Jeff
10-05-2001, 09:15 PM
Geeez, where do I begin? The LA->Manila flight is fifteen hours due to headwinds and a one-hour stopover in Hawaii. I've done this flight twice, now. The return has tailwinds plus no stopover and is only twelve hours. I've done this flight one time. I think someone in a chair could request to get off the plane on the stopover, if they wanted to. I managed to not need to.
The biggest concern for me was my bowels because I don't do a program. I have sufficient function to not need to. However, I then cannot guarantee that I won't have an emergency mid-flight. I stopped taking my fiber supplement and eating fruits/veggies two days before my flight. I also had a bowel movement that morning. To further incur a nice case of constipation I took a few loperamide that morning, too. It worked.
I always wear sweatpants when I travel to make it easier to use the bathroom and do related activities. I wear an external catheter so cathing was not an issue on the flights. And I strapped a legbag on each leg so I could switch during the flight if one filled up. I also dehydrated myself slightly [and relaxed] before leaving with a couple drinks just in case. Then I drank very sparingly until near the end of the flight. As it turned out I only filled one leg bag on my first flight, even though I began drinking water after getting within the two-hour ETA mark. On my other flights I drank more liberally, had less annoying thirst, and still didn't fill my second legbag.
The biggest problem ended up being the Philippine Airlines bad habit of trying to send personal wheelchairs through to baggage claim. It happened to me once. I had to be pushed about two miles sitting on an aisle chair in order to go get my wheelchair. I almost got a pressure sore from that one experience. Of course, I began insisting that it be brought to the plane each time. In fact, I'd tell everyone I could find. Still, there was one time I had to refuse to get off the plane until they brought my personal wheelchair.
The flight from Orlando to LA was five hours, LA to Manila fifteen, Manila to Cebu one, and layovers and customs were another ten hours. It was exhausting but I think it is for everyone, AB included. There was a day something like this would have been completely impossible for me. With God's help I've gotten to the point where it just takes a little extra planning.
I was accompanied by my brother and his wife on one flight and by myself on the other two. I am a C6/7, nearly complete, post twenty-one years.
The biggest concern for me was my bowels because I don't do a program. I have sufficient function to not need to. However, I then cannot guarantee that I won't have an emergency mid-flight. I stopped taking my fiber supplement and eating fruits/veggies two days before my flight. I also had a bowel movement that morning. To further incur a nice case of constipation I took a few loperamide that morning, too. It worked.
I always wear sweatpants when I travel to make it easier to use the bathroom and do related activities. I wear an external catheter so cathing was not an issue on the flights. And I strapped a legbag on each leg so I could switch during the flight if one filled up. I also dehydrated myself slightly [and relaxed] before leaving with a couple drinks just in case. Then I drank very sparingly until near the end of the flight. As it turned out I only filled one leg bag on my first flight, even though I began drinking water after getting within the two-hour ETA mark. On my other flights I drank more liberally, had less annoying thirst, and still didn't fill my second legbag.
The biggest problem ended up being the Philippine Airlines bad habit of trying to send personal wheelchairs through to baggage claim. It happened to me once. I had to be pushed about two miles sitting on an aisle chair in order to go get my wheelchair. I almost got a pressure sore from that one experience. Of course, I began insisting that it be brought to the plane each time. In fact, I'd tell everyone I could find. Still, there was one time I had to refuse to get off the plane until they brought my personal wheelchair.
The flight from Orlando to LA was five hours, LA to Manila fifteen, Manila to Cebu one, and layovers and customs were another ten hours. It was exhausting but I think it is for everyone, AB included. There was a day something like this would have been completely impossible for me. With God's help I've gotten to the point where it just takes a little extra planning.
I was accompanied by my brother and his wife on one flight and by myself on the other two. I am a C6/7, nearly complete, post twenty-one years.