[benok]

it will be my first time to travel from Manila to Tokyo. I am worried that with the 5 hour travel time, my legs would be spastic and tight unless it is moved. What could be the ways to exercise, since I cannot stand up. I will be literally seated the whole time. I would be taking my antispasticity meds but I know seating for long hours will have drawback. any other way to ease the spasticity

[kdenon01]

I don't know if it would help or not...but my husband will take a backpack and put it on the floor and prop his feet up on it. He says it makes his legs not hurt as bad. eh. I dunno.

[benok]

thanks kdenon01, I think I will consider that

[REASON2BLIEVE]

when we have flown, my hubby would cross his legs...or he would pick up one thigh at a time every so often just so he wasn't in one position for to long. He transferred into a regular seat and would just do his wheelchair push ups in the seat. Good luck.

[benok]

The trip to Tokyo was my first international flight since being on the wheelchair. It took close to 5 hours. I was transferred to a regular seat using the aisle chair. I was not able to go inside the toilet since it will be difficult. I stayed in the seat until the plane touched down. I was able to massage the feet every now and then when it began to be spastic. I have to cover myself with a blanket when I have to drain/empty my urine bag. It was difficult but manageable 5 hour trip.

[Ches]

Im always curious how it works when people cath on a plane. Was there others seated next to you? I would feel so awkward.

I pulled my legs up indian style a few times on my trip, rubbed my feet and just pulled up one leg at a time. I did a lot of wiggling and lifting in that chair too. It gets very uncomfortable!

Glad to know you managed!

[Scribbler]

I've just done an 11 flight to South Africa, my first long haul flight. I didn't have spasm problems, but everyone is different. I found reclining my seat made my back ache; it was better for me with the seat up.

Every now and then, I got my PA to lean me forward to change my position, which helped.

We had a night flight, which was better for emptying my leg bag, as the main lights were off and most people were either asleep or watching their TV's. It was easy to empty my leg bag under a blanket, and we used a covered drinks bottle, so it didn't look bad when my PA walk down to the toilet with it.

There was a time when I was sat on my 'Family Jewels', which were painful and squashed, but everytime my PA tried to adjust them, a woman across the ailse kept looking; maybe she thought we wanted to join the 'Mile High' club...

I don't know how you'd self cath Ches, maybe someone else has had experience of that.

[russ1]

Having done 10 transatlantic flights as part of a group containing 10 SCI's I've seen most variants on bladder solutions. I've seen blokes just self cath under a blanket into a sealed cath bag or into a bottle fairly discretely but I can't see that you could do it unless you knew the people sitting next to you. Most self cathers however usually put in an indwelling for the duration of the flight and use a leg bag. You can get leg bags up to 1300ml which can last a 9 hour flight if you don't drink too much. My preferred solution is a 2000ml night bag on the floor under a blanket which then only needs emptying just the once and once disconnected can be carried up to the aircraft loo in a poly bag fairly discretely or if I'm flying unaccompanied carried off with my hand luggage and disposed of in the nearest accessible loo in the airport. I've also seen SCI's use the aircraft loo via the isle chair but personally given the other options it seems like more trouble than it's worth.

As for spasms the long period of inactivity always sets my spasms off - pressure relief lifts, and pulling legs up to chests - anything to relieve the single sitting position helps.

[MDK]

Travelled with Kev everywhere , have no problem adjusting the "jewell bag", if people want to look, they can ....is their problem.
I don't give a hoot as my only concern is him being as comfortable as possible and not ending with any pressure areas due to long haul flights.
I put a small coke bottle in a rubbish bag ,the one the airline provides to be sick into ,is waxed paper I think and I empty Kev's leg bag ( he has an IDC when we travel as cathing is impossible in an aircraft) very often during the flight, as discretly as I can.
I frequently reposition his feet & he lifts his tush of the chair as well.
His spasms increase , pain as well but we manage with it .
I refuse to let SCI have him .He has the Sci & we just deal with .