HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Aug. 2, 2007 In a couple of weeks my husband and I are going to travel via airplane to the State of Washington. It will be the first time since my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease that we have flown. Let me begin by telling you that I am a very bad flyer. I am terrified of flying, When we flew as a couple in previous years I always relied on my husband for support and comfort since at one time he was a pilot and he was able to calm me down whenever I heard a funny noise or felt a strange bump. My sensitivities seem to be heightened when I am aboard a plane and I can feel and hear things that apparently no one else can. Every time we have flown, whether it be a short flight to Los Angeles or a longer one to Canada or New York City I have been in a state of abject terror until we touch down on solid ground and I know that I once again have control over my environment. This time I will not be able to count on my husband for his calm reassurances and comforting words. I have been told by his doctor that the flight may cause him to be confused and somewhat disoriented and that I will have to reassure him that things are okay and that he is fine. He tells me that he is looking forward to the flight and of course, he isn't anticipating any problems. He has a wonderful child-like quality about him these days when it comes to almost everything and he really knows very little fear. It's part of the disease, or so I have been told. As the day approaches for our scheduled flight my fear gets stronger and now I've added something new to the mix; how will my husband deal with being enclosed in a pressurized cabin, high in the sky, surrounded by strangers? He is extremely social when we are on the ground so I can only imagine how he will be with a captive audience. As I mentioned in one of my previous articles, his sociability is exaggerated and he feels the need to entertain those around him; strangers or not. I may have mentioned this already but I call it "The Three Stooges" routine. He becomes "The Last Comic Standing". I am a fairly inhibited person who gets extremely quiet when I am in the company of strangers and when I am afraid or insecure. I like to sit very still and try to calm myself when I am uncomfortable and I do not have the urge to act like an extrovert under those circumstances. Will people know that he is not normal? Will they be offended by his overly social personality? Will I be able to handle him and my own fear? I weighed the pros and cons of taking this trip and the pros far out-weighed the cons. We can't just sit in our house forever and never go anywhere. We both want to enjoy our granddaughter's first birthday (the reason why we are making the trip), and I want my husband to be able to have a nice time because it will be a change from our sedentary lifestyle. I thought of all that I might encounter on this trip and I spoke to his doctor beforehand. The doctor told me about the downside of going and he also agreed that the upside would be worth the inconveniences. I don't know exactly what will happen or how I will handle it but I do know that I am going to try. For the first time in over four years I am going to take a chance and try to lead a life that resembles something normal...a life that I took for granted until my husband developed his illness. When I return I will write about my experiences and hope that what I have to say will be amusing and full of wonderful experiences on our one week trip. Just in case that follow-up article is not a happy, fun filled tale I will ask those of you who pray to say a little prayer and those of you who don't to send me good thoughts. Oh, and while your praying or sending those good thoughts...please throw in a few words that the flights to and from our destination take off when they are supposed too and land when and WHERE they are supposed too. Maybe trying to manage my husband will keep me from hearing weird noises and feeling strange bumps despite the fact that we will be taking off and landing during our monsoon season and the storms have been pretty powerful as of late....... From my lips to God's ears......... ------------ About the author: Meri has a Medical/Legal background and is a former forensic researcher specializing in psychological profiling. Visit the Xlibris Bookstore! Email: writers2@cox.net Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
