Have you ever heard the saying “when you fail to plan, you plan to fail?” I experienced the harsh reality of this in real time. Recently, I traveled with my daughter for a massive cheerleading competition in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the first time I had ever been to the Georgia World Congress Convention Center. Prior to our trip, we were told how huge the convention center was and to plan to wear comfy shoes since there would be a lot of walking. I brought my comfy sneakers and crocs and planned all of my outfits to be centered on comfort. Despite everyone saying “it’s not your regular convention center, be prepared,” I thought this was enough. I didn’t even think too much of my psoriatic arthritis when preparing, and in hindsight, I should have.
Aches & Pains
When we arrived at the convention center, we downloaded the virtual map; to my surprise, I learned that the distance between the halls was the length of three football fields! I also learned that walking from Hall A to Hall C, on average, took 15 minutes. It was then I knew, oh boy, I should’ve checked this out beforehand.
Walking the lengths of the convention center on the days of the competition caused me to experience so much pain in my joints from my psoriatic arthritis. I would walk, and then sit down for long periods of time in between the performances. It was truly painful for me, and at one point, it felt like my legs would lock up. I wanted to rent a scooter inside, but also didn’t want to try to navigate through the crowd of thousands.
I pushed through and would stretch multiple times while at the convention center, as well as in the hotel before bed. Despite these efforts, my pain persisted. I had to rely on over-the-counter pain medication, stretching, and intermittent walking to prevent my joints from giving in. It was really tough, and I honestly didn’t want my daughter to worry about me while she had to focus on performing.
Preparation With PsA Matters
What’s the moral of the story? Preparation when you have psoriatic arthritis matters. I learned this the hard way, but it was such an important lesson. Now that I’ve had this experience, moving forward, I will learn everything I need to know about anywhere that I travel. Sometimes, when things aren’t going so bad with my psoriatic arthritis, it can feel like I am able to tackle anything. This experience reminded me that despite my good days I need to prepare in order to prevent bad days.
The preparation for me could’ve included finding out about my options – whether it was to rent a scooter or learn the easiest ways to navigate the building to put the least amount of stress on my body. It could’ve included having a plan with other parents who may need to help support me to get my daughter to the areas of the building she needed to be in. When I returned home, it took four days for my body to get back to feeling OK. This all could’ve been lessened if I had put more effort into planning ahead.
If You’re Reading This, Here’s My Advice
If you have psoriatic arthritis and are traveling anywhere, make sure you learn everything you need to know on the front end about your destination. Make a plan for if you experience any fatigue, joint pain, or other issues. Keep an emergency kit with you of your medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.
One of the most important things you can also do is ask for help if you need it; more often than not so many people are willing to help support you. Although I didn’t want to feel like I was taking away from my daughter’s experience, coming home I took away time I could’ve been doing other things with her. The four days it took my body to recover was proof of that alone. Hindsight is always 20/20, and when you know better, you do better. It just takes you saying what you need. I can promise you, I have truly learned my lesson for sure!
Photo Credit: JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images
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