When Flights Go Wrong

We took a vacation trip to Florida and had a great time with family and friends. Then it was time to go home.

Once we got through TSA, I rearranged the carry-on luggage, putting our laptops, zip-lock bags of toiletries and our Passports away, since we wouldn't need them anymore. All was going well, until we got to the gate. Anxiety level 1. 

It looked like all 200+ passengers were already there, crowding around. Anxiety level 2.

Hubby had his hands full with ALL our carry-on luggage, so when he asked me to follow him through the crowd, my brain decided that I was NOT going to be able to move my feet. So I closed my eyes and stumbled through the crowd. I tried to get someones attention to ask to board early but no luck, not that they could have heard me. Anxiety level 3.

And to top it off, there were 5 or 6 TSA type agents, all with big dogs on leads that were sniffing everything.  I'm going to admit that I am afraid of big dogs. Not that they will bite me, I'm afraid they will knock me down or I will trip on their leads. Please don't hold this revelation against me. Anxiety level 4. 

The TSA agents wanted to see everyone's travel approved ID's, again, and our Passports were  in one of the bags, so we dug out our Driver's Licenses and hoped it would do. Thankfully, it did. Anxiety level 5. 

One of the agent's waved Hubby through and he walked past the sniffer dogs and then waited for me. They waved me through and my feet refused to move. I tried to ask for help but couldn't make a sound, so I just reached my hand out and a gloved hand took it. I stumbled through the dogs and Hubby and I headed down the ramp. Anxiety level 6.

When I got to the plane, the tiny gap to get ON the plane was, in my Parky riddled brain, a HUGE step and I froze, again. Anxiety level 7.

Hubby helped me get on the plane and we got seated. The flight hadn't even started and I was completely exhausted and fighting to keep from crying. Anxiety level 8.

We always get aisle seats across from each other, so I can get up during the flight, and Hubby is there to help me. This particular flight was full, but I could still get up, walk to the bathroom and back. Getting IN the tiny airplane bathroom was difficult, getting OUT was a nightmare of epic proportions. Anxiety level 9.

I haven't even begun to describe the back pain I deal with due to the twisting of my torso (look up Parkinson's Pisa Syndrome) Or how the person sitting behind me kept jabbing me in my lower back with her foot. Or how I am afraid that luggage will hit me on my head when people are in a hurry to get off the plane. Anxiety level 10.

I've been home for over a week and still haven't recovered from the plane ride. I'm 99% sure that this WRONG flight is going to be my LAST flight. And there's definitely no humor in THAT. 

PS I want to say a special THANK YOU to the young man who sat next to me: Brady Saxton, an Automation Technician at Axon in the Phoenix area. He talked to me during the flight. He showed me videos of what he does at his job, and racing his drift cars and we discussed pick up trucks, gear ratios, traveling and the scenic places I thought he should go see. Everyone else was glued to their devices with earbuds on and the plane window shades closed. I said that most would be oblivious if their was a UFO outside the plane. He made the flight bearable for me. And for that, I thank him, again.