve-wracking and with Gastroparesis the food aspect might become stressful.
I guess it depends on the place you’re going; whether there are genuinely approved halaal eating outlets and also the type of foods available when you have limited options.
At a restaurant the only two things I can eat is soft fish and certain veggies. Not all veggies are digestible.
Generally we aren’t habitual eating at restaurants or ordering home deliveries because I have stomach sensitivity and tend to feel more sick with outsourced food but I do eat from specific places locally once in goodness knows how many months 😂
In Durban Casablanca is a favorite.
My sister recommended Sunkissed because it has a homely ambience and succulent foods.
In PE we stayed at a Drs home on the farm and with my grand uncle at his place on the beachfront so the food part was a lot easier to manage.
We prepared one cooler bag with home cooked meals frozen into daily portions.
(More on the food topic will be elaborated later)
I prepare in advance as soon as bookings are confirmed because our days are unpredictable, we never know what circumstances will be like at the last minute, so for ease of mind it’s better to know everything or most things are sorted. Scrambling through a list at the last hour is more stressful and will impact symptoms significantly. You don’t want to arrive at the airport / destination in a disoriented state.
FOOD BAG
Portable blender for my meal replacement / supplement shake. We wondered how well Blendjet will work because it was cheap but turned out to be a good purchase. Easy to wash. Charge. Spin your shake and you’re set to go.
Lisa Raleigh shake powder
Simple Truth organic coconut sugar
Raw cacoa powder
Nature’s choice Polenta Maize Meal
Gullon sugar free digestive biscuits
Homemade rusks
Nature Valley snack bars
Barley cup cereal drink (good liquid meal substitute)
Coconut water & BOS ice tea we bought after landing instead of carrying from here.
Pegasus homeopathic travel kit
(These images are under the GP foodie and medication highlights on Instagram)
I got a mini cooler bag for meds from takealot. Honey accessories also have lovely ones.
Travel organizer for electronics – wires and chargers
Then we have my ready-to-go bag which carries all the essential items I need when leaving the house at anytime. It stays packed in the cupboard. Particularly helpful for hospital admissions, follow-ups, and routine appointments.
READY-TO-GO BAG
(35 ltr duffel)
MEDICAL
Hydration bottles – I was gifted the Quench flask by a student and it’s been in use ever since 2 years ago. Keeps my liquids at the perfectly cooled or heated temperature.
Tasly Danshen Cardiotonic pills
Venteze CFC free emergency bronchodilator
Bacopa Monierri – Cognitive pills
Rehidrat / electrolyte sachets
Salt / salty snacks
Caring candies peppermint nausea suckers / sweets
Anti-sickness medication
Sunglasses
Sun hat
Vogmask if I’m gonna be at a place where I don’t need to don my niqaab, otherwise niqaab suffices as a protective barrier
Pure Beginnings wet wipes
Bio Sil colloidal silver sanitizer
Lightweight jacket
ID + list of medical conditions and wearable band
If you’re looking for personalized ID /passport covers I recommend @paper_and_co – tailor made to suit your request. I usually carry all our personal information, important documents or boarding passes on hand, so the one from Runaway Sale worked out ideal because it’s compact but also has great storage compartments not restricted to one person’s identification.
@lou.harvey has nice travel pouches and bags
Bag tags
Pulse oximiter
Oxygen chargers
First aid mini kit
MyLifeline watch on hand
ADDITIONAL
Tissue
Mini diary with pen (Never know when you have to jot down something on paper)
Business card pouch incase someone wants calligraphy contact details
1 / 2 calligraphy pens – I added this in at a later stage because sometimes you get random requests to write something but have no pens on hand
Power bank
Wallet
Headphones
ESSENTIALS
Personal
Urine funnel
Toilet seat covers
Toilet seat wipes
Istinjaa bottle
Spray bottle for wudhu
Face cloth
Cosmetic pouch
Cooling towel
Travel prayer mat
CLOTHING
Of course it depends entirely on your personal choice and style. In my case everything has to be 100% cotton.
I for one – loose flowy breathable cloaks
Pants that aren’t restrictive especially in summer. During winter tights are comfortable and warm.
T-shirts
Soft scarves
Shoe bag for wudhu sandal etc
Toiletries – bought mini refillable bottles from west pack lifestyle
Jewellery travel pouch for delicate or fine items if you’re going to attend an occasion or just to store watches, rings etc
Quick dry towels (I was gifted a wudhu and bath size. One is the swim surf brand and the other from Cape Union although not recommended to buy from them anymore)
Laundry bag
ON FLIGHT
Neck pillow
Mini cotton blanket (if it’s a lengthy distance)
Eye masks
Ear plugs
EXTRA PRIORITIES
Medical letters if you have a pacemaker or other implanted devices because it will most likely beep when going through the scanning process and they’ll wonder what you’re hiding which they can’t find or feel outwardly 😂
A letter for oxygen equipment to be accepted by airline officials.
May Allah reward the Dr who readily availed himself to assist in this regard. We were extremely grateful and appreciative because the letter was asked to be seen few times during our return to Johannesburg at the PE airport before consent was given to proceed through the boarding gates.
Wheelchair
APAP machine bag
Nebulizer
Ice packs / heating pad / TENS unit
Pain relief gels
1) All in all I had one main suitcase for clothing, toiletries, shoes etc
2) A second for medical equipment – extra supplies, APAP machine, nebulizer etc
3) A third with frozen food contents
4) And the fourth being my carry-on ready-to-go bag
If you have any general tips please do share them along. With multiple chronic illnesses it’s tough to pack very light but we try our best to keep items small and minimal.
Travel is more challenging if you’re going abroad because locally it’s still easier to purchase a forgotten item.
Meds are important to always have extra stock on hand. If in the case of an unforeseen or unfavorable event such as covid – being held under lockdown, you don’t want any vital medication to be depleted. With rare diseases a lot of medications are only obtained in certain countries and aren’t easily available everywhere.
Categorize your lists and tick them off accordingly as you go along. By doing so it will ensure you are fully equipped and equally ready to set sail…
ان شاء الله
Also check out 👇
http://www.standinguptopots.org/livingwithpots/travel
Swimming Through The Waves 