being daunted by airplane travel

[Guest guest]

Okay, my father is having a big art exhibition in his homeland of Puerto Rico.

My brother with his two little NT kids went to the opening. We didn't. My father

would really like us to go see the show. In addition to the usual stresses of

travel with kids, then travel with kids on the spectrum, the added

travel-on-a-special-diet has caused me to abandon the idea of going. In addition

to the headache of how we would get any of our food down there (yogurt-maker,

muffins, muffin tins etc.), we'd have to stay in a hotel with a kitchen, hope

they have the right cooking equipment, hope it's easy to buy food we need, plan

out each and every meal....you guys understand I'm sure.

So we're not going, too much of a headache all around. My mother understands,

my father struggles to understand. I feel bad. But I'm wondering if I'm being a

baby about all this and I should just bite-the-bullet and go despite everything,

or if not going is just a reality we live with. In other words, do you guys

travel easily--airplane travel, stay in hotels--or do you just say to yourselves

like I have " We can't do that. "

Marisol

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Can your father not help you on that end by buying a cheap cooler and doing a

little legwork for legal food, or is he elsewhere?

I travel short distances, but I haven't traveled that far with kids. Are you

able to bring a hard plastic wheeled chest cooler packed with foods to be

checked in with your baggage? You may have to tape it closed.

I have found chain hotels like best western,if you hammer the point home, will

provide you with utensils. If you can get the managers apartment that is even

better, it is stocked with utensils.

The big question, how long will you be there?

Summer

Marisol Villamil wrote:

Okay, my father is having a big art exhibition in his homeland of

Puerto Rico. My brother with his two little NT kids went to the opening. We

didn't. My father would really like us to go see the show. In addition to the

usual stresses of travel with kids, then travel with kids on the spectrum, the

added travel-on-a-special-diet has caused me to abandon the idea of going. In

addition to the headache of how we would get any of our food down there

(yogurt-maker, muffins, muffin tins etc.), we'd have to stay in a hotel with a

kitchen, hope they have the right cooking equipment, hope it's easy to buy food

we need, plan out each and every meal....you guys understand I'm sure.

So we're not going, too much of a headache all around. My mother understands, my

father struggles to understand. I feel bad. But I'm wondering if I'm being a

baby about all this and I should just bite-the-bullet and go despite everything,

or if not going is just a reality we live with. In other words, do you guys

travel easily--airplane travel, stay in hotels--or do you just say to yourselves

like I have " We can't do that. "

Marisol

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

I try not letting SCD stop our family from traveling. We flew to New Mexico and

my son stayed legal the entire time. I baked things before we left and froze

them. We packed them in a cooler with ice packs. When we got to the airport I

told them my son was on a special diet and I had food in the cooler. They did

not even check it. I brought a roll of packing tape and checked in the cooler.

We stayed at a hotel with microwave and fridge. You can always pick up some

disposable forks.

GO and have FUN

Pam

Matt 3 yr 6mo ASD, SCD 6 mo

being daunted by airplane travel

Okay, my father is having a big art exhibition in his homeland of Puerto Rico.

My brother with his two little NT kids went to the opening. We didn't. My father

would really like us to go see the show. In addition to the usual stresses of

travel with kids, then travel with kids on the spectrum, the added

travel-on-a-special-diet has caused me to abandon the idea of going. In addition

to the headache of how we would get any of our food down there (yogurt-maker,

muffins, muffin tins etc.), we'd have to stay in a hotel with a kitchen, hope

they have the right cooking equipment, hope it's easy to buy food we need, plan

out each and every meal....you guys understand I'm sure.

So we're not going, too much of a headache all around. My mother understands,

my father struggles to understand. I feel bad. But I'm wondering if I'm being a

baby about all this and I should just bite-the-bullet and go despite everything,

or if not going is just a reality we live with. In other words, do you guys

travel easily--airplane travel, stay in hotels--or do you just say to yourselves

like I have " We can't do that. "

Marisol

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Marisol,

It looks like you are getting some good suggestions that might help you to go.

If you decide that it is do-able to try to go, or at least consider going, I

would recommend that you check with the specific airline ahead of time about

traveling with a cooler full of food. And when you speak to them be sure to

mention to them that your destination is Puerto Rico, they will be likely to

know if that presents any particular difficulties with taking food with you OR

be able to direct you to some official source that would be the right place to

check if it does.

Sheril

-----------------------------------------

From: Marisol Villamil

To: pecanbread

Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:03 PM

Subject: being daunted by airplane travel

Okay, my father is having a big art exhibition in his homeland of Puerto Rico.

My brother with his two little NT kids went to the opening. We didn't. My father

would really like us to go see the show. In addition to the usual stresses of

travel with kids, then travel with kids on the spectrum, the added

travel-on-a-special-diet has caused me to abandon the idea of going. In addition

to the headache of how we would get any of our food down there (yogurt-maker,

muffins, muffin tins etc.), we'd have to stay in a hotel with a kitchen, hope

they have the right cooking equipment, hope it's easy to buy food we need, plan

out each and every meal....you guys understand I'm sure.

So we're not going, too much of a headache all around. My mother understands, my

father struggles to understand. I feel bad. But I'm wondering if I'm being a

baby about all this and I should just bite-the-bullet and go despite everything,

or if not going is just a reality we live with. In other words, do you guys

travel easily--airplane travel, stay in hotels--or do you just say to yourselves

like I have " We can't do that. "

Marisol

-

[Guest guest]

Marisol,

How long would you be going for?

I packed 5 days worth of SCD food for myself for AutismOne and 4 days

for DAN! and I packed it in a 12-pack cooler that I carried on the

plane. I had no trouble from anyone about taking it with me.

I took an entire large Igloo cooler with me to AutismOne (49 pounds

total weight). All of the food was frozen. I had no problem with the

airline with that either. So you could do that if you are going for

more than a few days.

The only rule they have is that the cooler (or any piece of luggage)

cannot weigh more than 50 pounds or there is a fee for it being

overweight and that the cooler has to be duct taped shut. There are

other rules, but they only apply if you are using dry ice. So, I just

did not use any dry ice. My food was still completely frozen 7 or 8

hours later.

I packed cakes, muffins, pancakes, meatballs, sausage... pretty much

everything that I served as samples at AutismOne. Everything faired

very well during the trip.

Jody

mom to -7 and -9

SCD 1/03

[Guest guest]

Hi Marisol:

I'm sure everyone sympathizes with your predicament. Travelling is a pain for

all the reasons you cite.

I travelled to Disney with a cooler bag on wheels full of food as a carry-on

(God forbid it got lost!--Never check it!), but don't know if you can do that

going to Puerto Rico, so you need to check with the airline. If so, make and

freeze pancakes, muffins, soup, cookies, etc. Buying fresh meat and fruits and

veggies should be do-able down there. The food will likely still be frozen when

you arrive.

First, can you stay with your parents (assuming they live there) or other

relatives? If their place is too small to sleep there, can you stay in a nearby

hotel, but use your parents' kitchen for some meal prep? Can you plan out meals

that only require you to use food you brought and a hotel's microwave or toaster

oven or some version of a " less than full kitchen " , so you don't have to spend

as much on a room? Can you inquire with the hotels you're considering if they

have restaurants on site that will work with your dietary restrictions? Even

one meal a day that you don't have to make yourself will help. Eggs for

breakfast? Hamburger or plain baked chicken and steamed veggies/salad for lunch

or dinner?

I think its the thought of all the planning and the anxiety about the trip

that scares many of us away from making these trips. It could turn out to be

wonderful all around--or could be mostly awful with some good times thrown in--

but it really would require tons of work on your part beforehand to make it work

at all. You ARE going to see your family--if they are supportive of your

situation and the diet and can help you make this trip successful, maybe its

worth a try. Maybe you make the trip short. Maybe you go alone if there's

someone who can handle the children at home. Only you can make that decision.

Its always nicer to make a trip for a happy occasion, than for a funeral... (Now

of course, you'll probably go and yell at me if its a nightmare! LOL)

Just some suggestions to think about.

Good Luck!

Tracey

Marisol Villamil wrote:

Okay, my father is having a big art exhibition in his homeland of

Puerto Rico. My brother with his two little NT kids went to the opening. We

didn't. My father would really like us to go see the show. In addition to the

usual stresses of travel with kids, then travel with kids on the spectrum, the

added travel-on-a-special-diet has caused me to abandon the idea of going. In

addition to the headache of how we would get any of our food down there

(yogurt-maker, muffins, muffin tins etc.), we'd have to stay in a hotel with a

kitchen, hope they have the right cooking equipment, hope it's easy to buy food

we need, plan out each and every meal....you guys understand I'm sure.

So we're not going, too much of a headache all around. My mother understands, my

father struggles to understand. I feel bad. But I'm wondering if I'm being a

baby about all this and I should just bite-the-bullet and go despite everything,

or if not going is just a reality we live with. In other words, do you guys

travel easily--airplane travel, stay in hotels--or do you just say to yourselves

like I have " We can't do that. "

Marisol

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Hi Marisol,

Recently we traveled for the first time since starting SCD. I was

VERY apprehensive about making enough food for my daughter.

The trip worked out great!

My daughter only likes dark meat chicken, so I bought 8 legs and 8

thighs and made 75% of them BBQ (homemade SCD sauce) and the rest of

them herb chicken. The legs and thighs were still connected so I

used the quart size ziplock bags to freeze them.

I made meatballs and they also froze great. I brought bacon for

breakfast and froze it ahead of time.

I brought the ingredients for a casserole (I had the sauce all made

up and the ground beef already browned with the onions and garlic)

and could have made it up on vacation but we didn't need it. I

brought it home and had great SCD food for the day after we arrived

home.

I brought cookies and flatbread. Beware - I made the flatbread on

Sunday morning and by Tuesday evening it had soured or gone rancid.

This has never happened at home before (the flatbread was always

eaten quicker than 2.5 days). I should have frozen these items too

but I didn't which is why they turned bad.

We traveled by car so I didn't have to deal with the airplane

situation.

On the way to our vacation, our cooler chest was full. On the way

home it wasn't, so I layed a couple of sections of newspaper on top

of the food so that the cold air stayed where the food was.

Best wishes!

Carolyn

mom to dd, age 10, SCD 3.5 months

> Okay, my father is having a big art exhibition in his

homeland of Puerto Rico. My brother with his two little NT kids went

to the opening. We didn't. My father would really like us to go see

the show. In addition to the usual stresses of travel with kids, then

travel with kids on the spectrum, the added travel-on-a-special-diet

has caused me to abandon the idea of going. In addition to the

headache of how we would get any of our food down there (yogurt-

maker, muffins, muffin tins etc.), we'd have to stay in a hotel with

a kitchen, hope they have the right cooking equipment, hope it's easy

to buy food we need, plan out each and every meal....you guys

understand I'm sure.

> So we're not going, too much of a headache all around. My mother

understands, my father struggles to understand. I feel bad. But I'm

wondering if I'm being a baby about all this and I should just bite-

the-bullet and go despite everything, or if not going is just a

reality we live with. In other words, do you guys travel easily--

airplane travel, stay in hotels--or do you just say to yourselves

like I have " We can't do that. "

> Marisol

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone

call rates.

>

>