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Question Regarding My Daughter's Upcoming Trip

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Posted 5/19/2016 9:29 PM (GMT -5)
She will be flying in a month, a 5 hour trip and I'm concerned about 2 things she struggles with. 1 is a people phobia. Have any of you who have this problem found something to help? She will be in long lines and maybe squeezed between 2 people on the plane.

The other problem is instant, bad headaches when exposed to perfumes and other strong odors. If she gets a headache like that, she will have a tough time, possibly vomiting. It would make for a hard trip. I've looked and looked for an easy fix, but no luck. I may take her to a homeopath that a friend uses, even thought it's not my preferred way of using it.

This will be her first time going on a long trip on her own after many years of having Lyme, slowing down her whole life. I'll be a nervous mom.

Thanks!
Posted 5/19/2016 9:57 PM (GMT -5)
What I have done is put a scent under my nose that I like so I can only smell that and not so much everyone else's smell. I am super sensitive to smells and I get sick with perfumes. I have found 2 things that work for me well. One is rosemary - I rub the rosemary plant in my hands and then run my hands through my hair and under my nose. So maybe get her a baggie with fresh rosemary in it, if she can tolerate that or whatever herb she can tolerate. The other thing I have used is Vicks Vapor rub. I know it is a petroleum product, but it sure keeps other smells out.

As for people - I am germophobic and being at an airport or DMV or doctor office grosses me out. I love sudoku and I keep my mind off of it by doing my sudoku puzzles. If she is into puzzles that might work.

If not, how about a book on CD or tape? Any good distraction can keep your mind off of people.

I hope she does okay. It would be nice if a friend could go with her.
Posted 5/20/2016 12:33 AM (GMT -5)
GP,
Regarding the people phobia, do you have enough time to get her the pre approved TSA pass so she doesn't have to wait in the long security lines? That would eliminate a lot of un needed anxiety for her.

My oldest used to get very sick from landings. She threw up every time. What worked for her was a combination of the anti nausea bands (pressure point wrist bands that are sold at most drug stores, Target etc) and both a cold compress and sucking on ice. We got napkins and a cup of ice from the stewardess when the plane started to descend. You could also send her with some form of ginger.

Peteza's right a good distraction will help her a lot. If you are an android family there is an android app called droidtv (they have a .com web site and a facebook group) that has somewhere around 400 shows with all the episodes. It's totally legal. I've had it since the first android tablet came out. You can download a free two week trial or there are 3 month, 6 month, year and lifetime memberships. Watching a comedy helps keep you calm imo.

I hope she has a wonderful time.
Posted 5/20/2016 11:36 AM (GMT -5)
Thank you both for the suggestions. I forgot to mention that when she was younger, we couldn't get her ears to pop when landing. It has been a long time since she has been on a plane, so I don't know if she still has that problem. She tried chewing gum and the other things, but nothing would get them to pop. She hasn't been on a plane since she was 6 or 7, so maybe that problem cleared up when she matured.

She will be taking her tablet and probably a book or 2 for a distraction. I hope she can get a window seat.

PeteZa, maybe she'll try your scent method before she goes. I have an EO blend for headaches that I'd like her to take with her, but I don't know if she will. It has gotten rid headaches I've had, but mine weren't scent related. Maybe I should get her an oil that she likes the scent of.

I'll get her the anti nausea band to try. Thanks for that suggestion.

I have a friend with Lyme that has the same people problem, so I'll see if she has been helped by anything she has taken for Lyme. I don't know how old my daughter was when that started, but It was after she got sick.

She leaves on June 28th, so we'll look into the TSA. None of us have used that service before.

I just hope she can enjoy the trip. Thanks for the suggestions!
Posted 5/20/2016 12:09 PM (GMT -5)
Yawning is suppose to pop the ears but I found that with lyme ears it doesn't work. I tried the gum too. I live at 4,000 feet and have to go to sea level to the big grocery stores. You should see bagged items pop out as I bring them up to my elevation. Sometimes it feels better for me to go to the stores up the hill at 7,000 elevation. Ear popping was never a huge problem pre lyme but with lyme it was nasty.

I don't have any better suggestions and I bet this will be her most unbearable symptom.

Sometimes those window seats make you feel better and sometimes the aisle is great and less claustrophobic.
Posted 5/20/2016 12:46 PM (GMT -5)
We tried anything I could think of to get her ears to pop. I hope with her health improvements will lessen that. The worst for her would be the chemical headache. It comes on so fast and hard, so she tenses up and gets nauseous. We had difficult times when her sister started using perfume and scented lotions.

I think the window seat will be better, so she has one side without anyone one, plus she can look out and hopefully feel relaxed. Time will tell.

Her dad offered to join her on the flight and going see his folks while she's doing her thing, but she hasn't taken him up on that. I don't blame her since she has been around us for so many years. She's a great person.

I can't imagine living at your elevation, probably because I've always lived at sea level.
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