Holiday Travel: The Fourth Dimension Ane Forgot My Medical Id 300 Miles Into A 700Mile Route Trip.

I started writing this article virtually 10 days ago, thence I had surgery.

Most of my stitches were removed to solar daytime - to a greater extent than on that later.

Anyway, here’s what happened to me on my Thanksgiving route trip in addition to some disclosure. 

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On the drive dwelling work solid in addition to wearing my Lauren's Hope bracelet the Sat after Thankgiving, somewhere
in North Carolina - I-40 

I dear to travel. 

I’ve been to a boatload of countries in addition to an “OK” bring out of states. 

I wing a lot in addition to every bit much every bit I loathe airports, I tin navigate them - for the most part. 

Trains? I’m cool alongside trains - I dear taking trains. 

I’ve gone on lots of route trips inwards my life. Some good; some great, some neither, all memorable. 

But I’ve never genuinely done a solo -beyond my local tri-state area, route trip. 

Maybe it has something to practise alongside my irrational fright of reading maps, mayhap inwards a past times life I became lost on a journeying in addition to never made it to my destination, mayhap it’s because I’ve gotten lost in addition to ended upwards inwards some gnarly parts of cities in addition to states where I idea no ane would e'er honor me. 

Or mayhap it’s because I’m a large effing baby, exactly whatever.

Drop me inwards the middle of an unknown metropolis on foot, in addition to I tin figure it out no problem. 

Tell me I select to drive to in addition to roughly a metropolis I’ve never been to in addition to I foremost to acquire anxiety. 

Needless to say, GPS navigational systems select been a game changer for me - I don't worry virtually getting lost anymore.

In September I was invited to my cousins inwards South Carolina for Thanksgiving in addition to I decided I was going to drive instead of fly. 

I was going to bypass the mess that is Philadelphia International Airport at Thanksgiving, in addition to leave of absence of my comfort zone re: driving long distances past times myself.

Yep, I was going to drive the betwixt 600 in addition to 700 miles each way solo because I'm a big, brave, grownup lady.

I mapped out my route (thank you lot talking Google Maps,) for the to a greater extent than than 600, exactly less than 700 mile journeying each way, booked my hotel, (could non bargain alongside doing it all inwards ane day,) had my automobile checked over, in addition to marked the deviation appointment on my calendar. 

The nighttime earlier the trip I finished packing everything. Clothes; extra diabetes supplies, gifts for my cousins children in addition to a particular staff of life from a local bakery that shall rest nameless. 

Then I pose my laptop/charger inwards my run bag, placed my Lauren’s Hope medical ID bracelet adjacent to my charging telephone in addition to went to bed.

The adjacent morn I loaded my automobile upwards alongside my luggage, estimator bag, bread, in addition to a cooler packed alongside apples, water, kind bars, in addition to infant carrots. 

And after several faux starts, I pulled out of my driveway at 10 a.m.
Cut to 4:30 pm in addition to me checking into my Richmond, VA hotel in addition to settling inwards my room. 
That would hold out when I noticed I wasn’t wearing my ID bracelet. 

No large deal, I figured it was inwards my makeup bag... except when I checked it wasn’t. 

And I got nervous. 

Did I lose it or was it all the same at home? 

What if something happened spell I was driving to The Carolinas ?

I remembered a fourth dimension when I hated wearing medical IDs in addition to would entirely wearable ane when I traveled. But things modify in addition to we alive in addition to learn. 

I tried non to think virtually it in addition to went downwards to the antechamber to encounter a friend for dinner.

The adjacent morn I was on the route past times eleven a.m. in addition to all was going good - Thank you lot talking google maps! 

FYI: When you're drive long donkey distances past times yourself you lot select a lot of fourth dimension to think. 

You think virtually the beautiful scenery, in addition to you lot think virtually your life and the roads non traveled, blah, blah, blah. 

And you lot expire along thinking virtually traveling the solar daytime earlier the busiest move solar daytime of the twelvemonth in addition to the "what if’s" of non having your medical ID bracelet on your wrist. 

Basically you lot acquire hyper focused on all the horrible things that tin come about on the road, at a residual stop, anywhere in addition to non existence able to allow anyone know virtually your diabetes, etc. 

FTR: I select D in addition to non D medical information noted on my Lauren's Hope Medical ID bracelets. 

When I reached I-40 I had a 140 miles to think virtually all of the higher upwards earlier I needed to consult alongside Google maps - in addition to the to a greater extent than I idea virtually non having my bracelet, the to a greater extent than uncomfortable I got.

BOTTOM LINE: I FREAKED. 

My somewhat irrational fright of driving almost 700 miles past times myself was replaced past times the really existent fright of non having my medical ID on my person.

I was mad at myself for forgetting my bracelet.

And I was scared.

60 miles into the uninterrupted 140, I stopped for gas. 

Then I went through my electronic mail contact listing in addition to called my contact at Lauren’s Hope in addition to left her a message. It was my “hope” that she could overnight a bracelet to my cousins work solid - if that was fifty-fifty a possibility on their end. 

120 miles into the 140, my contact called me dorsum in addition to I pulled over to the side of the route in addition to told her my dilemma. 

She listened, calmed me down, in addition to told me that they overnight jewelry all the time. 

I gave her my cousins address in addition to she told me that she’d shipping me a aureate colored steel cuff. 

I felt meliorate in addition to I felt safe. 

After getting stuck inwards crazy traffic the final xl miles of my journey, I made it to my cousins house, the Tuesday earlier Thanksgiving at dinner time. 

The adjacent day, at 1pm, EST my Lauren’s Hope bracelet arrived via FedEx - which impressed me on many levels because hello, it was the solar daytime earlier Thanksgiving in addition to who the hell wants to drive inwards that mess.

Also, I wishing I could select given the FedEx someone a hug, exactly they didn’t band the doorbell - which I understand, because THANKSGIVING WEDNESDAY.

Anyway, I wore my bracelet on my wrist for the residual of the trip.

My Thanksgiving was wonderful in addition to happy in addition to my identify unit of measurement made me express joy similar crazy . 

The trip dorsum dwelling work solid stretched out over ii days in addition to except for the crazy traffic on 95 ane time I hitting Baltimore - everything went off without a hitch. 

I’m confident that I tin drive anywhere directly - every bit long I select a talking GPS at my fingertips. 

And I’ve decided to leave of absence ane of my LH medical ID bracelets ( I ain 4,) inwards my locked glove compartment because I never desire to worry similar that again. 

I don’t desire worrying virtually the what-ifs (diabetes or otherwise,) to concur me dorsum from traveling in addition to exploring life.   

Disclosure1: Lauren's Hope didn't accuse me for my bracelet. 
I told them I was going to write virtually what happened because I was thence damn grateful in addition to felt/still experience that if it could come about to me, it could come about to you lot in addition to knowing that there's a solution is key.
 I didn't await anything inwards return, exactly it was dainty gesture in addition to greatly appreciated.  

Disclosure 2: I ain 4 LH bracelets (3 earlier Thanksgiving,) in addition to after my route trip, I decided to acquire a LH affiliate.

That way I volition acquire a really pocket-size percent if you lot identify an social club alongside LH, via clicking on their here.

Any coin earned volition expire towards domain renewals for both diabetesaliciousness in addition to IwishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes.Org .

You tin acquire virtually LH affiliates program, HERE. 
You tin read disclosure policies of this blog, HERE. 

I never desire you lot to think I'm non existence honest, thence I'm telling you lot upfront. 

Lastly, it doesn't thing to me where you lot or your loved ones acquire your medical IDs. 

What matters most to me is that you lot in addition to your loved ones genuinely WEAR your medical IDs - in addition to if you lot forget to select yours on a trip or lose it spell traveling, you're able to select a replacement sent to you lot inside 24 hours.