hey ali
i just flew across the us with a few challenges along the way. first, i stayed at an airport hotel so i would be close ofr my early morning flihgt. i cant set the alarm with my messed up hands so i called the front desk 3 times to ask for a wake up call they forgot. i woke up 30 min before my flight was scheduled to leave rushed to the airport told to go through security and try to make the plane. since i was so late no wheel chair was available so i had to walk. security took an 1hour and 30min. when i finally got to the front the tsa guy said oh you should have just gone through the first class line because that is where they will have to deal with you. so i go over there the do the who i am going to touch you here and here and hhere and here thing. have way through i said i used to be a cop i understand just do your search and get on with it. needless to say i missed my flight in a big way. they scheduled me on the next flight with a connection at the end of a terminal where like 5 ramps are all really close together. annoyed i put on my mp3 player and read one of those rediculous only in the airport to keep you entertained people magizines. while i was listening to music and reading they moved my gate number a few over. not to many people moved around so i didnt really notice. when it was time for my flight i went to the little desk and asked if it was running llate she said...no huh that one left 10 min early from that gate over there. by this point i am fully annoyed and reay to pick up mu stuff and go home unfortunately my bag was already on its way. so i called my brother who thank god lives in town and asked him to come to the airport to help me out (he is 6'4 weighs 220 iam 5'3 wheigh 100) because i couldnt walk anymore. anyway he went to the ticket agencies all of them that had flights to where i needed to go and came to the conclusion that paying 4-8 hundred dollars extra to get in that night made no sense when the original airline would wave my missed flight fee because of the security problems and get me out mid morning arriving early evening. (he may be my younger brother but some times he is my hero. i spent the night at his house watching he and his friends play vollyball at the park and they were all very sweet and talked to me for hours. he and his dinner cooked a devine dinner and i arrived at the airport the following morning right on time. the second time around the security person understood that i had participated in this silliness before and judt did what she needed to do.
the best part for both flights the guy at the desk the previous day had set it up so i was in the isle seat in the bulkhead row (so i had more leg room). it was wonderful.
the trip was a challange and more than one i thought about just giving up and going home but seeing the smiles on my family members faces was worth every moment of challenge.
flying is always a painful process but if you work with the airline for a wheelchair, bulkhead row isle seats...it really isnt that bad
just make sure you take a few extra pain meds in case the journey ends up taking longer than expected,
i have been away from home for 4 days and honestly in that short time i have managed to have more fun that i have in the years of being trapped up at home