Road Trip Across the Country!

I love a good road trip. There’s something about hitting the road, listening to an audiobook, jamming out to tunes, and watching the scenery roll by that just does it for me. I don’t know but I love it. I love road trips where we make as few stops along the way as we possibly can. Why get out and stretch when we can continue driving?

First road trip with TED

The first road trip I took after having thyroid eye disease (TED) was to California. My mom and I were driving out so I could stay and watch my cousin’s house for 2 months while she was in Maine. The first day, I drove the whole way. We drove to Utah to visit my sister who was in PT school out there.

It was 8 hours in the car, 8 hours staring at the road. My eyes were buzzing by the end of the first time. I could feel they were being strained from the overuse. Staring out at the road underneath the blaring sun. Sunglasses definitely helped but did not stop the feeling I had. I stupidly pushed my pain aside and thought I could get through it.

On the second day in the car, I still wanted to drive. I get car sick when I have to sit in the passenger seat and I am not the best navigator. Plus, I secretly believed that my eyes, which were still hurting, weren’t as bad as I knew they were.

Six hours into our drive and 2 hours out from our final destination, I started experiencing double vision while driving. I only had it that one time but it made me fearful of driving that long ever again. So much so that the drive back, my mom drove the whole way both days.

Second road trip

Two years later, I was driving across the country again. This time in the other direction. My mom and I were driving to New England and it would take us 5 days to get there.

I wanted to drive the whole way. Not only because I was a terrible navigator and because of motion sickness but because I wanted to get rid of my fear that I couldn’t drive for long stretches of time because of my eyes. My TED symptoms had faded away in the 2 years since our last road trip. I felt confident enough that I could do it.

I drove the whole way. Five days, over 2,300 miles, 2 countries, across 11 states, and 1 province (driving through Canada to see Niagara Falls). It was a lot and I was very tired by the end of it, but I drove the whole way. And my eyes didn’t hurt!

On this trip, my fear of driving was proven to be false. I could drive and be fine. My eyes have healed and I can do things I was once scared to do. Driving across the country reminded me to be grateful. I overcame a time when driving anywhere was too much. Now I can drive across the country and see just fine.

Have you driven or been on a road trip with thyroid eye disease? How was it? Share in the comments below.