Travelling is a huge decision for my chronically ill self at the best of times…

Coronavirus has escalated my confusion and uncertainty to another level! The problem I always have is that I have an invisible illness, and currently my tumour is stable, and whilst I have regular monitoring and removal of my upper GI polyps, it doesn’t stop me from feeling well and being able to be very active and spontaneous with living my life and travelling.

So this is why for the last few weeks I’ve been keeping a VERY close eye on government advice around travel, but thinking with my holiday brain that desperately wants to get to the UK in April for a trip I’ve had planned for a while for a family wedding.

Today was the first time my sensible chronically ill brain started to take over holiday brain and now I am thinking it might be the safest option for me not to go.

Getting it overseas is starting to feel daunting – given I have no bowel and get dehydrated easily, there’s high chances I could respond pretty badly to coronavirus, and I’ll be in a different country in a health system I don’t know (although being in the UK is a pretty good option). Then there’s the realisation that if I do have to self-isolate from getting it overseas, this could delay my tumour treatment and medical procedures and surgery I need to get done (that I could have got done in April).

I’m also realistic that there’s a high chance I’ll catch it in Sydney given how things are going with cases, but then atleast I’ll be able to access my GP and specialists I know and who know me well and my health problems.

I do think writing it out has helped me process and for now I will take the weekend to think it through and what’s best for me and my health.