When Your Bladder Needs a Vacation

Don't spend half of your vacation searching for a restroom.

Suffering from IC can impact the life of patients in many ways. One major thing IC can interfere with is travel. Patients who need to use the restroom multiple times an hour may be nervous about taking long car rides or have anxiety about finding restrooms ( I am the queen of this, one of the first things I do in any new restaurant etc. is look for the bathrooms). Patients who suffer from pelvic pain may be concerned with laying on the beach  due to sand getting inside of a bathing suit. 

Remember that IC is stressful enough and that you deserve a vacation just as much as anyone else. You don't need to let IC control your travel plans forever. 

Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you have IC and are trying to plan take a trip:

-If you need to travel by car, study your route before you go. There are likely rest stops along the way. Knowing where they are can take away a lot of anxiety. Only travel with supportive loved ones who will be willing to stop as often as you need to.

-Make yourself comfortable in the car. Bring cushions, portable heating pads or anything else that will help you with the ride.

-If you are traveling by plane, you will need to get used to using plane bathrooms. No one likes to use tiny plane bathrooms, but us IC gals really have no other option. Getting an aisle seat can make things a little bit easier so that you can get up without having to climb over other passengers.

-When going to the beach, make sure to bring a chair. You will get way less sand in your bathing suit this way. Getting too much sand in a bathing suit can be a nightmare for a Vulvodynia sufferer.

-If you swim in the pool or ocean, get out of the wet bathing suit and put on something dry as soon as possible. Sitting around in a wet bathing suit can cause a yeast infection which can make a V or IC flare worse. Not chilling out in a wet swimsuit is a tip all women should follow, even those without IC.

-Make sure to pack all of your medications. Forgetting them may cause a flare or even just give you a lot of anxiety. When flying or taking a cruise, keep your medications in your purse or another bag you will carry with you. Do not put your meds in transported luggage that has the chance of being lost.

-Plan activities in advance that you know are IC or pelvic pain friendly. By doing this you will not feel left out if the group you are with wants to do an activity that you can't participate in.

-If you have a lot of food triggers, do research about restaurants in your vacation area to make sure there are foods that you can enjoy.

-Stress is a flare trigger for many patients. Pick a vacation that is on the slower paced side and not a vacation where you have to be constantly on the go.