When trips don't happen

Well, I'm not exactly happy to be writing this post, but this is real life, so here it goes.  I have blogged previously about the prep work I've done for a big trip to Amsterdam and Ireland that I was going to take in just a few weeks.  It turns out that I will not be able to take that trip (at least not when it was scheduled) after all.  I have a disease/condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis, which basically means that my back is slowly fusing.  There is no cure (yet), and it's genetic, so there are others in my family who have it, too.  It is all about management, and even with doing the best at management as possible, most people with AS will have flares.  Sadly, I'm dealing with a flare right now.  What does that mean?  It means lots of pain with standing or sitting for longer than 20 minutes or so, it means having to use a brace, it means having burning sensations that go up my spine and all around my lumbar area.


As you can probably guess from the above info, sitting on a plane for 12 hours or so each way is less than ideal when dealing with an AS flare.  Frankly, it scares me to think that I would not be able to get out of my seat if my back totally locks up (I got stuck on the stairs once when it locked - not fun), that I wouldn't be able to deal with my own bag, or that I'd need medical attention in a foreign country.  While I always have travel insurance when traveling abroad, it doesn't mean I want to actually use it!  In any case, upon advice from my care team, I've decided that I am not in decent enough physical condition to have all of that flight time, nor the fairly constant walking that would also put pressure on my back.

This means that I had to cancel my Airbnb reservation; luckily, the owner uses a flexible policy, so I got the majority of my money back.  I also had to cancel train tickets, a hotel reservation, and several other things, so it is certainly a hassle.  However, I know that when it comes to my health, it is the right decision.  I'm definitely depressed to miss out on the conference I was supposed to attend, but it's all for the best.  My next issue to tackle is to change my flight; I haven't decided on whether or not I want to rebook right away or just put it on hold for a while.  One thing at a time...

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