Staycation Chronic Illness Style
12 Jul
David and I took a little getaway this weekend. Well, actually it was a staycation, but we slept in our guest bedroom and showered in the guest bath, so it felt like a getaway.
Our guest bedroom or hotel room for the weekend
Because of David’s arthritis, we couldn’t go do all the fun Dallas stuff, but it’s okay. We’ve lived here all our lives, and we’ve been to the Arboretum, Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, the Dallas Museum of Art, Reunion Tower and the Dallas Summer Musicals many times. So, here’s an overview of a weekend staycation, chronic illness style.
Friday Night
My mother came and got our dog, Henry. We went to Studio Movie Grill and saw The Proposal. David and I had never been to Studio Movie Grill. We really enjoyed it. The chairs were adjustable, which was a huge plus for David.
We took a walk at the park near our house. The sidewalk at the park is more even than the sidewalk in our neighborhood. Then we watched Defiance. It was a great movie. I love survival type movies, like The Day After Tomorrow or the TV show Jericho. I would say that because of chronic illness, I like to watch them and say, “Oh, gee, it could be worse. There could have been a nuclear bomb!” but I’ve actually loved these kinds of movies since I was a child.
We stocked the mini-fridge in our workout room with sodas, bottled water and snacks so it was like a hotel room mini-bar.
There's chai tea mix, green tea, Earl Grey Tea, sodas and snacks.
I put travel size lotions, toothpaste and body wash in the guest bathroom.
Guest Bathroom
I put samples of toiletries and even makeup in this bag in our guest bath.
Saturday
I made PW’s Migas. Delicioso! David and I went to the mall. We rarely get to go. Mall walking is just too much for David’s joints. I ate a Cinnabon. Yum! David bought a video game. We looked at bed spreads. David is apparently tired of blue. We found a bed spread we loved, but we haven’t purchased anything yet. David really likes the white, tan, neutral colors. They’re very calm, and different for me. I always lean towards blue and white. My bedroom was country blue and white all my growing up years. Our wedding colors were Wedgewood blue and white. Our dining room is Carribean blue and white. I think it’s good David is introducing me to some different colors!
We tried a new Mexican restaurant, Mi Cocina. We love Tex-Mex. Then we watched a few movies on Netflix instant watch. We stopped at 7-11 since it was July 11 for a free Slurpee. They were giving away teeny tiny free 7.11 ounce slurpees. It was fun. I have a paraffin bath. I don’t use it nearly often enough. I pulled that out and used it on my hands and feet. It was very luxurious.
Sunday
We slept until eleven. It was heavenly. We watched another Netflix movie and went for our monthly massages at Massage Envy. We made a Digorno pizza for lunch and got Chinese for dinner. This really was a weekend for relaxing and eating junk food!
A staycation is really great for people on a budget, of course, but it’s also great for people with chronic illness. David had his huge bath tub and epsom salts. Most hotel bathtubs are inadequate for a 6′ 4” man. His Back 2 Life machine didn’t have to be packed. We didn’t have to stand in line at the airport, or sit on a plane for four hours. Many aspects of travel are very difficult for people with chronic pain and chronic illnesses.
Tips if you’re considering a staycation…
A staycation is much more relaxing when your house isn’t on the market. Having to keep it spotless at all times doesn’t allow you to fully relax. However, David helped me tidy up several times, which helped considerably. If you have kids, you might consider switching rooms or bathrooms with them during a staycation. It really was fun and different sleeping in our guest room. Cut up fresh fruits and veggies ahead of time. Make up little snack bags of almonds and walnuts so you have healthy snacks to balance out all your eating out and ordering in. Also, if you get a coupon for a nearby restaurant that you’ve never tried, use it during your staycation. New experiences make a staycation more like a vacation. Go to the library or Half Price books and get a magazine and a beach read. Burn a candle or use body wash that reminds you of your favorite vacation spot. For us tropical, coconut fragrances remind of our trips to the beach.
Relax and enjoy! We did!
I love the extra steps you took to make your house feel like a hotel. As a wife with chronic illness, I know that vacations aren’t always a possibility, but it’s also easy for staycations to feel like non-cations. There’s something special about being in a hotel that makes the activities you would normally do at home feel more special-and you were able to imbue your home with that special essence. Thank you for sharing! I am looking forward to our next staycation much more now! Hopefully I can get my husband as excited.