How I Spent My 7th WLS Anniversary!

Feb 15, 2010

Saturday, Feb. 13th, was the 7th anniversary of my RNY and the events of the day reinforced my method of staying happily fit in my size 8 jeans...

Technically, Saturday was simply listed in my agenda as a "TRAVEL DAY."

After spending 11 days in NYC helping my Mom get out of the hospital and settled back into her apartment with enough aftercare support programs in place, I was finally returning to Atlanta & my supportive "spice," Jim.
The schedule was daunting: fly USAirways from LaGuardia into Ronald Reagan Airport (aka, "National" for those of us of a certain age) and, in 50 min. switch to a Delta flight to Atlanta. USAir lands in terminal C; Delta flies out of terminal B.
I checked my suitcase and my carryon "wheely," had alllll my small electronics and probably tilted the scales at 30-35 lbs.

USAir landed precisely on time (it IS a NYC-DC hourly shuttle), and, as I sprinted up the breezeway I asked their gate attendant how to get to Delta:
"Shuttle bus between gates 36-38!" she shouted as I blew past. I'm race-walking down the concourse and see the gate numbers but no signage for a shuttle bus so I swerve left up to the desk where some airline attendant was standing around with no one to take care of. "Shuttle Bus to Delta?" I announced well ahead of reaching her. "
FOLLOW ME! "  she ordered; and, I did. she took me around her station to a hidden line of 2 other passengers facing the wall of windows and an emergency exit door. Less than a minute later the door opened and we were gestured to exit. Suddenly, I'm in freezing temps on a metal emergency staircase covered with sand to obscure the icy patches, lugging my wheely down to the tarmac and into a waiting shuttle bus. Less than two min. later we got to repeat the process in reverse: carrying the wheely UP another metal staircase into another concourse. I'm race-walking through this new concourse looking for DELTA and not seeing any Delta flights listed on the monitors I glance at. Turns out that's because I'm STILL in terminal C, just another part. But I can race-walk to Delta's B terminal location and I do.

However, my flight # & destination is not listed on their departures monitor!
I run up to a Delta official with my boarding pass in hand. "I think your flight's been canceled and you need to get on that line," she says, pointing to a line of about 35 unhappy travelers. "I think before I go stand on that line you should confirm whether or not my flight has been canceled," I respond. She does. I do.

I call Jim from the line to tell him about the Delta cancellation and asking him to go online to see what my options are to fly into "nearby" airports like Macon, Columbia, SC or Greenville/Spartanburg. I am NOT going to sleep in the airport. The skies are crystal-clear both in DC & Atlanta. Delta's saying the reason it's canceled ALL FLIGHTS to that entire region of the country is due to "the weather." "WHAT! ARE THEY CRAZY! WHO ARE THEY TRYING TO KID!" Jim yells into my now-deaf right ear. By the time I reach the counter, I can tell the hapless attendant that I'm canceling my Delta ticket to grab AIR TRAN which, amazingly enough, is apparently willing to throw caution to the winds and fly to and from Atlanta this same afternoon & evening!

All I have to do is race from terminal "B" to terminal "A." Fortunately for public safety, NO ONE was going to or from that location and AirTran was the first ticket counter I came to. "I need a seat on your next non-stop to Atlanta," I say with something between urgency and hysteria. "Do you have any luggage to check?" "No, just this carry-on." "Well, I can get you on the 4 o'clock. It's been delayed. But you have to hurry!" "SOLD!" I said, dropping down my credit card & driver's license!

I ran down the corridor to SECURITY - one line, only a mother carrying a baby and trying to manage a 3-yr. old with stroller, etc. I kick off my rain boots, pulling my left hamstring muscle in the process. BANH! The screener sees something suspicious in my shoulder bag. "Do I have permission to look in your bag?" "ABSOLUTELY!"  She peers into the black hole that is my shoulder bag and triumphantly seizes a half-empty water bottle.* "No liquids in excess of __!" she reminds me as she ceremoniously carries the criminal evidence to a large garbage can and drops it like a bomb. Satisfied, they let me re-assemble myself and run on. I get to the AirTran gate and rush past a line of expectant ticketholders to show the gatekeeper my "ZONE 1" boarding pass. She points to my place in line and seconds later we're heading down the breezeway.
*And the label on the bottle promised me it was, "SMART WATER!"

Thanks to AIR TRAN, I had 2 hours to regain my energy.
 
For what? So that I could stand on line at Delta's Atlanta airport BAGGAGE CLAIM office and then another 15 min. standing at the counter as their personnel figured out how best to code my claim. By now, the back of my 2 sweaters are soaked in sweat cause it's easier to wear the raincoat with the heavy zip-in lining than carry it.

Back out into the freezing air for the shuttlebus to off-airport parking and the sweat is turning to ice as I race-walk to the outdoor covered bus stops. I rang my doorbell at 9:15PM. I'd left my Mom's upper Westside apartment at 11:30AM. In that time I'd had: 2 apples, one protein bar, 2 in-flight packages of biscuits and coffee & water.

And I thought to myself, as I collapsed into a chair: "Could I have done this on Feb. 12, 2003?"  
Nope! And that's why it's so easy for me to choose this healthy way of living in my body year after year after year - 7, to be exact! And counting!

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About Me
Roswell, GA
Location
RNY
Surgery
02/13/2003
Surgery Date
Dec 28, 2002
Member Since

Before & After
rollover to see after photo
[L] 2/10/03 Pre-Op with surgery buddy, [R] 2/13/04 Checking in, withhubby!
280 LBS.lbs
Labor Day 2004 in WHITE size 10 slacks!!

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