Thursday, April 17, 2009

I made it to Maryland. Not that I was going to let anything stop me from getting here. We had three suitcases, one devoted to Josh’s schoolbooks, the wheelchair, the portable oxygen concentrator, Josh’s backpack, my purse and my computer bag. San Jose Airport is under construction so Joyce had to let us off some distance from the terminal itself. We were just trying to figure out how to get me in the wheelchair and the cart with all the luggage across the street to the terminal when my angel sent a very nice man over who volunteered to push the luggage cart to curbside check in for us. Once we got there, he whispered something to the person working check in and disappeared. At curbside, they did not weigh the bags, so we were not charged for the fact that the school bag was over 40 pounds. After Josh took time for a last smoke, we headed for security. No lines but we still had to walk down a hallway only to turn into the marked off area and walk back through the same hallway to the security desk. The person ahead of us had a typo on her boarding pass and two security people were trying to decide whether to let her through. She was trying to explain that the computer did not allow her to correct the typo once it was entered but that fact did not help the security folks engage their common sense gene and they remained confused as to what to do about this discrepancy between the boarding pass and the name on the woman’s identification. Eventually, one of them turned her attention to our boarding passes and we joined the line of people waiting to be strip searched before heading for the boarding gates. Off with the coat, the sweater, the shoes, and Josh’s belt. Out come the two laptops and the plastic bag full of prescription medications. Then I get in the special line to be patted down in the wheelchair and to have the oxygen concentrator tested to be sure it is not a bomb in disguise. Josh warns me about saying the word “bomb” in an airport. Finally, we are cleared for takeoff to our gate and we begin getting dressed again and repacking the computer bags. We stop to get lunch that we can take on board and then it is time to go. San Jose is one of the few major airports where you still have to climb stairs to board the aircraft. Our Continental flight is boarding from both the front and the rear of the aircraft. We are seated in the back half of the plane so we head for the rear stairs. I climb the stairs while a Continental agent holds the oxygen for me. When I get to my seat, I am very short of breath. This is surprising to me because there were fewer stairs than I have at home. It takes me several minutes to catch my breath and I am fine for the rest of this flight to Houston, where we have to change planes. Continental is one of the few airlines that still serve meals. We did not know this before boarding and have already consumed our sandwiches before the meal cart comes around with hot chicken sandwiches, salad and a tiny chocolate bar for dessert. We will be served a similar meal on our Houston to Baltimore flight, with a ham sandwich replacing the chicken sandwich. Our flight lands early in Houston and we have plenty of time to make our connection. The gate area is crowded and there are several people in wheelchairs waiting to preboard. I am not sure whether it is because of the oxygen or the fact that I have my own wheelchair, but we are moved to the front of the line and board the aircraft first. On this flight, there is no one else in our row, so Josh can sit on the aisle and have the middle seat empty. The movie is Marley and Me so I decide to buy headphones for $1. I raise the shade and look out the window to see very dark, low clouds. A storm is moving in. I say out loud, “Nothing is going to stop me from seeing this opera,” and lower the shade. A few minutes later, our plane backs out from the gate and we are taking off. Apparently, we were one of the last flights to leave Houston that night as the storm moved in and stopped outbound flights for several hours. Amanda’s friends who were flying from Houston to San Jose had their flight cancelled and faced the possibility of spending the night in Houston. We heard via a text message to Josh that they were able to get a flight out at 9 PM. We are lucky to land on time in Baltimore and Gabby picks us up shortly after we retrieve our bags. Josh pushes the luggage cart and I am able to propel myself in the wheelchair to the curbside pickup area. We arrive at Gabby’s apartment and realize we left the handicapped parking placard in my car at home. So Gabby drops us at the door and then parks the car. This will be our MO for the weekend – drop Debra at the door and then find a place to park the car. It is after midnight when we arrive in Gabby’s apartment and I need a bed to crash in. My hearing is muffled from the change in altitude and I am wheezing. We did not bring the nebulizer so I take some Lasix and go to bed. Gabby wakes me once during the night because I am wheezing loudly. I take another Lasix in the morning but I do not feel I am getting the full effect of the medication. Gabby sleeps in on Friday so that she will be well rested for her performance.