my daughter is going on her 1st trip to colorado for a week she is 15 an has her pm for 4 years now an i am a little scarried to let her go away that far from me but she will be with there family an they willhave cell phones but i am so so so worried to let her gobut i did check with drs. an they said that ok she can go an she will be ok but i wont be ok i will worry an i alwy will forever its hard to have you little one with a pmso anyone canhelp me be ok with this something that could be helpful to tell me plz thanks allot

 

 

One thing to do is remember that doing this kind of thing on her own and feeling independent is very important for your daughter and her self-esteem. As someone who has had some fairly serious health problems since I was a toddler, I know what it's like to feel like a "sick person" and feel like you can't do anything for yourself without always being protected. Over-protecting a child or teenager can just make them feel like they aren't capable of doing things on their own.

Letting your daughter go on this trip and see that she CAN do things by herself, and have a great time, is so important.

Just try to remember everything you said in your message - the Dr's have said it's ok, and the people she's with will have cell phones if anyone needs to contact you. But the best thing is to let your daughter go and have a fantastic time. It'll be good for her to see that living a normal life, full of fun and good experiences, is possible for her.

Helen

 

You should be proud of her that she feels independant to go away on her own. Its always difficult for loving parents to pay out the rope, but it is something you have to learn to accept. Try and think of what she is thinking, she is probably also worrying about you just a little. I am sure she understands how you feel. You have protected her for so long and now you have to let her out of sight. What she is doing is what you should expect from someone of that age who is feeling normal and just wants to be herself and strike out for a bit more independance. This was bound to happen at some stage and I know how hard it is for you after having to be extra responsible for her. I am sure she will be ok on this trip. Cheers pete

 

Hi Michelle,
Sounds like all of your concerns are covered. It will be a wonderful opportunity for your daughter to try a little independence.
You might want to get (and give her) a recent print-out with her current PM data from her cardiologist (or pacemaker technician). That way she will have that information with her if needed.
I hope she has a great time.

Richan

 

Hi Michelle,
I completely understand your worries, but think that Helen, Pete and Richan have given you wonderful advice. I have two daughters (now ages 18 and 21), and neither of them has a PM. However one of them has another health problem that was quite serious when she was younger, though she's mostly outgrown it now. When my girls each turned age 6, they were invited to fly to Texas (3,000 miles from where I live) to visit their aunts, uncles and cousins and I decided to let them go. It was a 4-hour non-stop flight, and of course they were registered as "unaccompanied minors" with the airline, so flight attendants were supposed to take care of them through the flight and hand them off to relatives. After I put them on the airplane (not together -- this was 2 years apart, each of them when they hit age 6) I cried and stood by the window until the airplane was up in the air and out of sight. Then I went to work and couldn't do a lick of work for the whole morning, waiting for that phone call from my sisters telling me they had my precious "babies" in their possession. The flight went fine, the time with their cousins went fine, and they did it again every year for many years to come. Today my girls are very confident travelers and have even been on international flights with connections, by themselves, in foreign countries. They are extremely proud of their independence and ability to do this sort of thing. It's a great thing for a 15-year-old to be comfortable making this sort of trip, and for you to let her do it.
Please let us know what day she is flying and put up a posting telling us when she gets there safely. This will actually be good for both of you -- when it's over you will also have more confidence in yourself and her.
It's okay to be worried, but try not to let her know how worried you are. She needs to believe you trust she can handle this.
Take care and here's wishing her a happy trip. You are a good, caring Mom!
CathrynB

 

do not worry your daughtor can fly a plan just make sure she stepps aside the part where they use the ward DO NOT HAVE THEM DO THAT ON HER .