Kathy Rohloff:
Adventures with Dramamine

Because I have always suffered from motion sickness, I have often had to take Dramamine. Dramamine is a wonderful drug that allows you to travel and enjoy riding roller coasters without becoming violently ill. As a child I visited a lot of theme parks and Dramamine was as necessary as extra money for corn dogs.

My motion sickness has become the center of a lot of family jokes. My husband insists that if he repeats the words "back and forth" over and over again while he sways, that I will become ill. Since I can only endure about two minutes of this before telling him to stop, that theory hasn’t been fully tested.

Moving to Vermont really added to my adventures in motion sickness. It has taken me years to endure traveling through our beautiful green mountains. Eighteen years ago, when the children were six, seven, and nine, an inexpensive family outing consisted of a picnic lunch, a beautiful Vermont sightseeing drive, and a hike. We had several outings where I experienced some nausea, but if I carefully focused on the road straight ahead, I could endure.

Route 100 in Vermont is a beautifully scenic road. Unfortunately, after our first drive along it I experienced intense motion sickness. So even though it was a beautiful drive, it was one that I always vetoed exploring.

The time came when Russ insisted that it was time for the children to see the waterfall on Route 100.

"We’ll get you some Dramamine," he said. "I’ll need Dramamine just to drive down the silly route. Since I’ve not taken it for years, maybe it won’t work." "We have to at least try or we’ll never go as a family. I’m sure that you’ll be fine, and the kids will love having a picnic there." Well, I took the Dramamine at the start of the trip and everything seemed to be going ok. We arrived at the pull-off to picnic and investigate the waterfall right at the time that my body responded to Dramamine Drowsiness.

Hoisting myself out of the car, I realized that my legs were incapable of supporting me. I propped myself against the hood and said, "I’m not sure what’s happening, Russ, but my legs feel like giant rubber bands. They don’t appear to want to go in the same direction." "It says not to drive after taking the medication, there’s no mention about walking. You’ll be ok, let’s go."

But I was not ok. I clung to Russ and caused both of us to stagger. We staggered a mere 20' from the car with me clutching his arm to remain reasonably upright. The kids were running ahead with the picnic lunch and calling excitedly, "Come on, come on!"

We were coming on, but only Russ’ legs were working. The inability to walk wasn’t all that I experienced. I could not keep my eyes open. "Russ, I am soooo tired. Can’t I lie down somewhere? I seriously cannot stay awake."

Russ scanned the picnic and parking area which was filling up with other families with young children. The kids had secured a table, but there were obviously no beds available.

"What is wrong with you?" he hissed. "Can’t you at least stay awake for the picnic?"

"It has to be the Dramamine. I’m having a serious reaction. Point me toward the car and go with the kids. I am going to sleep, either in the car or on the ground, your choice. At this point it doesn’t matter. I have to sleep."

He turned me around, aimed me toward the car, and went to join our young children.

The few feet back to the car brought back memories of competing in the 440-yard relay, something I’d not done since high school. I well remembered the numbness in my legs and the inability to focus. I finally reached the car, hauled open the back door, and had just enough energy left to sprawl myself across the back seat, slam the door, and dangle my feet out of the rear window before I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

After about 30 minutes I awakened with all my lethargy gone. Looking quite wan and tousled I extricated myself from the car and hurried off to join my young family.

"Mom! You made it! Come see the neat things we’ve found," Peter cried. The girls and Russ waved gaily at me as I proceeded past the other visitors.

Was it my imagination or were a couple of mothers looking disapprovingly at me as they huddled together speaking in low tones? To this day I still wonder if they were saying, "Such a nice family and she has to sleep off her vices in the back of the car. That poor young man. I hope that she gets the help that she needs!"

I have discovered over the years that I don’t experience nausea if I drive. On subsequent drives, I became the designated driver. I’m sure those mothers by the waterfall would be pleased.