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Posted 1/4/2008 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

None of us have MS, but my mother have been with the disease for around 20 years. She is very heat sensitive and feel rather sick when the temperature reaches >25 C.

We are seriously considering moving to Southeast Asia, but we are worried about how we can stay in physical contact with my mother. We can of course fly back once in a while, but is it in any way possible for her to come and visit us?

The temperature in Southeast Asia reaches 30-35 C almost everyday. We will buy a car and a house with air condition, but my mother still needs to cross some outside areas when going from the airport to the car, from the car to the house, etc.

Is there any risk of permanent damages because of temperature if my mother come and visit us?

Thank you.
Posted 1/4/2008 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
No, there is no risk of permanent damage. You can plan your mother's visits for the cooler time of year there, too. For example, I spent 6 weeks in the Philippines, over January into February (which was their cool season), and suffered no long-term effects. I was glad for the air conditioned hotel that we stayed in, and the air conditioned car we rented. And there were a couple of days when I let my husband go out and about and I stayed in the hotel...but

generally I had a good time, saw a lot of the country, ate some lovely food, met some lovely people..generally did well.

You could plan to carry cool beverages with you if you sightsee, and I took a neck band that I could dip into cool water and wrap around my neck, and a scarf for my head that I'd get wet and lay on my head if I did get too hot. I find that if I'm overheated, once I get cooled back down (like getting back under air), I'll be fine. I think that'll be your mother's experience too.
Posted 1/4/2008 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Boing

Uppitycats has given u great advice. I too feel it'll be ok as long as u think the visits thru and provide for outings with support gear such a the neck band or a cooling vest. There are products all over, but below i've included a link to the National MS Society's page on cooling devices. Maybe have some of these on hand for her visits? It could make the difference in a visit to u'r home versus a visit to Southeast Asia and seeing the sites. Take care and enjoy u'r new home if u decide to move!

http://gaa.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HOM_LIB_imsapril04_summerscoming

Posted 1/4/2008 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the replies.

Wish there were a cooler time of the year, but there practically aren't. Thailand (our chosen location) is 35 C most of the year - and 32 C during the so called cold season. Still, it sounds good that you have actually been to the tropics even though you have MS.

We have thought about the vests, etc. ourselves, so that will definitely be something my mother should try out. Maybe we can even borrow/rent some locally in the tropics, so we don't have to find and buy them (we and my mother live in Europe, so we have to pay a massive amount for postage from US).

No matter what, I think the most important thing is that my mother can get through the 'death zones' (from airport to car, car to house, etc.). She do of course want to see the country we live in, but I believe the most important thing for her is to see her grandchildren, children and the home we live in.
Posted 1/4/2008 11:47 PM (GMT 0)

boing said...
Thank you for the replies.

Wish there were a cooler time of the year, but there practically aren't. Thailand (our chosen location) is 35 C most of the year - and 32 C during the so called cold season. Still, it sounds good that you have actually been to the tropics even though you have MS.

We have thought about the vests, etc. ourselves, so that will definitely be something my mother should try out. Maybe we can even borrow/rent some locally in the tropics, so we don't have to find and buy them (we and my mother live in Europe, so we have to pay a massive amount for postage from US).

No matter what, I think the most important thing is that my mother can get through the 'death zones' (from airport to car, car to house, etc.). She do of course want to see the country we live in, but I believe the most important thing for her is to see her grandchildren, children and the home we live in.

Are wheelchairs or other transport available at the airport?  I don't know about Thailand, of course, and when I went to the Philippines I took my own manual chair. Here in the US wheelchairs are available at the airports, and porters will push people from their planes to cars.  She might see if she could rent a manual wheelchair in her home country and use it when she comes to visit, just for those times when she does have to walk a lot -- like inthe airport, or car to house, or shopping, or whatever.  She can take it on the plane with her, and have it available when she comes to visit.

 

Posted 1/5/2008 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
I assume that my mother will bring her own wheelchair. That's what she did when she went to US a year ago.
Posted 1/5/2008 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Well, if your mom has her own wheelchair...I would think she'd be fine! They'll be real helpful, you'll be real helpful, she'll be staying at your house (and you said you had air conditioning!), and presumably if there are days when she doesn't really feel like much other than sitting around your house, that won't be a problem!

Why are you moving to Thailand? Sounds like quite an adventure!
Posted 1/7/2008 6:38 AM (GMT 0)
We used to work in Thailand and have been missing the country ever since we went back. So I don't know how much of an adventure it will be this time - we have tried it before, although it will be a permanent move this time.
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