Air Travel

• by The real Patch
• 2017-09-06 12:11:39
• General Posting
• 1961 views
• 1 comments

The ins and outs of air travel, whenever the topic comes up, it is inevitably about the risks of going through airport security screening, especially for those of us with medical appliances like pacemakers and defibrillators.

Did I ever tell you guys the story of my trip to Chicago a few years back? The story while dated, is pertinent to today, but if you've heard it raise your hands...Okay, I don't see any hands so I'll forge ahead.

A few years back, I took a trip to participate in the Chicago marathon, you can count sitting along the route cheering the runners on as participation can't you? Ok, truth is I went to watch my daughter run the Marathon.

Before retiring due to my heart condition, I was a frequent flyer and in fact had higher mileage than most stewardesses. So it became mundane and just a method of transport to me, no big deal. Still, it's been some years since I flew due to my health and the need to have a porcelain throne at my disposal. One discussion I frequently hear from other patients with pacemakers and defibrillators is about the safety of security screening. Anyway, during this trip, I discovered there is more to focus on during travel than security screening.

Yes indeed, I had a hiccup at security, I dutifully displayed my ICD card to the TSA screener at my wife's insistence, and was just waved through the security scanner. Now I will admit I prefer to just walk through and be done, and knew from research that there is no problem with the devices just going through normal screening, but at any rate, I set off the detector and was subjected to a thorough pat down. Now I am like most men and enjoy a good grope and frisk, but sadly they insisted a big hairy gorilla perform the frisk and I must admit to suspicion he enjoyed it just a little too much.

During the entire groping, which my wife said consumed at least 10 minutes, the gorilla lectured me in no uncertain terms about proper procedures for ICD patients, ie show your medical card and ask for a pat down. Rather than argue the point, I just noded. Long and short, I got testy with George of the Jungle after a bit as he had made his point early on and yet continued to berate me even though I had followed the proper protocol. All in all, no harm no foul, and shortly we were on board for the flight.

As I alluded earlier, I'm a seasoned traveler, with millions of air miles under my belt so I don't get anxious about travel. I was looking forward to getting away and relaxing with my lovely bride and daughter. Shortly after take-off as we reached altitude, I began experiencing extreme chest pain and sweat began pouring off like a soiled dove seated in the front pew on Sunday.

Now we all know the middle seat in any plane is made for the very small in stature and was never really intended for human beings. I’m a fairly big guy at 6ft 200 pounds and sure enough, I was stuffed into the middle seat. My wife has phobias about air travel and must have the window seat to help take her mind off the fact we are trapped inside a small tin death trap that can’t possibly fly.

Did I mention the flight was overbooked? So My wife is on my left side, and a stranger, a rather unfriendly gentleman, is on my right in the aisle seat.

As my Angina hit with a vengeance, I desperately began fumbling for my nitroglycerin pills. Of course they were stuffed into my right hand pocket. I tried as quietly as possible to squeeze my hand in between myself and my co traveler to snatch the life saving pills for relief before I went into shock mode. When I finally forced my hand into my pocket, I could not feel that tiny glass vial that holds those tiny life saving Nitroglycerin tablets. They had to be there, I triple checked before we departed home, so I kept digging. As I was about to give up on my futile search, the less than friendly guy in the aisle leaned over close to me, smiled and gave me a wink. I suddenly realized my hand was searching the wrong pocket for the life saving elixir.

The chest pain ebbed and flowed and seemed to me to correlate to some degree with altitude and cabin pressure. Additionally, I started experiencing SOB and arrhythmias, not sure at this point which type, but it was definitely flutter of one sort or the other. All in all it made for an uncomfortable flight and I was beginning to suspect I might not make my destination.

When we arrived and landed, the angina subsided within a short time, but over the next week I had arrhythmias on and off and was generally uncomfortable. Decided not to let it bother me and enjoyed my trip, although standing under the Marilyn Monroe statue in downtown Chicago looking up could have exacerbated my irregular heart beats.

On the trip back, having been duly chastised about going through security, I did the wise thing and walked right past the TSA agent and paraded straight through the metal detectors ... again. The lady wearing rubber gloves on the other side of the security chamber was rather comely wench. Unfortunately this time no free grope, total disappointment.

The return flight was much the same as going except the seat next to me was vacant. Once again I enjoyed severe unstable angina, SOB, heart palpitations and flutter. This time I was prepared and had the nitro in my wife's purse at her feet where I couldn't reach it. I swear I was certain my number was up and I wouldn’t be able to collect the full frequent flyer miles this go round. Much to my surprise, I made it home.

After successfully getting safely home and recovering, I did my homework and researched all the information available on the topic of air travel with heart disease. As the educational section of this long tale I submit some findings; In general, air travel does not pose great risks to most patients with heart disease. Cardiac "incidents" occur only in 1 to 2 patients per million during air travel. I always knew I was 1 in a million…

However, some heart patients need to avoid flying, at least temporarily, because of the increased risk posed by being confined to a high-altitude (and therefore low-oxygen) compartment. (Airplane cabins are pressurized to the equivalent of approximately 8,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level.) Do not fly if:

* you have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction) within the past two weeks

* you have had coronary artery stent placement within the past two weeks

* you have had coronary artery bypass surgery within the past three weeks (longer if they have had pulmonary complications)

* you have unstable angina, poorly controlled heart failure, or uncontrolled arrhythmias

Obviously that last item pertains to me. At altitude oxygen in the blood is reduced by 4% which is exacerbated in patients with unstable heart failure who’re already challenged in that arena.

I broached this subject with my Cardiologist who was unable to tell me what degree of risk I am at flying and what the consequences might be. He did offer to buy flight insurance on me if I choose to fly again.

Fast forward a few years to today. After much hand wringing and debate, I have decided to risk it and fly to see my daughter’s new digs in a couple weeks. So to the point of this rather lengthy dissertation…

If I should die during the flight, can the airline charge my wife for excess baggage ...those fees are pretty hefty