Packing For Adventure

I'm almost ready to start packing. In a few minutes, as soon as I finish writing this entry, I will get a load of laundry going. It will be the rest of the clothing I want to take on a trip. Packing used to be such a simple thing for me. I could get it done in just a few minutes. The clothing side is still like that for me. I can get my clothing ready fairly quickly still, although it does take longer thanks to ALS. On the other side, however, there is the medical packing. There are several things I need to pack in a separate suitcase, things I never needed before ALS and before the wheelchair.

To start with, I need a second suitcase. Fortunately the airlines, at least most of them, don't charge for a suitcase with medical equipment and supplies in it. Still, two suitcases, twice the packing work, both of them going slower each time I do it. The medical stuff includes the bucket for the commode chair, the seat for the commode chair, the small transfer board, an M-rail, at least one grabby stick, catheter supplies, and the bulk containers of my medications. The weekly container for meds will go in my clothing bag, along with a small portion of catheter supplies.

Weight is an issue. It has never been an issue for clothing, but the medical gear can get heavy. I need the larger suitcase for that gear, but not the largest one. I try to avoid that monster as much as I can. Oddly enough, the medical gear mostly folds down and comes apart for packing. That makes it better. But it is all metal or heavy plastic, not much light weight stuff at all. So the gear bag is inevitably heavy.

My clothes mostly fit in my carry-on bag. I can pack for a week in the small suitcase, with some leftovers going into the medical equipment suitcase. The benefit of this is I have my clothing with me at all times, an important thing if I need to change pants for some misbegotten reason. Catheters break, even on airplanes, especially on airplanes. My medications for a week and my parking pass also go in that carry-on bag. This time, no book. I suspect I will have little time for reading.

Today is it. My last day at home for a couple of weeks. My next adventure begins at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning. Let's hope it all goes well.