Flying with endo & IC

[DaisyL]

Hi I would appreciate any advice. Next week me and my bf are off to Australia. We have a 5 hour journey to London then a 7 hour flight to Dubai and then a 12 hour flight to Sydney. I am very worried about how il cope on the flight with pain. Can I take a pillow on? Should I warn the airline? Please help x

[BDAgirl]

Hi DaisyL

Firstly, I hope you have a good time in Australia. It's a route I've flown quite a few times and yes, it's a very long journey!

Suffering with endo when flying can be horrific. I suffered a lot with UTIs due to my endo before I had surgery and got one on a flight to Russia last year. Weeing blood and all the pain that comes with it at 30,000 feet is no joke and I spent all of my trip in my hotel room. It was thoroughly miserable.

My best tips would be to firstly make sure that you have plenty of water during your flights as you will dehydrate otherwise. Bring your own snacks or eat lightly as sitting down for long periods of time and eating too much can potentially bloat you which won't help. Also, best to avoid alcohol if you can as that will dehydrate you further. Loose clothing for comfort and comfortable footwear is a good idea too. Yes, you can definitely bring your own pillow. I use a tempurpedic travel pillow that is great for resting your head on or for using as lumber support which is important if you get lower back pain as a result of endo.

My top tip would be that if possible book yourself a seat where you have access to the aisle (maybe an aisle seat) and you are near to the toilets. For me this was really important as the endo I had on my bladder meant I would need to go 2-3 times an hour!

If you are suffering cramps then you could bring some heat packs with you to put on your tummy and if you are taking any medication for pain, bring that too.

As far as letting the airline know, I personally would wait until you are on the aircraft and you know how you are feeling and whether you suspect you might need help from the cabin crew. From the route you describe I assume that you are flying either Emirates or Qantas? If so, they are both excellent airlines and you should be in good hands with them should you need help.

All the best and have a great time xx

[DaisyL in reply to BDAgirl]

Hello. Thank you so much for your reply. We are flying with quantas who I have heard are very good. We contacted them today and they said I will def get a pillow and we are trouble checking about the tens machine. Very excited about our holiday but been worrying over the actual flight. I have a brilliant boyfriend who is so supportive who I know will look after me too. We have paid for extra leg room and an aisle seat too to help. Thanks so much for your advice x