You may be wondering what is Flying Disease? Well, that's what I am calling the cold you get from being run down and working 36,000 ft in the sky. In my case it is Strep Throat and blocked sinuses. I arrived in la at 7am after 12.5 hrs of flying, feeling perfectly fine. I went for a short walk and got some breakfast and then went back to my hotel room to sleep for 6hrs. Its now cold in LA so I slept with the heater on. When I woke up, I had a sore throat, but it was nothing major. I thought it was just from sleeping with the heater on.
I went down hill very fast in the next few hours from walking to and from the restaurant. My head started feeling heavy and all my enthusiasm was gone. At about 10pm I rang my Cabin Leader to let her know I had a sore throat and that I would keep her informed of my condition. When she rang me back in the morning, I had hit rock bottom. My ears were blocked, my nose and eyes felt like they were about to explode, I could barely speak and I had a terrible fever. She advised me to go to the doctor. We both decided, as much as all I wanted to do is get home and get better, flying back with blocked ears and not having doctor's clearance was not worth the risk. So at 1130am I head off to the doctors.
The doctors in LA were fantastic! Highly organised, technologically advanced, efficient and very clean. The only thing that worried me was having to sign a "I will not sue" form before being seen?!
I went down hill very fast in the next few hours from walking to and from the restaurant. My head started feeling heavy and all my enthusiasm was gone. At about 10pm I rang my Cabin Leader to let her know I had a sore throat and that I would keep her informed of my condition. When she rang me back in the morning, I had hit rock bottom. My ears were blocked, my nose and eyes felt like they were about to explode, I could barely speak and I had a terrible fever. She advised me to go to the doctor. We both decided, as much as all I wanted to do is get home and get better, flying back with blocked ears and not having doctor's clearance was not worth the risk. So at 1130am I head off to the doctors.
The doctors in LA were fantastic! Highly organised, technologically advanced, efficient and very clean. The only thing that worried me was having to sign a "I will not sue" form before being seen?!
Once the nurse called me she took my blood pressure, weight and temperature. Then she escorted me to the treatment room. The Doctor entered a few moments later with my paperwork in hand and had a look in my ears and throat. He then got another nurse to come in and swab my throat for strep throat. They tested the swab and got back to me in 5 minutes confirming I had strep throat!
The Doctor came back with a prescription and my 'fit to fly but not operate' certificate. He gave me a script for Amoxicillin and Prednisone. He also recommended I take Affrin nasal spray and Sudaphed. Brilliant! Only 48 hrs later and I'm already feeling human again. And on top of that my prescription came in 2 round, orange containers; just like in the movies!
I was very lucky to be able to use one of the crew rest beds for 'sleep' and managed to lay flat and rested for 7 hrs. The whole 'head on fire and about to explode' feeling is really not helping me get any sleep. But I have a feeling tonight will be more successful! After a 14 hr flight home of which an hour was during ascending and descending (and so much pain),I'm finally home and in bed. It's funny how when you are sick all you want is what's familiar. The beds at our hotel in LA are much more comfortable than my own bed, but still, all I wanted was my precious, off centred, springy mattress!
The Doctor came back with a prescription and my 'fit to fly but not operate' certificate. He gave me a script for Amoxicillin and Prednisone. He also recommended I take Affrin nasal spray and Sudaphed. Brilliant! Only 48 hrs later and I'm already feeling human again. And on top of that my prescription came in 2 round, orange containers; just like in the movies!
I was very lucky to be able to use one of the crew rest beds for 'sleep' and managed to lay flat and rested for 7 hrs. The whole 'head on fire and about to explode' feeling is really not helping me get any sleep. But I have a feeling tonight will be more successful! After a 14 hr flight home of which an hour was during ascending and descending (and so much pain),I'm finally home and in bed. It's funny how when you are sick all you want is what's familiar. The beds at our hotel in LA are much more comfortable than my own bed, but still, all I wanted was my precious, off centred, springy mattress!
oh u poor thing.. it would be terrible flying with blocked sinuses.... the tablet picture is soo american... i love it! u can be Dr house with his vicoden. i wish the doctors down here were that organised and equiped, would of cost an arm and a leg to go though i bet. hope ur feeling better!
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sarah
YOU ARE HILARIOUS, I LOVE YOUR BLOG.
ReplyDeleteKEEP SMILING SWEETHEART
WE ARE TROOPERS OF THE SKY.
MY DRs APPOINTMENT LOOMS BUT AT LEAST I WILL HAVE SOME IDEA OF HOW MY BODY IS DIMINISHING, I HAVENT EATEN SINCE WE FLEW EEEEK
TALK AND FLY SOON
<3 SEAN XXX
Oh I love the orange containers, how tragic-celebrity-passed-out-in-the-apartment of you :P
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