Health Concerns

For some reason, I immediately believe my life is at risk when something minor happens. Normally I can shake it off, but if it lingers, I'm screwed. When I started flying, my left leg would fall asleep. This was due to how I was sitting and how my legs were configured, but since it was my LEFT side, and that it was happening in the air, I immediately thought blood clot/DVT. Of course it was neither of those.

The week before Thanksgiving went without a hitch, until my flight. I was on the plane in my favorite non-first class seat and ready to go home. About 20 minutes into the flight, I started breathing heavy. It was the onset of a panic attack. I started concentrating on my breathing. If you have ever done this, then you know it sucks. It is better to breathe subconsciously than to think about it, because all you end up doing is breathing deeply, getting dizzy and feeling worse. When I breathe deep, I want to feel it in my lungs so much that it hurts. I just felt as if I could not get enough oxygen.

All I wanted was my inhaler, which was back in my car at the airport. I needed to get my mind off the issue, so I tried to sleep. No luck. My only other option was to try to make the time go by as fast as possible. I took out my headphones, I took out my computer, and I started playing solitaire and Free Cell. It helped time move, but I still felt off while playing. I had a 1/2 of a lorazepam, so I popped that, and it didn't work either. The moment we got to "landing in 30 minutes" I felt fine. I'm not sure what it was, but right then and there, I could breathe normally. While driving home, I took a couple deep puffs of my inhaler just in case. The moment I got home, the inhaler got thrown into my briefcase, which never leaves my side.

The question I ask myself is "could I have made my situation any better even though I didn't have my inhaler? Should I have asked the flight attendant if she could ask around to see if another passenger had an inhaler? Should I have made a fuss?"

I'd like to think that even though my life sucked for the next 90 minutes, I tried to keep calm as best as I could while running through my options. I knew in the back of my mind that I wasn't dying. I also knew that it would pass and that if I could keep my mind off it, I would return to normal.

I think the point of this is to make sure you are prepared for whatever gets thrown your way. I've been flying almost every week for the past 4-5 months now, and I would think that a panic attack would never have happened to me. Apparently I was wrong. I know better now.

My suggestion is to keep a small pharmacy in your bag to get you through any rough patches you may encounter:

• Advil/Tylenol
• Aspirin (people with heart issues)
• Tums or some form of antacid
• Inhaler (even if you have a mild case of Asthma, like me)
• Dramamine (even the strongest stomachs get queasy)
• Chapstick

Notice how all these items are non-liquid. It means you get in and out of security without having to take them out of your bag, which is key.

Safe flying.