This past week I did something that I hadn’t yet done since my accident. I got on a plane and traveled to a destination, wheelchair and all. I had legitimate fears and questions with the process of air travel: How long would it take to get through security? How would I get on the plane? Where would the wheelchair go? How sore and tired would I feel after hours of sitting in one place?
Having traveled for work and pleasure for a number of years and having logged hundreds of thousands of miles flying, I was well aware of the physical challenges that come with air travel, albeit for a healthy person. I remembered how good it felt to get up in the middle of a long flight and stretch my legs (not to mention do stretching and pseudo-yoga poses in the aisle amidst the strange looks and glances of the other passengers). I knew that sitting for that long didn’t bother me so much because I would often be out for a run within only a few hours of landing. How would all of this work now?
My trip was a modest but still significant 3 1/2 hour flight from San Francisco to Minneapolis to visit my girlfriend’s family, something she insisted had to happen in the warm summer months so as to avoid the harsh Minnesota climate of the other nine months of the year. It was either now or next summer, and I didn’t want to wait that long. So off we went…
In a nutshell, most things weren’t as bad as I expected. The check in, security, and pretty much everything at the airport were smooth. Boarding the plane was hilarious as I had to transfer from my wheelchair to a tiny wheelchair that could easily fit down the narrow aisle. Never mind that even my skinny ass barely fit on the seat as they strapped my arms and legs like I was in a straight jacket and tumbled me down the aisle of the empty plane before everyone else boarded.
The one thing that was as painful and frustrating as I expected was sitting in that airplane seat for the whole time without being able to move my legs around or stand up. Thankfully I was able to sit on my cushion from my wheelchair which eased the pain a bit (and raised me up in my seat so I looked like I was about seven feet tall) but at the end of the day, sitting still for so long and feeling my blood circulation struggle and my feet and ankles swell wasn’t ideal.
All in all, I’m happy I overcame this minor obstacle of air travel, especially since I had such a great reason to make this trip. I was grateful to have my girlfriend there to help me through this process and we had a great weekend together. I can’t say I’m ready for a longer flight anytime soon, but I’m looking forward to the next travel adventure.
Arash Recovery 