And we have lift off! - Part 1

One of the things that people with limited mobility have to take into account when travelling overseas on a plane is the fact that they are at greater risk of DVT, (deep vein thrombosis), or blood clots, than other people because of the reduced movement they have. I was first made aware of this after a long stay in hospital, during which I developed a blood clot in my leg. My doctor prescribed a course of blood thinner injections, which I had to take every day for a couple of weeks. At first I was thoroughly scared by this, but she explained that they are injected into a layer of fat around your belly. The belly is the best spot for it because this is where the body has the most fat. There are two advantages of injecting into here - the first is that it doesn't hurt as much as an injection into another part of the body such as the arm because the needle is going into fat, and the second is that it doesn't bleed so there is no need for tissues, cotton wool or a bandaid. Ever since then I have also been prescribed them for when I go on planes trips that are 5 hours or more. For me, there is also a 3rd advantage of having the injections in my belly, and that is because I have reduced or no sensation from below my belly button down, but I have full sensation from my belly button up. Because of this I try and pick the exact injection site carefully, so as to inflict the least amount of pain on myself.

How it all began

A lot of people with physical disabilities and/ or complex medical needs might be put off the idea of travelling overseas. The months and months of planning involved, research into whether the place/s they want to travel to have adequate access and facilities, as well as just the nerves and uncertainty of being so far from home, in foreign surroundings, in countries where English might not be the 1st language spoken. I know all these reasons have made me extremely comfortable with the idea of staying in Australia for the rest of my life, and have completely killed my curiosity for exploring the world outside of my own back yard.

My sister and brother in law moved to Vienna in August 2011, so the prospect of one day going over there for a visit has been at the back of my mind for some time. The inability to get time off work last year when my parents were going meant that I had to stay behind for 5 long weeks, and I became more and more envious with every day that passed.

At the beginning of this year my sister announced that she might be coming back to Australia in August. This was when I decided that I really needed to get my skates (or skate-wheels) on and make a final decision on whether I was going to go before she came back. The decision was easy - YES! I did want to go! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and there was no way I was going to miss it.