Traveling with Fibroids While Plus Size

28

Since I was diagnosed with fibroids, it has helped me mentally to know that my body is not weird, and to prepare myself during the dreaded menstrual cycle. Going to work, visiting friends, or going on vacation with family can be a real hassle. Traveling with fibroids can be the worst. There’s more to pack that takes up space in your purse or suitcase – extra clothes, panties, tampons, and maxi-pads! And God forbid, don’t pack anything white!

It’s 5 am in the morning, and I’ve arrived at O’Hare International Airport, the third largest airport in America, and the fifth largest in the world. Where could I possibly be traveling this early in the morning? Vegas baby! I’ve been there several times before, but the last time I was in Vegas was over 11 years ago, and it was a seven day family experience with my husband and teen daughters.

Taffy Apples from New York New York Hotel
Taffy Apples from New York New York Hotel

There was a lot for us to do. We hung out on the strip, ate at many restaurants as well as cooked at our timeshare, The Cliff at Peace Canyon Resort.  Hey, staying at a timeshare during a family vacay is the best way to save money.  We went to the Fremont Experience in Downtown Las Vegas and to an amusement park inside of the Circus Circus hotel. My daredevil husband decided to hang off the Stratosphere Hotel by riding Insanity and X-Scream.  The drive to the Hoover Dam was also a fun time too!

It had been 11 years since I experience Vegas, this time it was going to be the hubby and me without our adult children! We were about to celebrate 13 years of blissful marriage in Vegas, one of my favorite cities to visit. I was pretty excited to get to the airport, even with a 2-hour wait to board our plane.  My gosh, it’s 5 am in the morning, the security line was not long at all, but I like to follow protocols, so we arrived early.  During the wait, I was timing myself on when I would go to the bathroom.  The stress level was already pretty high! Mentally I’m dealing with being overweight and traveling with fibroids during your menstrual period! Yes, it’s a triple whammy.

I’ve only gone to the bathroom on an airplane once, and that was during my trip to the island of Kauai, Hawaii.  It was a 9.5-hour flight to Honolulu, and then another hour to Kauai. I survived, but it was a rough trip. Only one time to the bathroom mid-flight and I knew that I was never going to use the restroom on an airplane ever again. No matter your size, the bathroom on this United Airlines flight was super tiny. I struggled to make sure I didn’t wet my pants while squatting over the seat. It was a horrible experience. When I got back to my seat, I jokingly told my husband, there is no way to experience the mile-high club in that bathroom.

Traveling in airport while plus size

Ok, back to my trip to Las Vegas, so as I was timing myself to go to the bathroom, I went right before boarding the plane.  I was grateful that I was able to still fit comfortably in the O’Hare terminal restrooms. It’s Chicago, and Chicago does everything big! I’ve gained approximately 35 pounds since the last trip with the family. I had the uterine fibroid embolization procedure last year, but it’s a slow process for the fibroids to shrink.

My travel plan of wearing two overnight menstrual pads, plus an overnight bladder control pad, and a super plus tampon was enough coverage for my four-hour flight to Vegas. I used to think that the overnight bladder control pads was literally for people who have urinary issues. One day I was looking online to see if there were any forums that talked about super duper plus maxi pads and tampons, and I came across one person’s experience with bladder control pads. I thought it was a brillant idea, and I’ve been using them ever since.

Traveling on an airplane while being overweight is an ordeal, besides the seat size, the bathroom is my toughest issue.  Check out this great website I found that gives 13 Tips for Comfortable Plus Size Airline Flight. If you have additional tips, leave them in the comments section below.

Like
Close
Explore, Eat and Enjoy with Plus Size in Chicago!
© Copyright 2017 - 2023. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Refunds & Returns.
Close