It's been 8 months since I last step foot on a plane.
I had a latex reaction on board my last flight. I was afraid to use Epi on a flight, especially with two children in tow. So, I took a pile of Benadryl and hoped for the best. I got through it ok, but still didn't feel well. The next day, I inadvertently touched a rubber band...that sent me reeling into FULL anaphylactic shock. I was advised NOT to fly.
Now 8 months on. My husband is STILL in Ontario, at our farm, with the only job in the family (which has benefits...a total God Send.) SO...we are venturing back. I've been soooooo depressed being apart from him, and our dog Charlotte.
Everyone is concerned. At first we thought it would be best if we drove. That would mean my husband would drive two days here to get us, and then drive two days back the other way. That's a heck of a lot of driving for one guy. My syncoping with SM has had my drivers license pulled. (What? No blacking out behind the wheel of a car????) However, as my Immunologist points out, the risks are the same with flying as with travelling two days by car...ANYTHING can happen...we just need to be prepared.
The difference flying THIS time is that I will have a treasure trove of medications in me, with me and on me to deal with the situation. AND, with all the reactions I've had in the past 8 months, I've learned that Epi REALLY is my friend and is to be used when necessary. When in doubt, use it. I've only exacerbated reactions by NOT taking it...so lesson learned.
AND, I'm sooooooooooo impressed with West Jet.
I spoke to a lovely lady at the "Special Guest" hotline yesterday. I told her I would be travelling with two children, 8 Epipens and doubling up on my antihistamines (so will be heavily medicated), short-term, for this 2 and half hour flight...was there anything special I needed to do? She told me it's what THEY needed to do for me. So the girls and I will have a flight crew person assigned to us to take care of us, check on us and, if necessary hand deliver us to my husband in Toronto. I am to advise the crew of where my Epi's are, and give them verbal consent to administer them in the event of an emergency. She took my 'emergency' contact info and applied it to our reservation/file, and said we were all set. I feel SOOOOOOOO much better about flying now.
So, tomorrow night we will be off to Toronto. Headed home. We won't get in until really really late. But, I miss my husband, miss my dog, miss my family, friends and community there and just wanna get home. Even if my dad thinks that Ontario is totally toxic and is killing me.
We have plans to make. Things to do, and to move. With my SM, the farmhouse isn't a good place to live. The dust and mold are huge triggers for me. But then, so is stress and anxiety. I'm learning to be more Zen.
So, this flight will be what it is.
I had a latex reaction on board my last flight. I was afraid to use Epi on a flight, especially with two children in tow. So, I took a pile of Benadryl and hoped for the best. I got through it ok, but still didn't feel well. The next day, I inadvertently touched a rubber band...that sent me reeling into FULL anaphylactic shock. I was advised NOT to fly.
Now 8 months on. My husband is STILL in Ontario, at our farm, with the only job in the family (which has benefits...a total God Send.) SO...we are venturing back. I've been soooooo depressed being apart from him, and our dog Charlotte.
Everyone is concerned. At first we thought it would be best if we drove. That would mean my husband would drive two days here to get us, and then drive two days back the other way. That's a heck of a lot of driving for one guy. My syncoping with SM has had my drivers license pulled. (What? No blacking out behind the wheel of a car????) However, as my Immunologist points out, the risks are the same with flying as with travelling two days by car...ANYTHING can happen...we just need to be prepared.
The difference flying THIS time is that I will have a treasure trove of medications in me, with me and on me to deal with the situation. AND, with all the reactions I've had in the past 8 months, I've learned that Epi REALLY is my friend and is to be used when necessary. When in doubt, use it. I've only exacerbated reactions by NOT taking it...so lesson learned.
AND, I'm sooooooooooo impressed with West Jet.
I spoke to a lovely lady at the "Special Guest" hotline yesterday. I told her I would be travelling with two children, 8 Epipens and doubling up on my antihistamines (so will be heavily medicated), short-term, for this 2 and half hour flight...was there anything special I needed to do? She told me it's what THEY needed to do for me. So the girls and I will have a flight crew person assigned to us to take care of us, check on us and, if necessary hand deliver us to my husband in Toronto. I am to advise the crew of where my Epi's are, and give them verbal consent to administer them in the event of an emergency. She took my 'emergency' contact info and applied it to our reservation/file, and said we were all set. I feel SOOOOOOOO much better about flying now.
So, tomorrow night we will be off to Toronto. Headed home. We won't get in until really really late. But, I miss my husband, miss my dog, miss my family, friends and community there and just wanna get home. Even if my dad thinks that Ontario is totally toxic and is killing me.
We have plans to make. Things to do, and to move. With my SM, the farmhouse isn't a good place to live. The dust and mold are huge triggers for me. But then, so is stress and anxiety. I'm learning to be more Zen.
So, this flight will be what it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment