So glad I am not there.

Hi again.

The wife is away for 10 days in Tenerife. I would have loved to have gone but just could not face the airport dash.

It meant a 2.30 am start for the 4am ferry and the 8 am flight. Then that awful one mile dash for the luggage like if you don't join the race someone will pinch it.

For the last few years I arrived totally exhausted and feeling dreadful for days. I always called it my "Flying Flu"

I would never see the inside of the hotel dining room for days.

I long ago stopped dragging my belongings to the very inconveniently placed coach waiting to crawl its way around half a dozen towns and thirty hotels, mine being the last on the drivers list

.

I opted for the first Taxi I could find whatever the cost.

But my Flying Flu always hit me wether long or short hall both going and returning.

Oh the luxury of waving goodbye and returning to bed is truly liberating instead of dreading the time when I had to gather my strength and pack my bag.

The crunch came last year when after the ungodly early start we flew to Malaga with our son, daughter in law, her parents and two grand kids.

We got off the plane and the dash for the luggage started but I didn't, down I went.

Not even my wife or the family noticed, they were all ahead of me, and non of the other passengers stopped either.

I came round very quickly managed to get myself on a row of seats.

Eventually my son came back to look for me. He was so nice to me.

suffered for three days each way.

But the thing is I no longer have to go and it makes me so happy.

I can have KFC and other junk food.

I also have full control of TV remote. (Don't ever buy two)

The new Bond film is great. LOL

[Hidden]

Good man Alan - enjoy

Chris

[Hidden]

I sympathise with all your comments regarding long term travelling, Alan.. When I was young I loved flying over the years but as I approached my 60s onwards, it became an ordeal. My daughter lived in Dubai for 15 years. It was an ordeal towards the

end.

[Dorlock]

Treasuring what we have instead of making ourselves ill for something that can not be enjoyed with "flying flu" there is no fun in a holiday that fills us with dread and is only surviving until the desperate crawl home.

A break for the family that have supporting a lung disease as an everyday job that makes changes of condition difficult to spot.

[johnwr]

For the last few times I had trips to Spain, I asked for, and got wheelchair assistance at the airports. From check-in to the plane, ride a wheelchair pushed by someone provided by the airport, who knows where you need to be, and gets you there. Easy routes through security, lifts where others have to use stairs. Delivered to the aircraft door. So much easier. Getting off. Picked up at the aircraft door, speedy route through passport check, help with luggage at the carousel, and taken right to the taxi rank or bus stop. Enormous saving for breath and legs. Remember, you need to make arrangements several days beforehand

Recommend everyone on this site checks it out. Also, if you have a small scooter, I believe the airlines will carry them for free around Europe, and bags containing medical equipment and medicines tend to get ignored by the better quality airlines. Virgin gave me fantastic support on a trip to the USA last year, carrying my scooter and portable O2 concentrator, providing oxygen, ignoring my bag with nebuliser and meds, all for free.

Breathe easy, people, and travel safe.

Johnwr

[Hidden in reply to johnwr]

Wow sounds the perfect way John.

[serenityfrank in reply to johnwr]

Hi John. I was really interested in your comments re Virgin and the states. I'm on 4 litres a minute for virtually 24/7 and I have been very reluctant to travel intercontinental. Would you mind letting me know who made the arrangements, travel insurance etc - I should be very grateful. Frank

[Jemma in reply to serenityfrank]

serenityfrank

Hope johnwr replies to you as he has more knowledge.

Until a couple of years ago I flew annually to the Caribbean and a stop over at Miami with Virgin so things may have changed a bit. Basically you need to ask their Special Assistance Department (the number is on their website) who will arrange most things for you but I'm not sure about travel insurance as I already had that in place .

I got (free of charge) all porterage, luggage, wheelchair and an electric buggy with others. I also got free pulsed 02 on the flight but I think you may need a higher setting in the air. To get this you filled in a Form Med 1 available on line to download or Virgin will post it and fill in your requirements and then get your GP/consultant to fill in the other details. Virgin only allow so many 02 users on any one flight so you need to check that first.

At both the arrival and departure airport Virgin attendants were on hand to collect me and my luggage and take me to a pre-arranged (by me) taxi although I did ask the airline staff to radio ahead to check everything was in place for me.

Note that the Virgin 02 was only on the plane itself although you may have a POC? If not then you will have to arrange 02 to the aircraft and again on landing.

Hope this helps a little.

Jemma

[serenityfrank in reply to Jemma]

Thanks Jemma. I was really encouraged by what you had to say. I now know who to cantact and to expect a positive reply instead of the brush off we so often receive.

Frank

[Jemma in reply to serenityfrank]

johnwr

1 hour ago

Report

I'm thinking about putting a full article on this subject together in the next few days. Watch out for it. If you think I'm taking too long, give me a reminder.

[Jemma in reply to johnwr]

John

Just wondering if you have seen Franks post copied below. I've answered best I can but I feel you have more recent knowledge.

It's under the thread "So glad I am not there" and just a couple of posts below yours.

Jemma

serenityfrank

5 days ago

Report

Hi John. I was really interested in your comments re Virgin and the states. I'm on 4 litres a minute for virtually 24/7 and I have been very reluctant to travel intercontinental. Would you mind letting me know who made the arrangements, travel insurance etc - I should be very grateful. Frank

[Jemma in reply to johnwr]

Hi John

Just wondering if you have seen Franks post copied below. I've answered best I can but I feel you have more recent knowledge.

It's under the thread "So glad I am not there" and just a couple of posts below yours.

Jemma

serenityfrank

5 days ago

Report

Hi John. I was really interested in your comments re Virgin and the states. I'm on 4 litres a minute for virtually 24/7 and I have been very reluctant to travel intercontinental. Would you mind letting me know who made the arrangements, travel insurance etc - I should be very grateful. Frank

[johnwr in reply to Jemma]

I'm thinking about putting a full article on this subject together in the next few days. Watch out for it. If you think I'm taking too long, give me a reminder.

[Jemma in reply to johnwr]

That would be great John - many thanks for your great efforts.

[elian]

Way to go alan make it a Bargain Bucket !! lol

[Lynne1955]

It's your own holiday and yes, Skyfall is great!

Lynne xx

[KingoftheCocktails]

Feel free to enjoy yourself and pretend ''You are going on a summer holiday''

[hamletvv]

When's the all-night party?

[pollyjj]

Enjoy your holiday at home but make sure you look after yourself as well.

polly xx

[Stu1939]

I should think your wife is grateful to get away ,you sound like a right miserable so and so,

You should be grateful that you can walk all the way through an airport let alone dash.

[Hidden in reply to Stu1939]

Gee thanks for your kind thoughts Stu.

[Stu1939]

As someone that can only manage 4-5 meters without extreme difficulty I would give my right arm to go on holiday

[Hidden in reply to Stu1939]

So sorry to hear that Stu. I am sure I will feel exactly the same when things get so bad for me.

The point of my blog was that I just don't enjoy holidays anymore.

Like so many of us on here some activities become impossible and it takes our families a long time to see it.

After years of wondering around the world together, It took my wife so long to come to terms with the fact that we would never do together all the things other retired couples still do.

As you know it's so hard to admit your limitations to yourself let alone watch it happen to your life partner.

So now I research the places she wants to see. She has good friends who love to travel with her.

I can still do the cooking, shopping (with difficulty) and see to the accounts, we have a lovely lady who 'does' for us, so I count my many blessings.

So you see I am quite happy and so pleased that she can get away from my problems occasionally. It does us both good.

[caroleoctober]

You are so lucky to be able to send your good wife here there and everywhere, and have a lady who does, my husband has to do for me and we holiday in our little 14ft caravan. Britain has some lovely places. Even though I am on oxygen and at stage 4 I am happy to live the life I can afford and hope it continues for years yet. I hope you stay as well as you are now for a long time!

[Hidden in reply to caroleoctober]

Caravan holidays sound lovely Carol and far better than those awful airports.

[Stu1939]

I'm a bit cheesed off at the moment Ive been trying to get away but being on my own trying to get a travel agent to guarantee assistance at airport I'm beginning to think its impossible.

I hav'nt got the back up you've got if you want it ,I guess I'm a bit jealous.