How I navigate concert venue bag policy and other considerations

When I make plans to go to a concert, amusement park, or sporting event, my first thought turns to accessibility issues. It’s unfortunate, but with today’s heightened security and limits on what you can bring into a venue, getting in with a medical device sometimes feels like a small miracle.

Last year, a friend and I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to sing our faces off at a Taylor Swift concert. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, we’d taken a deep dive into Swift’s discography, courtesy of the “Every Single Album” podcast. We agreed to see the pop superstar perform next time she was on tour.

Fast forward to November 2022. We’d purchased our concert tickets, booked the flights and hotel room, and started looking at restaurants and other places to visit during our trip.

For those of us living with a chronic illness like pulmonary hypertension (PH), once you’ve covered the ticket and travel logistics, a second layer of planning remains: preparing for the possibility of a disease flare.

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Symptoms of PH include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, and swelling. These affect my mobility, including my ability to walk long distances. To help limit shortness of breath, I take a portable oxygen concentrator with me almost everywhere I go. I also bring a pulse oximeter to monitor my oxygen level and heart rate. If I’ll be gone for an extended period of time, I’ll also bring my medications. I carry all of my medical supplies in a small, black backpack.

Since being diagnosed with PH in 2016, I’ve tried to get better at asking for accommodations. I like to do things for myself as much as possible, but sometimes my stubbornness gets in the way of reality. I must learn to accept that a little assistance goes a long way toward improving my quality of life.

For the Taylor Swift show, I connected with the stadium’s disability accommodations staff to figure out how best to navigate their policies. I needed to figure out everything before I left my home in Washington, D.C. The stadium had a “clear bag” policy with certain dimension requirements, so my black medical backpack wouldn’t be allowed. Thankfully, I could bring a canvas bag and have the staff attach a medical tag.

I also asked about wheelchair access and elevator locations because I didn’t want to walk too far to get to my seat.

Know before you go

Attending Swift’s Eras Tour reminded me how important it is to be a fearless advocate for my health, happiness, and quality of life. The world is built for able-bodied people, which makes it hard for those of us who are chronically ill and disabled. We must overcome barriers and fight for the accommodations we need.

While preparing to attend another concert, this time in Washington, I reached out to accessible seating staff to make sure I could bring my portable oxygen concentrator. Of course, the arena had a policy prohibiting backpacks, so it was up to me to figure out what kind of bag was acceptable for my medical device.

Despite the challenges, I’m proud to say that I’ve been getting better at asking for accommodations to help me manage my PH. It’s still frustrating, though, when policies are inconsistent or companies implement changes that create more restrictions.

Developing a “know before you go” attitude and doing the necessary groundwork ahead of time ensure that I can prioritize my health without missing the fun!

Follow me on X: @mnaple.

Note: Pulmonary Hypertension News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Hypertension News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary hypertension.