Daisy McCarty

Mobility Travel Tips For Arthritis Sufferers

One of the really frustrating things about arthritis is that it gives you good days and bad days. Sometimes, just getting out of bed is a long, groan inducing process. Other times, you feel OK – and may not realize you are “overdoing it” at favorite activities until the next morning. It’s particularly challenging to plan for a trip when you tend to experience widely varying levels of mobility. Travel plans may need to change on the fly if your pain flares up. Here are a few tips for feeling good, managing pain, and increasing your ability to get around when you travel.

Do a Personal Evaluation

When you’ve lived in the same place for years, you tend to have lots of strategies in place to help you cope with arthritis. This means there are probably accommodations you’ve discovered or created that you don’t even notice any more. Before you plan a long trip, consider taking a weekend vacation at an unfamiliar location that’s not too far away. See how you fare when there aren’t any of your usual support systems in place. This will give you a good idea of what daily tasks are still problematic for you. This may include walking for long distances, climbing stairs or hills, getting in and out of a vehicle, or turning knobs.

Enhance Your Ability to Get Around

If you have been putting off using a mobility travel tool like a cane, a rolling walker with a seat, or a scooter, now is a good time to give these a try. Increasing your mobility with assistive devices can mean the difference between sitting in your hotel room and watching TV and going on a fun filled tour. On a personal note, my grandfather found that he could get out of the house again once he gave in and started using a cane. My younger brother carved and stained a beautiful wooden walking stick with a handle for him years ago; and one day he just decided to give it a try. It’s made a huge difference. The fact that it’s a great looking walking stick that was hand crafted with love makes it even better. Accessorizing a mobility device to make it special to you might help ease the transition to using one.

Start Using New Tools

Once you start shopping for stuff that will make your arthritis easier to manage when you travel, it will be hard to stop! If your hands tend to bother you, pack an extra pair of fingerless arthritis gloves. Moisture wicking textiles make these comfortable to wear even when you are traveling somewhere warm. If your back, hips, and butt tend to suffer from the jarring impact of air, train, bus, or car travel, consider investing in a portable seat cushion. When you bring your own, you can instantly install it in any vehicle. Finally, don’t forget to pick up a copy of Rx: The Freedom to Travel Language Series audio book to help you communicate about your mobility issues easily and effectively.

Daisy McCarty

Increase in Medical Tourism Raises Safety Questions

When most people travel, they do it for business, education, fun, or to spend time with relatives. However, every year more travelers are making their way to other countries for a very different reason – they need affordable medical treatment. Not all medical tourists travel for elective procedures like liposuction, breast augmentation, or dental veneers. According to statistics collected by healthtourism.com, the primary reason people travel to other countries for medical care is because they don’t have insurance. This means there are plenty of travelers going abroad for hip replacements, cardiovascular surgery, and other medically necessary procedures.

Potential Drawbacks of Medical Tourism

There is certainly no shortage of media coverage about medical tourism catastrophes. We hear stories about patients dying after liposuction or requiring tens of thousands of dollars in corrective surgery after a botched gastric bypass. Not everyone has a bad experience when seeking medical care abroad. However, there are some factors that make problems more likely:

Difficulty assessing a doctor’s credentials and references – Just like in the U.S., there are plenty of other countries where anyone with a medical license can advertise plastic surgery services regardless of their level of training. Add in a foreign language, and it becomes even more difficult to research a doctor’s actual credentials effectively.

Lack of appropriate follow up – Complications may not show up until days or weeks after a procedure. If you are traveling abroad for surgery, plan to stay as long as possible. That way, the surgeon who performed the operation (and knows your case better than anyone else) can help you through your recovery.

Inability to communicate effectively – This is where things start to get really tricky. When you’re going under the knife, your doctor needs to know about any health conditions (such as diabetes) that could complicate a surgery. After the procedure, you could be served hospital food – which is probably awful no matter where you go! If you have a food allergy, you might need to double check with an orderly about what’s on the menu. Or, you might need to notify a staff member about pain or discomfort that could be a sign of a complication.

What You Can Do To Reduce Your Risks

If you decide to become a medical tourist, how can you prepare for the types of conversations you expect to have about your health? Learn a set of useful phrases specifically geared toward health concerns to increase your chances of a good outcome. A doctor who caters to medical tourists is likely to speak some English. But it never hurts to have the ability to communicate more effectively about your medical history and any symptoms you may experience after the procedure. Plus, if you are staying at a local hotel during your recovery period, being able to talk about your health needs with hotel staff using non-technical language is essential.

Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama are the most common destinations for Americans seeking treatment abroad. So, a Spanish version of the Rx:The Freedom to Travel Language Series audio book or Iphone /ipad app might be just the tool to help equip you for a well planned medical encounter.

Finally! Your Freedom to Travel...

The Hidden Cost of Air Travel

 It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled cross country to see my mother in Florida, so when I got an e-mail from American Airlines the other day noting a fare sale to the Sunshine State, I figured I’d poke around a bit. I plugged in some random dates in October and was amazed to see really cheap fares pop up…as low as $116 one-way from San Diego to Tampa.

 This seemed almost too good to be true, but I called my mom to check on her availability for a visit from her oldest daughter, and then I returned to the American website to make my plans. My travel dates were very flexible, so I started sticking in some dates in September. The fares were a bit higher than they were in October, so I skipped forward, although I realized that I amazingly already have a lot of things on my calendar for that month.

 I finally decided I could move a dentist appointment, and settled on a flight leaving San Diego late on a Wednesday morning, arriving in Tampa around 8 p.m., and returning the following Monday, getting home around 9 p.m. I’d have to change planes in Dallas/Fort Worth coming and going, but I was just thrilled with my round-trip fare: $242.

 Of course, that was just the fare. Once I hit the button to make the purchase, those inescapable “fees and taxes” came into the picture, so my final cost was $42 more, or $284. That’s still pretty reasonable, but in doing the math, I realized those extra costs increased my expenditure 17 percent over the fare alone.

 American does note in very small print that taxes and fees apply to its fares…but what makes a bigger statement is copy like “fares as low as $57.” As an educated consumer, we need to try to train ourselves to understand that an advertised airline fare only has a slight relationship to what our final cost will be.

 We all know taxes and fees are a part of life. What really astounds me about the airlines these days is all the extras they dangle in front of you before you purchase a ticket online. American inquired as to whether I wanted an upgrade package that would guarantee me Group 1 boarding and a couple other things that were so insignificant I can’t even remember them. The cost for that was $38.

 I don’t check bags, so at least I escape that outlay, but it’s not a stretch to say that a $242 fare can easily double or more when you take all the mandatory and proffered extras into account. I chose to stick with the minimum, fare plus fees and taxes, even though my mom is picking up the tab.

Finally! Your Freedom to Travel...

We Deserve Good Service

Delays are unfortunately a way of life when it comes to airline travel. When I learned my flight from Chicago to Washington D.C. would be delayed recently due to an electrical problem with the plane, immediately following disappointment my emotion was grateful…since I surely didn’t want to fly on a plane that isn’t mechanically sound.

My attitude soon turned sour, however, and it wasn’t because of the delay, but how the United Airlines crew handled it. Instead of letting us know what was going on and being empathetic, they were non-communicative and at one point, surly.

We were supposed to leave O’Hare at 4 p.m. We were told an hour after the scheduled departure time that we’d finally be able to board the plane. This announcement was made after more than 45 minutes of silence.

We boarded the plane, and right after the last person had settled in, were told the electrical problem wasn’t fixed after all, so we’d need to deplane and go to another gate, where a plane was waiting to take us to D.C. We scrambled to collect our already-stowed belongings and walk to the new gate, only to be greeted with silence once again.

Ten minutes went by, then 20, and about a half hour after leaving our grounded plane, our crew finally arrived at the gate, where we passengers were, to say the least, restless. We boarded a second time, and once we’d all sat down, were told we’d have to wait for the plane to be supplied.

 I believe if asked to vote, we’d have gladly taken off without pretzels and sodas…but we weren’t given that chance. We sat there. A maintenance guide boarded the plane and headed toward the back. Everyone wondered what was going on, but I was the only one to ask a passing flight attendant, who snapped at me, “we’re waiting for supplies.”

 Her attitude was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. That, and the fact that once we did get underway, nothing was offered in the form of an apology; the crew was totally unfeeling.

This may be one reason the passengers’ bill of rights was so important.

We finally made it to our nation’s capital more than two hours after our scheduled arrival time. I know I wasn’t the only passenger who was dismayed over the way we were treated, but I don’t know how many others wrote United to express their dismay.

I received an apologetic reply along with an electronic certificate for $150 off a full fare ticket. Will I use it? Maybe…only if the price is right, since I seldom purchase full fare seats.

The sad thing is it wouldn’t have taken much from the flight crew to make me feel OK, despite the delay. On my way home, we circled Denver for a long time due to bad weather, but the crew kept us up-to-date on what was going on and apologized…even though they could do nothing about the situation. My connection home was also delayed, yet that crew noted they would get us there as fast as they could and when we finally landed, almost an hour late, they made a joke of it, welcoming us to San Diego “three days later.”

The moral to all this is twofold: airline passengers deserve good service, especially when delays occur, and it does pay to let the airline know when you feel you’ve been treated poorly. If we don’t tell them, how will they know?

Finally! Your Freedom to Travel...

Check out this great site for discovering all the summer festivals in Paris Ile-de-France and this terrific city guide (excerpt follows) http://www.new-paris-ile-de-france.co.uk/  

Every summer, the Château of Versailles revives its past of grandiose parties and offers the general public some unique experiences. The most stunning of which occurs near the Neptune Fountain, the largest of the Garden’s ornamental water features with 99 different effects. At the start of summer, a terrace seating 7,000 is set up around the fountain, in a semicircle, looking towards the Château. Five new shows will be stirring this magical place once again this year.

On 24th June, the Groupe F, who lit up the Eiffel Tour on the eve of the new millennium, has a pyrotechnical enchantment in store, set to the spellbinding sound of Haendel’s Music for Royal Fireworks. A suite written for George II’s royal fireworks which took place on the Thames, performed here by the Concert Spirituel, directed by Hervé Niquet. You can see the Groupe F again with their new piece Les Noces Royales de Louis XIV on 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th 17th and 18th September.

As for recitals, the singer Mathieu Chedid, alias M, will perform a show commensurate with his exceptional talent and this sumptuous setting on 29th June.

Dance enthusiasts will be thrilled by the aerial duos of brilliant choreographer Angelin Preljocaj. Following the huge success of last year’s Snow White, he is back with his troupe to pay homage to the Ballets Russes, in this their centenary year, with two of their masterpieces: The Wedding and The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky.

From the metro Villiers, walk along the rue de Levis. This pedestrian axe is bordered with charming little shops, like Oliviers & Co (quality Olive Oils), or Petit Bateau (children’s clothing) and is also a gourmet sanctuary of fish shops, rotisseries and cheese shops, open 7 days a week. Take the time to admire the colourful market stalls, leaving to your right the rue des Dames.  The rue des Dames is punctuated with lovely restaurants, such as the Bistro des Dames, with its small planted terrace, not far from the convivial Russian table, La Gaieté Cosaque. One must admit, the area is full of good restaurants: Agapé, a little higher up, on the rue Jouffroy d’Abbans, is the new ‘bistronomic’ address, signed by three former students of Alain Passart (restaurant L’Arpège). At Porte Maillot, L’Orénoc (Meridien Hotel) serves a delicious fusion cuisine, while near to the place des Ternes, the very serious Rech – recently taken over by Alain Ducasse – is famous for its fresh seafood products, its camembert and its giant coffee eclair. If you don’t have room for a heavy lunch, take a moment to try one of the delicious pastries at L’Ecureuil, found at the end of the rue Lévis.

Also newly revisited, take the rue Cardinet on your right, to the Pont Cardinet Train Station and to the Clichy-Batignolles Park, large green place in the North-West of Paris. When crossing the bridge, you can see to your left a large abandoned area. In 2010, tree-lined aisles will line the way through this urban renovation project, mixing ecological commercial and residential structures of the new generation. In the meantime, the Batignolles district has already dedicated itself to welcoming sustainable development, for one of three Biological Markets takes place every Saturday morning along the Boulevard des Batignolles!

Once across the Cardinet bridge, you are now in front of the Batignolles Square.  If you like birds, ducks and black swans… take a walk through this English garden, complete with a cave, a waterfall and a river!  In the some country flavour, don’t miss the magnificent white church that sits just behind the square, on the rue de Legendre. You can browse the biological boutique, Biocoop at number 153.

Afterwards, to satisfy your picturesque soul, take a moment to stop by the workshop Kej, located in a building giving onto the square.  The area is extremely dynamic as far as ecology and arts go: between the rue de Legendre, the rue des Batignolles and the avenue de Clichy, there are more than fifteen galleries and workshops!  Paris-Ateliers Adac (61 rue de Legendre) is specialised in the restoration of old paintings. The gallery, Antigravité, (n° 80) exhibits jewellery, paintings and photographic mobiles. The decorative spirit also has a place on this street,  with interior decorator Aleth Vignon (n° 98) working with vegetal fibres, and the Japanese influenced shop Home Trotter (n° 77).

Need to catch your breath after all this beauty?  Make a quick stop at the restaurant-bar Les Puces des Batignolles for a terrific week-end brunch or wine on a string (the bottle is opened before you, but you only pay for what you drink). At the cross-roads of the rue Nollet, take a sharp right to find the Atelier Nollet and the Galerie Espace (n°1 & 1 ter) and the Madar Décors workshop (n° 4).  In the evening, these well-known or unknown addresses are home to the local crowds and bring an authentic feeling to the area.

Place de Clichy : popular culture and musical effervescence

From the rue Nollet, keep going straight until you cross the rue des Dames.  Turn to the left, you will find a tiny little street called the rue Biot where you will make a right. Passing in front of the intimate Théâtre de l’Européen or its neighbour, the bar-brasserie Cyrano  before arriving at the place de Clichy, which boasts the hugely popular Brasserie Wepler, notably frequented by Henry Miller.
What a contrast to the arty bohemian spirit of the Batignolles ! This is one of the busiest areas in Parisian nightlife. Following the boulevard de Clichy, you will notice starting from métro Blanche, a succession of sex-shops and girlie bars, but most importantly a host of music halls like La Boule Noire, La Cigale, le Trianon… With a concentration of concert halls and theatres, the area is famous for its evenings of fun and its white nights in hip-hop clubs or discotheques like the Bus Palladium, rue Fontaine. The vocation of this « singing village » hasn’t changed and the new addition to the French singing tradition,  Les Trois baudets, proves that the Place Blanche and Place Clichy are still singing and swinging!

In anticipation of the evenings events, return to the effervescent place de Clichy.  After a game of billiards at the Académie de Billard (rue de Clichy), loose yourself in the popular flow of passers by that haunt the avenue de Clichy.  Have a look at the elitist Cinéma des Cinéastes (7 avenue de Clichy) with its New York style wine bar, Au Père Lathuille, on the first floor.  At metro La Fourche, put yourself on the left pavement of the avenue de Clichy to catch a glimpse of the shop window of jewellery and accessory designer Zinat (1 rue Jacquemont).  In case you get hungry, at the end of the road you will cross the rue Lemercier and its lively restaurant Au Bon Coin, which serves its traditional ‘veal head’ every week. Once is never enough!

A bit further to the North (after the metro Brochant), the avenue de Clichy crosses the rue Guy Moquet on the right. Here you will find the Le Kloog Café, small café-resto with a great wine list. La Cité des Fleurs sits at the start of the rue Guy Moquet, in the Epinettes area. This tiny little street is lined with charming houses that each have their own private garden. In the beginning, all of the owners were required to plant three trees, and in the warm weather the smell is wonderful. A few hundred metres away, the restaurant Le Bouclard serves a traditional French cuisine. You will find in this neighbourhood the feeling that Henry Miller aptly described in his novel, Quiet Days in Clichy.  Miller didn’t actually live at place de Clichy, but rather in a modest flat on the other side of the peripheral boulevard (4 ave Anatole France). A new art-deco building has since replaced the former building, but a commemorative plaque reminds us of the writers passage.

After this bucolic pause, it is time to discover the unknown side of the capital. Take the number 13 metro line at La Fourche, direction the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

Saint-Denis: the beauty of the unknown

As you exit the station, take the passage Héloïse to the passage Six Chapelles, both of which are pedestrian. You will pass in front of the Café culturel Arts et Rencontres, now widely known thanks to the ‘Slams’ of French musician Grand Corps Malade. You may even cross the popular and colourful Saint-Denis Market , held every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning, on your way to the Saint-Denis Basilica.  After a visit to this sumptuous, royal necropolis, take a few minutes to appreciate the splendid Legion of Honour Park, with its facade of 140 metres, designed by architect Robert de Cotte, in 1717.  The park also houses the Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis.  A marvelous example of 18th-century architecture that was transformed into the Girls Academy of the Legion of Honour, by Napoleon.

Turn around and follow the same path back towards the Basilica, turning onto the rue de la République.  The central axe of the city is animated by lively little Moroccan restaurants, but also by a large department store selling products from the Caribbean – Exotic Centre (44 rue de la République). Before arriving, you will cross the rue Gabriel Péri and take it on your left. The famous Hammam Pacha (n° 147) is home to Parisians looking for something a bit more exotic. The Musée d’art et d’histoire  (The Art & History Museum), installed in an ancient wine cellar, offers a passionate visit and if you continue you will cross the rue des Ursulines, where the Ursuline Convent awaits behind impressive doors. A few feet away, on the rue Franciade, the workshop-boutique with the same name proposes objects from yesterday, with the savoir-faire of today. From the rue Franciade, take the rue Désiré Lelay to the boulevard Marcel Sembat. Walk back up the boulevard towards the tramway, you can follow the rails on your left, to the charming little street rue du Port.

All this walking will take you to the Saint-Denis train station, where you can take the RER D, direction Paris. Get off at the stop: La Plaine Stade de France.  Follow the avenue François Mitterrand, then the avenue du Président Wilson to the left (800 metres) to arrive at the trendy restaurant L’Usine, Installed in the former building of the French Central Chemist, founded in 1852 (379 avenue du Président Wilson). Enjoy a meal or a drink, admiring the backbone of the city: the Stade de France ! Less than one hundred metres from the esplanade of the French Stadium, this architectural wonder is brilliant. For those who want more, feast your eyes on the Fratellini Academy, dedicated to the circus arts, or enter for a meal in the restaurant Amazir (advanced booking advised). A lovely way to end the day, just 300 metres from the metro station Saint-Denis Porte de Paris.

Another Option : A walk along the Canal Saint-Martin