Traveling With a Major Disability and Two Kids

I have another more normal blog post that I'm working on but I thought I would post on a subject that I think maybe people may need a little awareness about since this is brain injury awareness month.

Traveling with a disability is an adventure.  At least that's how I try really hard to view it as but to be really honest, it's usually a very stressful experience, especially if it involves flying.

Next week we are planning on flying to CA.  This isn't a first for our family so we are semi-seasoned.    When I plan a flight to CA, I have to plan months ahead of time.  I send a bag ahead of us with essential supplies for David with whoever is going back to CA.  It's a way to try to minimize luggage.  Last time we flew, I had a baby strapped to my front, a backpack on my back, a leash in hand to keep track of our 3-year-old, and pushed  David in his wheelchair with another carry-on on his lap.  I always have to do a mini-training session at the gate to show the guys how to do a stand-pivot transfer to an aisle seat.  One man couldn't figure out how the wheelchair could be set up at a 90 degree angle from the aisle chair.  He didn't know what a 90 degree angle was.  I just did the transfer myself with a baby still strapped to me to save time trying to explain simple geometry. We didn't get the front seat like most times so we got stuck in the middle of the plane.  I let two burly strong men figure out how to stuff David in an airplane seat.  On the whole 4-hour flight,  neither of my kids slept.  Because they are small energizer bunnies, they never stopped moving.  The woman in front of us leaned her chair all the way back, further compacting my already reduced space because of the 16-month toddler on my lap and yelled at them to stop bumping her seat.  I felt like I'd completed and lost a 4-hour wrestling match when we got off that plane.

This time I won't have the luxury of carrying the toddler in a pack this time.  I might just have to not pack for every possible emergency that most likely will happen!  I'm not really sure how I would change David in an airplane lavatory.  That would definitely be an experience I'd rather not experience.

This time we will be staying in a hotel.  I have to make sure our room is handicap accessible and specify a roll-in shower.  I have to make sure they have a shuttle to the airport that has a lift or ramp.  That involves talking to a couple incompetent people before I talk to a person that knows what an accessible vehicle is.  Everything ends up being an education session.  Then I need to figure out who can help me get two car seats, a wheelchair, a large suitcase, small suitcase and two toddlers, and two carry-ones to the ticketing counter because as much as I'd like to think I can do everything myself, I cannot manage all that!

There you go, a glimpse into traveling with a disabled spouse and two small kids across the country.