How to minimize stress while traveling with Parkinson’s disease
A frequent flier shares his strategies for navigating air travel
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Air travel is hard, even if you do it frequently. You have to navigate busy places, make it past security, and then cram yourself into an airplane like a sardine in a can — and that’s all before you ever make it to your destination.
After my family traveled to Barcelona, Spain, for my sister’s wedding last fall, I realized that the whole process is even more difficult for someone who, like my dad, has Parkinson’s disease.
I recently connected with Bryan Roberts, a member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation Patient Council and a person living with Parkinson’s disease. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of what travel is like for him and how he manages it. Roberts mostly travels domestically from Hartford, Connecticut, to New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Providence, Rhode Island.
During our email exchange, he explained that “the biggest challenge I find in navigating travel with PD [Parkinson’s disease] is keeping my energy up and stress down, which can be especially challenging when engaging in air travel. Modern air travel in the United States consists of unexpected delays, angry passengers, and a ton of walking through large terminals. All these variables can conspire to make a trip challenging. In other words, the known combined with the unknown can be tricky.”
One of the strategies that Roberts uses to minimize stress while traveling is building in time buffers and scheduling rest. “So, instead of scheduling a trip with little-to-no layover times between arrival and departure, I will now give myself a two-hour cushion in between when I come and go, and I will retreat to the lounge. This allows me to collect myself before beginning the next leg of an adventure, but it also gives me a cushion in case of delays. It allots some time for me to take my medication, which is key for a good experience,” he said.
He invests in time-saving measures such as TSA PreCheck — the Transportation Security Administration’s expedited screening program — to minimize the hassle of removing his belt and shoes while going through security.
Checking in with himself, getting enough rest, and managing stress well are key variables that dictate Roberts’ travel experience.
He also finds that jet lag can affect everything from his sleep schedule to the timing of his medications. “Even just the simple time change of an hour can knock me around for days. I have a lot of business in Los Angeles and find it is better to keep my medication schedule on East Coast time for any trip under [seven] days,” Roberts said.
Even though travel can increase his stress and affect his ability to manage Parkinson’s, Roberts encouraged other people with the disease to keep fighting. “Enjoy the experience — traveling with PD can be challenging, but at the end of the day, you’re still traveling,” he said. “You are out experiencing life, and that is the most important outcome.”
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
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