traveling | Arthritis Information

 

Pretty soon I will be making that trip flying in to see my mom for her 80th birthday!

Hi WTBRAF,

Sorry I can't help you with the airline issues. I think it really comes down to the airport security and the airline. I have found incoming and outgoing to be different. Best to check.

When I travel I just have my meds in their prescrip bottles, but that's how they are here at home anyway. I think that if SnowOwl has that experience, go with the pill organizer- whatever  is easiest for you!

The calendar idea is awesome. We do that for my 94 year old Gramps, he loves it. That might be a better Christmas gift, it may take you time to gather the pics and have it made. Then she can use it right away in the new year.

Gift certificates and gift cards are always handy. They're small and useful.

 We gave my Gramps one of those programable picture frames with all kinds of family pictures that stream through. We had old photos scanned and put on along with recent ones. It came with a remote. He loves to sit and watch the gallery of photos go through.
It was fairly pricey though. We did it as a group gift. You can get them at WalMart.

I hope you have a smooth, wonderful vacation packed full of good times!

Take care~
Audrey
When my grandmother was that age I bought a large amount of various cards; birthday, anniversary, sympathy, etc. and gave stamps for these.  It took the pressure off of her being able to get to the store or postoffice.  I also gave her a couple of coffee mugs with all of our pictures on them.  I travel on business a bit, and I have co-workers who travel every week.  Most of the time you will have no problem taking pills in a pill organizer, but occasionally there will be an overzealous TSA wonk who's bound and determined to follow every obscure rule in the book. 

ESPECIALLY if you take controlled substances, you want those in the original bottles.  If you get caught with vicodin/etc in a baggie in your carryon, you run the very real risk of sitting in a cell and missing your plane while a /hr TSA agent who can't even spell hydrocodone tries to find a way to send you to jail.  Don't risk it.  Keep them in the original bottles.  A hand-written note from your doc isn't enough.
Wannabe - I kept mine in the script bottle, figured it was better to be safe than sorry.  I also packed some extras in my checked baggage, just in case they took the ones on the carryon.   Hope you have a wonderful trip and create some great memories.  CathyI had vicodin stolen out of my checked bag once.  It was in the original container - apparently someone at the TSA is bright enough to recognize the good stuff.  Never again will I put meds in the checked baggage.  Hell, most times I don't even check baggage.  If I can't fit it in the carryon, it goes via FexEx or UPS a couple days before.  Their screwup rate is much lower than the airlines, too. A lot of good ideas- thanks! be careful about sending your meds through the mail/fed ex.  You are not a pharmacy or liscenced distributer so if the x'ray machines show pills they can open up your packages.  Plus you are still risking a lost or stolen package.  Medications should stay with youI have traveled a lot on the airlines (in the USA) and I have had no problems with meds.  I have had my Humira with me with an ice pack to keep it cold in my carry on and I have told TSA it is there do they need to see it--each time they just tell me to put it in the bin and they x-ray it.  I do have the box with my rx on it but have never needed it.  Pills go in a pill box divided for each day--I do not take a whole pill bottle with me--just what I need for the time I am gone.  If I were traveling internationallly--I would take the bottles.  On my way back, I put the empty syringe in my checked luggage packed so no one gets pricked.  I think you can take a soda can and put it in there and throw it out--not sure on that.  Amazingly anough the empty syringe has always been in the suitcase when I get it back. 
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