How do you travel to Doctors?

[judy c]

I'm a newcomer to this site and read about all the docs you go to with amazement. I can't travel to the grocery store without laying down in the back seat and having my husband drive me. What methods do you use to get across the country or don't some of you have sitting pain? My favorite part of this forum is the success stories for those of you who get well. Hope all of us do eventually! Judy c

[calluna]

Speaking personally, I manage by only sitting with my cushion. In the car, I use one particular cushion that I find very helpful, and also have the seat partially reclined. Plus, I have effective pain management meds.

Car journeys are still quite a big deal, but with my cushion I can drive myself to the library or the shops - not on a bad day, of course, but there are more and more good days, I am heading in the right direction.

I haven't been on a plane since PN came along, but I can see that it would be manageable. Trains are ok - no problem with standing up - but would be a whole lot better if the seats reclined. Wishful thinking there....

[HerMajesty]

I know I have seen threads on this in the section titled "seating and physical lifestyle adaptations" - you should probably explore that section. I remember reading there that a lot of people use ice packs / cold packs as well as specialty cushions to travel by plane.
I did my own travelling AFTER I had done PT and got on a good med regimen at a pain clinic locally, so it wasn't as big a deal as it would have been if I had jumped right in to seeing a specialist with no prior symptom relief. If you have local access to any of the PT's listed on this site, you should go; not just to try PT but also to get info about any local pain clinic, Neurologist, or Gynecologist whom the PT knows understands pelvic pain. I have found it very useful to get as much local care as possible and travel only when I am sure I have a need that cannot be handled locally. I was even able to get my nerve blocks without travelling.
Hopefully with local care you will be in better shape to get on a plane. Also if you do NOT use narcotics as part of your general pain control regimen, then for a plane ride narcotics are definitely your friend. If you are using them daily you will have tolerance; but because I don't use them as part of my general med regimen, when I travelled home from surgery in Kansas City I took 10mg of hydrocodone and I was fine.
The worst case scenario is the expense of buying extra seats so that you can lie down. Another trick that might help is to do a little research to choose very off-peak travel times, which might land you on a flight with lots of free empty seats - then you can lie down without the expense.

[nyt]

When I fly to Phoenix, which I have done 6 times to see Dr. Hibner, I purchase 2 seats.

[judy c]

Thank all of you who gave advice. I responded last night but for some reason my reply didn't post. Calluna, what kind of cushion works so well for you? I have sspent hundreds of $$$ trying to find that one magic cushion that will work but haven't managed yet. I have the bulging, sensitive genital pain combined with sit bone pain and hypersensitive lower buttocks and thighs so pressure on any of those areas makes sitting very painful. I guess each of us is different in what works and what doesn't.

HerMajesty and nyt are so brilliant with the idea of buying an extra plane seat. I can put my husband in window seat with my feet across him and lay on the other two or stand when permitted! Simple but I never thought of that. Perhaps down the road I will have to travel and use that method.

Yes I will get most of my care locally as I'm lucky enough to have a good PN doctor just 45 miles away. Have nerve block for diagnosis scheduled for Wed. and surgery to remove adhesions and ovary with a cyst that shouldn't be there scheduled Sept. 17. Hoping that might help with genital pain but no promises were made. Several things going on and Dr. says "one step at a time"

Good to be able to communicate with all of you who have been there, done that. Praying for improvement for all!

Judy c

[calluna]

If you have sit bone pain then I can see you'd have a lot of difficulty finding a way to sit comfortably. I don't have sit bone pain at all, my pain is mostly limited to the pudendal distribution.

The cushion that is so helpful for me is the Togu Airgo Active, it comes with a little pump so you can adjust it. I bought mine from Amazon here in the UK, following a recommendation from donstore on the boards here. I actually have two of them, one with a cover which is my favourite and one without.

[Pompei]

I can drive my van comfortably. I only drive minivans with captain's chairs. I place a piece of plywood that has a block attached at the top behind me. This forces me to sit forward on an angle that relieves pressure on nerves. I also put a piece of wood under each thigh so my butt is raised at all times. I cut the wood on a slope and cut a curve in it so it fits my thigh muscles comfortably. Using this homemade device I can drive for hours without putting any stress on the pudendal nerve.