Hello everyone. Since I’m new on here I should probably give a little more info along with my question, so bear with me as this may get a little long. (My husband’s a retired Naval officer and is always telling me I ‘m too verbose. :-/) Although my first post, I've been meaning to ask this question for some time. I'd hoped to make a trip last June to a family reunion, but as temperatures rose and it became more uncomfortable for me to go outside or get into a hot car, I just gave the idea up. (By any chance is there is anyone else in the group that is in their mid-60s?) I also have venous insufficiency with lymphedema complications, and so, combined with the EM, can no longer drive, since we live in the country and everything is a distance away. Anyway, here is how I must travel: I lay on the back seat with my feet elevated on a leg rest cushion covered with plastic or topped with a Chillow if it’s hot, and the AC blowing at them. That way, when we arrive at our destination – usually just Sunday morning church, which fortunately starts at 8:30 am – I am able to stand, or sit in a chair with my feet in another chair, and make it all through the hour plus service. Or, rarely, I may go to our local Walmart, which doubles for a mall in our area – at least they have electric carts or I wouldn’t be able to go there either.
My dear husband has also put a sunscreen material on the side windows of our cars, and the back of one, but I can still feel the sun's heat (especially at our higher elevations of 5 - 6000 feet) burning through it! And if we stop for gas the car heats up so quickly! I dread going anywhere. But we are planning a short trip to see our sons and their families in September, and then a big family trip in December to take our 3 little granddaughters to Disney World for the first time. Granted the one in December I certainly won't have the heat issues for the trip, but there will be the travel to and from the parks and getting into a hot car. (We've gone to DW in Dec. in the past and it gets into the 70s F.)
I really want to look forward to this trip! Everyone else is, but I’m pretty much, well, maybe not dreading it, but am not feeling really enthused about it. Disney World is one of our favorite places to visit, and we have been waiting for our granddaughters to be old enough to go! In 2012 I managed the parks in an electric scooter and used an umbrella to shield my feet & legs when we were there. But that was before I knew what was going on with my body, and I wasn’t having flares like I am now. I'm not really complaining. I love to spend time with my family, and really enjoy DW too! It's just that things have changed dramatically for me over the past almost two years, and I simply see more challenges to this trip.
Anyway, if you all have any recommendations for making car travel more comfortable - in the back seat as I've said, I would REALLY appreciate hearing them! Or visiting family perhaps – as we will be in September? How do you manage that? Thank you!