Traveling Well With Arthritis

 

Transcript

For release 6/4/24

 

 PODCAST OPEN:           

You’re listening to the Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast, created by the Arthritis Foundation to help people with arthritis — and the people who love them — live their best lives. This podcast and other life-changing resources are made possible by gifts from donors like you. If you’re dealing with chronic pain, this podcast is for you. You may have arthritis, but it doesn’t have you. Here, learn how you can take control of arthritis with tips and ideas from our hosts and guest experts.

 

MUSIC BRIDGE

 

Pete Scalia:

Hi, and welcome to the Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast. I'm Pete Scalia, your host for this episode. I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis when I was about 30 years old, and I've used my life working in media to help share my story of dealing with arthritis, while dispelling some of the myths that are associated with it. And when I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I was actually touring around the country playing music, which is appropriate because today's topic is talking about traveling with arthritis.

 

If it's for work or for pleasure, it could certainly be exciting and lead to new adventures, a little well-deserved R and R when you're on vacation. But it can also create anxiety and new challenges to your daily tasks and beyond, especially if you live with arthritis. So, in this episode, we're going to talk about some tips, tools and techniques to make traveling with arthritis less worrisome and less painful. Whether you're traveling by land, air or sea, we're going to dive into all the challenges that come with traveling with arthritis and give you some practical solutions on how you can overcome them.

 

Today, I'm excited to be joined by our guest, certainly no stranger to travel: TV host, comedian and actor Matt Iseman, who began his career as a physician and has been a big proponent of the Arthritis Foundation for years. Matt, welcome back to the podcast. Great to see you.

 

Matt Iseman:

Pete, it's awesome to see you, but already I'm going to have to challenge something you just said. You said travel can be exciting. No, being someplace new can be exciting. Traveling is awful. Getting anywhere in this country has just become a nightmare, even worse with arthritis. This is a topic… I am ripe. I have lots to say on the state of travel and what it's like going anywhere anymore.

 

Pete Scalia:

Yeah, that's the thing. The destination, once you get there, that's the key.

 

Matt Iseman:

It's great. It really is. But getting there, woo.

 

Pete Scalia:

Well, Matt, you travel all across the country pretty much all the time, right?

 

Matt Iseman:

It’s one of the awesome things about getting to do what I do. I never know where I’m going to be. My schedule is never the same from week to week. And a lot of it is on the road. I was just in Atlanta. And before that, Denver. It’s been Vegas and New York. I’m heading back to New York. I’m heading to San Francisco this week. There’s going to be South Carolina right after New York. And it’s all awesome stuff, but it’s really a challenge.

 

I'm about to get married in September, and my fiancée has traveled with me a lot. And it's really interesting, having someone who's not as familiar with traveling, when you start bringing them along on the journeys and seeing it through their eyes and some of the positives and negatives. It's kind of opened my eyes to some of the things you can get lost in. It's very easy to forget how stressful traveling really can be.

 

Pete Scalia:

Well, that's a big question, too, Matt. So, I mean, if this is, you know, the person that you're going to marry, do you travel well together?

 

Matt Iseman:

She travels awesome with me. I get to be a little baby sometimes when I'm traveling, Pete. (laughter) I'm very used to having it my way. We've been all over the world together, and we've had absolute nightmare experiences, and we kept each other laughing. So, that was one of the reasons when I'm like, all right, I can spend the rest of my life with this woman because she really makes a trip more fun, even when everything's going wrong.

 

Pete Scalia:

You mentioned a lot of the hassles that go along with travel, even if you don't have a form of arthritis or anything that you'd be dealing with, whether you're in a car, an airplane, dealing with the TSA. What would you say have been some of your biggest obstacles when it comes to traveling as relates to your arthritis?

 

Matt Iseman:

I have rheumatoid arthritis like you, and I've been pretty fortunate to have it well controlled, at least in terms of the labs. There's just a degree of stiffness that I walk around with on a daily basis, and it's never worse than it is with travel. You're kind of on the go in unfamiliar locations. You can be sitting in an airplane seat for 14 hours if you're going someplace, really kind of trapped in there.

 

And you can get dehydrated. And sleep is always a challenge. But I think the thing I forgot is the general stress, the emotional stress, associated with travel. You know, I live in Los Angeles, and anytime you go to that airport, just the final quarter mile, it can take an hour. And there are crowds everywhere, and people are kind of surly. I realized how I would just kind of drop into this mode where my fiancée was like, "Hey, (laugh), you are really like… You're zoned out." And I think I was taking on a lot of that stress. I'd always been pretty good about kind of addressing the physical stuff. I was really focusing on taking the time to get your mindset right.

 

Pete Scalia:

When you're on a plane, and I know that that's a big part of it, that you're sitting still for so long. And we've gone over it many times that movement is medicine, right?

 

Matt Iseman:

Yes.

 

Pete Scalia:

You want to make sure you keep moving, especially if you have arthritis. And that's hard to do if you're crammed in a car or a bus or on an airplane.

 

Matt Iseman:

There are like the in-chair, in-seat exercise routines that are kind of, you know, lift your leg up; you're engaging your core, and I do it. But my problem is, again, I usually run really warm. So, when I exercise in the seat, then I start sweating. I get uncomfortable. My secret is: I will move heaven and earth to be in an aisle seat. And not just because I have a tiny bladder, but it's nice to be able to stretch out into the aisle and to occasionally just get up and kind of do a mini lap, just walking the aisle.

 

I find that even just the leg stretching, start doing toe touches and things. And it's unbelievable how even just kind of a half-body dead hang, and in my head, it's just breathe and relax, and I just feel the muscles start to release. And it's crazy how immediately you sit back down and tense up. So, I find a little physical activity is great. I also, it's hard, but I do my best to just try to get some sleep. Because I find even little catnaps, it's amazing. And it's really for me, it's just dropping down to a place of relaxation.

 

So, my tendency is: I'll put on a podcast or put on something that's distracting. I have to go to one of those meditation apps. I use Calm or Insight. I really like the bedtime stories where there's some old British guy telling you about, you know, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” (laughter) And Little Augustus Gloop ate so much he went into a diabetic coma.”

 

Pete Scalia:

Oh, man.

 

Matt Iseman:

So, those are my little things that I like to try to relax my mind. Because I find that if I relax my brain, my whole body relaxes. It makes travel better. It's so easy to get dehydrated, particularly on a plane where it's very arid, the air's exchanging, and you're probably not drinking a lot because you don't want to go to the bathroom. And that's another thing where I'll just have a liter bottle of water. I'll drink it on the ride to the airport.

 

I take the bottle through security, so you don't have to buy a new one. They have the water fillers, fill it up, try to have one bottle on the flight. And then when I get there, try to have two more when I get to my destination. Because I just find if I'm dehydrated, everything aches more. If I'm dehydrated, I don't sleep as well, and it just compounds. But it's something I really have to force myself to do, is make sure I stay hydrated.

 

Pete Scalia:

Yeah, I know that's tough. I have like, you know, friends and co-workers, they have like the giant, like the Bubba Cup or like…

 

Matt Iseman:

(laughs) Yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

...like the great big... They're lugging this big thing around. But I mean, it works.

 

Matt Iseman:

Well, what’s nice is then you're like, “Ah, I’m halfway through. I’m a…”

 

Pete Scalia:

Yeah.

 

Matt Iseman:

You know, where you know, it's a simple kind of metric to go, "All right, I've had my big cup. I'm good."

 

PROMO:

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Pete Scalia:

Well, I have to ask you then, so, you know, we talked about the traveling part of getting to your destination could be the most stressful part. What about when you get there though, Matt? Maybe you get checked into the room. Do you kind of like do that same thing, like you were talking about on the plane, like maybe stretch out a little bit, different things like that, once you get there?

 

Matt Iseman:

The most important thing for me to do when I get to a destination… And the hardest is when you go to Europe and your sleep cycle's all disrupted, and you probably didn't sleep on the plane. And all you want to do is climb into that luxurious hotel bed with the air conditioning set at 67, the blackout curtains drawn (laughter), and just get some sleep.

 

The times I do best on travel is when I just go to the gym, get on a treadmill and sweat for 30 to 45 minutes. To me, that resets my body after traveling better than anything else. Just getting that blood flowing. And I'm not talking you're running a marathon here. Even if it is just sweating. Or if they have a steam room, I find just trying to get your body to sweat and get some activity and get some movement going, get the blood flowing. That, to me, has been the best way I adapt, especially if there's time zone changes, but just in terms of my body normalizing.

 

You can fall asleep pretty quickly when you get to the place. But to stay asleep, I find if I exercise, I get a much better sleep that night. And then your whole trip starts off on the right foot. So, just getting on a treadmill, getting on the elliptical. Or I'll even go... My favorite is the ocean. I like to go spend 30 minutes in the waves or 20 minutes. I like walking in water, too, and I don't care, I'm, you know, a 53-year-old guy. I'm walking in water. I know if my 20-year-old self could see me, I'd be going, “My God, look at…” (laughter) “What? What are you going to do, play shuffleboard next?” I’m like, “You know what?”

 

Pete Scalia:

David Hasselhoffing it. You're kind of…

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah, I do. (laughs) I hear the “Baywatch” theme in my head as I'm walking through water, doing jazzercise in the pool or whatever. But I think exercise is great, and just about every hotel is going to have some someplace where you can at least get on a treadmill or an elliptical and move your legs, put on ESPN or something and just kind of unwind.

 

Pete Scalia:

Yeah, I know. And it’s funny you mentioned the ocean, too. When we travel, with my wife and then with the three kids, a lot of times going on vacation, you know, that means dad driving the car, usually like overnight or whatever. And especially like, when you're sitting there, and depending on while they're sleeping, if you're, like, white knuckling it on the way there, you definitely feel that in your hands and everything.

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

But then when you arrive at the beach, I don't know, there's something amazing about that anyway. Just like you said, being able to get into water, you get kind of like… You get to take some of the weight off a little bit. It makes it easier to move, too.

 

Matt Iseman:

The ocean is my favorite, being in the salt water. There's something where it just kind of feels like… It's like you're at a spa, like your whole body is just being washed away. Everything's washed away on the inside and out. If I'm in a place, and say you didn't get sleep, you have to go do something, you have to go perform, or you’ve got to go to your business meeting. To me, I'll do a shower. A shower is like a 90-minute nap for me, where, if I'm just stuck in the middle of the day, even if I haven't been sweating, I'll find that's another way that I can kind of reset. And even if it's just maybe the warm water on the muscles and everything, it relaxes. A shower is another good one that I love.

 

If I ever have a layover or if I get to the airport early, I love an airport shower. If you can get into those lounges, I love a shower there. Because the other thing is: You’ll sit there, you’ll have a, a couple drinks, alcoholic drinks, which is really fun when you’re traveling. But to me, alcohol on a plane, it’s like... I don't get the buzz. I just get the aches and the hangover magnified.

 

Pete Scalia:

Yeah. Plus, that affects your hydration. When it comes to travel, a big aspect is planning out your trip, especially for folks who are living with arthritis. What are some of the things you keep in mind when you're planning your trips?

 

Matt Iseman:

I'll look at: What are the connecting flights? How long is the layover? I'll look at, hey, where's this hotel based? Are there going to be a lot of restaurants within walking distance? Are we going to be having to Uber? Are there Ubers available? I try to anticipate the areas where I get maximum headaches. I find that, just about any city I go, if I plan it out, and I'll look at hotels, and I'll look at either the fitness center or the pool or the proximity to... I've got some kind of exchange memberships with gyms. We're like finding a place where I know, especially…

 

Pete Scalia:

Yeah, a lot of them do that.

 

Matt Iseman:

If a gym has like a steam room, I find that's a really nice way where sometimes if I don't want to work out as hard, I was saying that earlier: If you can get in the steam room and sweat. Or a sauna. I like the infrared sauna, too. I've been doing the infrared sauna and cold plunges lately.

 

Pete Scalia:

Oh, wow.

 

Matt Iseman:

And that seems to help with some of the perceived inflammation and stiffness. And mentally it is a challenge because I run warm. So, when I'm in the sauna, after like five minutes, I'm seeing demons. (laughter) It's like I talked to Santa Claus there.

 

Pete Scalia:

What's your order that you prefer to do that?

 

Matt Iseman:

I do the sauna first, the cold plunge. Just because, again, I sweat so much. So, if I leave from the sauna, it'll look like Niagara Falls is running on my face for the rest of the day. My favorite thing to do, though, is to kind of switch between both. I was at the ocean once, and the place had a hot tub nearby, and I was going from the cold ocean to the hot tub. And after about three cycles of going from the hot to the cold, I think the shocks to the body, it was like I'd had a 60-minute massage.

 

Pete Scalia:

Nice.

 

Matt Iseman:

And so, anytime I can, you know, even just a cold shower if the place has a hot tub, I love doing that. too. This is the embarrassing spa/kind of pampered side of Iseman that I will share…

 

Pete Scalia:

I was going to say…

 

Matt Iseman (17:14):

... with the arthritis family. When I’m with Schwarzenegger, I’m not going, “Hey, Arnold, do you think we're going to go in the sauna (laughter) and then do a little...” I think he would mock me roundly. But I will share this with our arthritis family. It's a very stressful life telling jokes and talking about ninjas. (laughter) I realize the absurdity of it. I will admit, I like to be pampered. I'm, a man who appreciates a spa.

 

A lot of my friends mock me for my feet. I had some damage from the rheumatoid arthritis. And one of my favorite things is to go get a pedicure. And I've found, honestly, I really think that foot health is incredibly important. My father had a lot of problems. He didn't have RA but had similar compounding issues. And I just watched as his foot health deteriorated, his mobility deteriorated. And, you know, as guys, you don't think of going to the spa and getting pampered, but I'm not terribly flexible. I can't walk on my feet as much.

 

My fiancée has looked at my feet and think they belong on Shrek. So, it's a really nice thing that I kind of actually feel is part of health: Really tending to your feet. And for me, it's really nice to be able to go in and have someone kind of pamper it, wash off the calluses and just make sure all the skin is healthy down there. Because we get to some points where our feet will be impacted or will experience friction and repetitive stresses in different ways. So, it's good for me to take care of my feet like that. And again, I'm justifying getting pedicures, but at least…

 

Pete Scalia:

Absolutely.

 

Matt Iseman:

... I have a good reason for it.

 

Pete Scalia:

I'm right there with you actually, because when you talk about deformities of the feet, that's actually something that I deal with on a daily basis. I already have the titanium hips, the knees. Feet are going to be the next thing for me.

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

And I noticed one thing that is tough for me at the airport is if they don't have the… If the moving sidewalk isn't working, if the escalators aren't working and stuff, and you've got to hoof it, and you're on your feet for that extended amount of time. I know that's something that a lot of people would probably have to deal with, too. And the other thing with having all of the titanium parts, I was worried about going through the TSA.

 

Matt Iseman:

Oh, yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

Because they used to make you…

 

Matt Iseman:

You're like Wolverine.

 

Pete Scalia:

They had to ask. “Yes, well, it's my “unobtanium.” (laughter) You could do some things to help with that. The long TSA lines and that.

 

Matt Iseman:

I've suggested to everyone in my extended family to get PreCheck. And especially if you go international, which I'm lucky enough to do, I would do Global Entry. Because if you've ever had to reenter the United States, getting through customs, getting through the security there… Border Patrol can be the longest part of your trip. And with PreCheck… I just got back from the UK, and I literally walked right through, scanned my face and was out in under a minute.

 

Pete Scalia:

Wow.

 

Matt Iseman:

It was an unbelievable experience. So, I think the Global Entry/PreCheck. There's also a service called Clear that you can pay for, and that comes with some credit cards. One out of every 10 times, it is the magic key. It is your best bet. So, those are some travel tips. And always try to get status with an airliner with a credit card. There are lots of ways where they'll give you priority availabilities.

 

They'll give you use of their airport lounges, which is a nice way to get water and have a nice seat, charge your phone and recharge your batteries emotionally. So, those are some travel tips. I take advantage of everything. And it's amazing what you can find online where you can get kind of free passes or get a little more, just for signing up for a little card or something.

 

Pete Scalia:

I always felt weird sometimes when it comes to boarding the plane. And it's funny, you hit on it, too, being a guy, right? So, a lot of times you try to hide that thing. You don't want any special treatment.

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

But airports do have accessibility available for people who aren't able to walk and things or who are... You know, they'll oftentimes let you sort of like board first or whatever. I guess maybe if somebody's listening to this and they've kind of tried to toughen up, take advantage of these services that are offered.

 

Matt Iseman:

Oh my God, absolutely. They do that for a reason because they want the plane to board more smoothly so that you have time. Because we've all been in there when someone takes their time to get to their seat, and it holds up everything, instead of saying, "Hey, take your time, get situated, and now the rest of the flow can go." So, it really is kind of… They do it for a reason.

 

You kind of hit on something, too, about travel that I've also been very cognizant of, and that's: I have travel outfits. So, I have chosen clothes. I got these bamboo —they're called Free Fly — these very lightweight, bamboo drawstring pants, no belt. I wear, like, a T-shirt, and I'll usually just have a sweatshirt.

 

I've got these, these are … my dad turned me onto these … they're step-in shoes. You don't have to bend over. You don't have to tie them. You slide your feet right in. I actually wear them all the time because they're super comfortable, and they're very padded. They're made for being on your feet for long periods of time. So, being prepared, I think choosing good footwear, and that's something where I'm sure there are some good-looking shoes. The ones I wear are not, and I don't care. I don't care. I would rather have comfortable footwear.

 

Pete Scalia:

Hey, go for comfort!

 

PROMO:

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Pete Scalia:

Matt, a lot of people also, particularly if they're dealing with arthritis, with us as guys that live with RA, for a lot of people that means traveling with your medications. And of course, you know that's a thing in itself. You’ve got to make sure that you remember your meds. But I know a particular challenge, back when I was first diagnosed, I was touring, playing music, traveling around the country. And I was doing weekly Humira injections, methotrexate. And a lot of these things, you have to keep them cool when you're traveling. Something else that people need to think in mind and maybe plan ahead before they get in the car, or they get on the plane.

 

Matt Iseman:

I've traveled with medication that needed to be refrigerated before, and I'm not sure if it's law, but every hotel, I've called in advance and just say, "I need a refrigerator in the room to refrigerate my medication." And I've never been charged. And I've never heard, "No." And it's nice just having it in the room. And they actually make now ice packs that last like 24 to 36 hours that… It’s like water activated and reusable.

 

I think I'm of two minds. I've always been: Carry on your luggage, travel only with carry-on. With my fiancée, though, I've recognized sometimes it does make more sense to check bags. And what I found is really liberating, if travel is difficult, I'll try to go without even a backpack and just nothing. And it is amazing how much easier it is getting on that plane, not having to worry about the overhead bin space, not having to worry about putting your bag up, not walking through the airport with it. So, if you are going to check your bags, I recommend: Throw everything in there. And it's like traveling naked.

 

Pete Scalia:

Right.

 

Matt Iseman:

That's something that I've had to re- recognize, that checking a bag sometimes can be great, other than when they lose it or when it takes an hour to get the bag.

 

Pete Scalia:

Yeah, it's very convenient until it isn't. A lot of people, I'm sure listening, do travel by car and everything. And I remember after the hip surgery, my mom thought it was the greatest thing in the world. She gave me... They make those, like the gel seat inserts things, so that you can like, toss on… I'm sure you've seen like at a sporting event, too. They're kind of like those, you can lay them on the aluminum bleachers or something like that.

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

And it gives you a little bit of extra support and comfort. But like you said, throw it in the bag, take it with you.

 

Matt Iseman:

So, when I drive — and again, I can't tell you how many times I've said: I run warm — but my favorite thing on long drives is the seat heater. Because it loosens up my glutes and my low back. I love that. One of the other things I've gotten are those… it's the chemical reaction, those heating pads. I love that. I got that, and when I do the long Europe trips, I'll pack one of those. And when I'm really tight, just activating that, and it gives you like 45 minutes of concentrated heat on your back. Those things are amazing.

 

Pete Scalia:

That's really cool.

 

Matt Iseman:

So, I like traveling with that. Or sometimes I'll even pack the heating pad now. My fiancée like that, so… Yeah, I, like, changed.

 

Pete Scalia:

Right. (laughter)

 

Matt Iseman:

Talking with all the all the comforts now.

 

Pete Scalia:

So, Matt, you have your symptoms relatively under control right now. But I know that folks, even if it seems like they're in remission for a while, those flares can sneak up on you. I'm sure you've had moments maybe before a show or something like that. What do you do when it comes to travel and that flare is coming on? How do you react to it?

 

Matt Iseman:

I'll try to get as much sleep, hydrate as much as possible, and do as much stretching. So, I started traveling with my lacrosse balls. And I've got a wheel. First thing I do when I wake up, I'll just spend 10 to 20 minutes rolling things out and last thing I do before I go to bed. And then in the middle of the day, sometimes I'll just get on the wheel.

 

(laughter) You can hear the noises I make. It's just painful. But it is one of those things, when things get bad, I find the more active I am in doing those kind of targeted stretches and release those tension points, as painful as it is, that's the thing, I think, that kind of gets me through it. Now, I moan. It sounds like I'm being like, "Ah!" So, I have to do it, like, either put my noise-canceling headphones on my fiancée or or put a pillow over my mouth. (laughs) Because it really gets in there, like, deep places in your soul, some of those releases when things get really tight and bad.

 

Pete Scalia:

Oh, absolutely.

 

Matt Iseman:

It is amazing.

 

Pete Scalia:

I know when you mentioned like, too… I keep in the car some of those little stress balls. And I'll notice, if your hands start flaring up a little bit, you could do that. They make the ones, too, I don't know if they were for guitar players or something, but you can move each finger.

 

Matt Iseman:

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

Like, as you roll along. But I try to keep the stress balls in the car there, you know?

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah.

 

PROMO:

Do you have an idea for a topic you’d like to hear discussed on the podcast? Do you have a question about an episode or feedback you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you. Just email us at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. That’s [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

 

Pete Scalia:

Before each episode, we like to post a question on social media, asking folks some questions. And for this episode, we asked all the followers of the Arthritis Foundation: "What are your greatest obstacles when traveling with arthritis and how do you overcome them?" We got some great responses here.

 

This is from inflamedbutdoingokay, who says, "The constant worry that sitting for long hours in a plane can affect my joints, the change in the weather, another issue." I mean, you're traveling, you're going to a different climate, that could affect it. You were talking about throwing stuff in the bag. They say that they “always carry knee pads, ankle support” in their backpack, “take along some Biofreeze for the pain.” And their “painkillers are a must, wearing comfy clothes and constantly telling themselves, “I can manage any unknown pain. I think more than the pain, it's the anxiety.” So, I mean, it's kind of like all the things that you touched on there.

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah, yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

And just making sure you're prepared for it.

 

Matt Iseman:

It's being aware of it. Sometimes, we forget all that additional stress that we add on ourselves, worrying about it and anticipating it. And it's hard. Because it's that extra layer of just remembering to be gentle and to try to figure out that you deal with that as well as the physical stuff.

 

Pete Scalia:

m.m.channell wrote, “I recently discovered that one of my biologics can actually be brought to room temperature and stay at that temp for up to 30 days. Nobody told me, but I noticed in the fine print on the box and then looked it up online to confirm.” And that saved so much trouble on their last trip.

 

Matt Iseman:

Right.

 

Pete Scalia:

So, maybe that's the thing, too. If you're getting ready to travel, maybe kind of consult with your doctor before you head out, and maybe they have some tips for you.

 

Matt Iseman:

Well, and what a perfect example of the power of the Arthritis Foundation community of who better to ask. Because a lot of times the caregivers, they don't know it because they've never had to travel with it. That's why this community's so invaluable because it's the boots on the grounds of the practical experience of people who are going through the same things we all are.

 

Pete Scalia:

Oh, absolutely. I was going to share one more comment with you here. This is from msfeefee1028.

 

Matt Iseman:

Ooh.

 

Pete Scalia:

Who says, “The fatigue and overwhelming exhaustion that I refuse to give into since I've had my PsA, it gets increasingly difficult as I age, pick up new autoimmune diseases like hitchhikers. Always been adventurous and someone who embraces change.” So, she's saying that her disease progressing was something she didn't know about, and she wished she would have so she could have prepared. So, I guess maybe her comments sort of leaning itself to the fact that, you know, you're used to being like an adventure traveler maybe. You're used to being able to do certain things, but then maybe accepting that as your disease progresses, or other things happen. You might have to adapt. And that's OK.

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah. And that can be a tough one. I think a lot of us, we all probably had an identity of ourselves when we were able to be more active. And it can be tough doing that. But I think it is, yeah, it's the acceptance and grace is something we all can work on. It's a... msfeefee, well said.

 

Pete Scalia:

To close out each episode, we typically share our top three takeaways from the episode. I know we covered a lot of different things here. Matt, what would you say were your three takeaways from this episode?

 

Matt Iseman:

Gosh, well, what am I going to say? I think it's this emotional care. msfeefee was just hammering it home. I think the emotional care that we take for ourselves, particularly with travel when everything's magnified. I think the one before msfeefee was talking about the comfortable clothes. The biggest thing, though, is the power of community. Like, what a great resource we are. And I love that tip about the medication. And just what a practical reminder of how much, not just knowledge but experience, is in this community available to us all.

 

Pete Scalia:

Oh, absolutely. My three takeaways are definitely make sure you plan ahead, think of all the things that you might need, whether it's for comfort or whether it's for unwinding when you arrive at your destination. I love that you said to take that time to give yourself a little bit of grace and sort of like decompress once you get to your destination, you know? Stretch out a little bit. And then during your travel, make sure you move a little bit, whether it's, like you said, getting up in the aisles, walking up and down, just kind of common-sense things that you might not think of, right?

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah.

 

Pete Scalia:

Just being sort of practical and giving yourself that grace when you travel.

 

Matt Iseman:

And don't be embarrassed to do it. Like, you know, that's a thing. People are like, "Oh, everyone's staring at me." No, they're not. Everyone's in their own world. Everyone's worried about themselves. So, do what you’ve got to do to take care of yourself.

 

Pete Scalia:

Well, Matt Iseman, I know you do quite a bit of traveling. You probably have some big trips coming up, right?

 

Matt Iseman:

Yeah, it's going to be, well, San Francisco, New York, South Carolina, Denver in the next four weeks.

 

Pete Scalia:

Wow. So now you're going to be prepared.

 

Matt Iseman:

But now I am really prepared. I am. And I am going to share this with my fiancée, too. Go, "See, I'm right. We need to be prepared." (laughs)

 

Pete Scalia:

I love it. Well, Matt Iseman, our travel expert, thanks so much. From one arthritis warrior to another, Matt, it's always great talking with you. Thanks so much.

 

Matt Iseman:

Likewise, Pete. Thanks, bud.

 

PODCAST CLOSE:

The Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast is independently produced by the Arthritis Foundation. Gifts from people like you make our podcast and other life-changing resources possible. You can donate at arthritis.org/donate. This podcast aims to help people living with arthritis and chronic pain live their best life. People like you. For a transcript and show notes, go to arthritis.org/podcast. Subscribe and rate us wherever you get your podcasts. And stay in touch!