Ready for Next Trip

It has been a busy month. I guess I got that kick in the butt I really needed, and do appreciate, to finally get me moving again. Along with my hat escapades, I've been busy getting ready for my next business trip.

I have already taken a few precautionary steps around the Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) and the hotel room I'll be staying at. I will be flying to my business trip this time. After the last trip, I joked about packing some regular light bulbs in my bag as a way of making sure everything was good for me and another way of me handling things for myself.

One thing I have done for this trip is I found a rechargeable booklight which doubles as a lamp. It has six small LED bulbs and will clip onto a book. It also comes with a small stand that the booklight can be placed into where it is charged. While sitting in the charger, the booklight works like a lamp and actually lights up the room pretty well. I will also have a miniature LED flashlight which does a good job of lighting up the room too. Both the lamp and flashlight are very compact making them easy to travel with.

I have called the hotel to see ask about the light bulbs they use in their rooms. Of course they are using the CFLs. The front desk switched me to their Director of Engineering. He was very pleasant to talk with and said it would not be a problem to change the light bulbs in my room before I arrived. He also mentioned that he would put a note in my reservation and make the front desk manager aware of the accommodation I need.

Another precautionary measure I started doing is that I always keep shades in my purse now. Even though hats typically work better for me, this is a way I will always have some type of protection for my eyes with me and there are times when I need my shades when I am outside of my car.

I am still very nervous about the meeting rooms during my trip. I have my hats packed and even talked to my boss about how I may need to wear them during these meetings. Some of the people in this multiple day meeting will be at my boss' level and higher. I know I will be in a totally uncontrollable lighting environment and I don't want to get caught sitting there like a deer staring at the headlights, unable to think or speak because I am not doing everything I should be doing to take care of my health. I just want to do my job and I don't want my Migraines to keep getting in my way!

My hat can help prevent some of this nonsense, but I also have to be extra careful while I am on my trip because light is not the only Migraine trigger I have to watch out for. I know I will be surrounded by many other avoidable and unavoidable triggers, but even the avoidable triggers will be much tougher to stay away from since I am not home.

When I am home, I have safe foods that are not safe when I am away because the foods are prepared with safe ingredients when I am at home that are not used to prepare the same foods when I am out. This is just one of the extra triggers I have to be cautious of while on this trip.

Sometimes it's hard to work in corporate America, but I am grateful my company has been working with me with my difficulties because of this disease. I know what I need to do while I am on this trip and have tried to account for the challenges of being away from my safe environment. Can you think of anything else I should look out for or that might help with my trip?

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