TIPS ON TRAVELING WITH EPILEPSY
FLY RIGHT: Knowing where to find help if you were to have a really bad siezure can provide confidence during your trip.
BY PHIL GATTONE
- Look up hospitals and epileptologists located in your destination. Knowing where the hospitals and doctors are located in your destination provides confidence in knowing where to find help if you were to have a really bad seizure.
- Develop a plan for what to do if there is an emergency and you need to travel home. You can prepare a plan by looking up your airline’s flight change policy and being aware of what other flights travel between your home and destination. Knowing this information can allow you to worry less about having a seizure and can provide peace of mind when traveling.
- Always have emergency contact information available so you have someone to contact in case you have a really bad seizure. You may also want to let your doctor know you are traveling and ask if you can call them when on your trip.
- I would recommend building an online support group at FriendsWithEpilepsy.com. You can connect with others all over the world and connect with them while traveling.
- Enjoy your trip! It’s easy to be overly cautious about having a seizure and worry about what might happen. This mindset can prevent you from enjoying your trip so try not to worry and focus on enjoying your trip.•
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Phil Gattone is the creator of an online epilepsy community called FriendsWithEpilepsy.com. Phil's motivation for creating Friends With Epilepsy stems from his personal experience with epilepsy. Phil was diagnosed with epilepsy when four years old, has had thousands of seizures, two brain surgeries, and knows the social struggles that come with epilepsy. However, with the help of his family, friends, teachers, and mentors he was able to overcome epilepsy and now runs a digital health startup, called Neurish (neurishme), that empowers patients and caregivers to better manage epilepsy and reduce the limitations caused by epilepsy.