Faints on a Plane

Last week I flew to Los Angeles to nerd out with my fellow SAT full-time coworkers for three solid days.  Before I could embark on break-out sessions, power points, karaoke boat cruises, fancy hotel rooms, and State of the Company addresses, I had to get there.

Here's what I was thinking.  (Pretext, SAT people do often lack common sense)

Hmmm, I have a window seat.  I pee seemingly once an hour, but more realistically at least every two hours.  I probably shouldn't drink water before this flight.  That would solve my problem.  Even though my doctor says to drink as much water as I can.  Even though I've had trouble with flying while dehydrated before.  Yep.  I am so smart.  Look at me, look at me!

Ok, my inner monologue isn't quite like that, but it was disturbingly similar...

So I board my window seat.  No one sits in the middle seat (yes!).  A mother of two teenage boys sits in the aisle seat.  Away we go, as I drift off to sleep while taxiing.  Perfect timing.

Some time later I wake up warm.  Very warm. Hot. Stripping my jacket, my fuzzy monster socks, my neck pillow, I turn the tiny air vent towards my face.  I sip a bit of water and tell the nice lady next to me I don't feel so well.  The drink cart is blocking us but I tell her I can't wait.

As they maneuver an exit I lift myself up to standing only to feel myself sitting right back down.  Yep.  Right back down where the middle seat person's legs would have been.  Smushed into that crevice between row 13 and 12 I sat and closed my eyes.

Thank heavens I didn't fall like last time.  Last time I was trying to open the bathroom door and then I was on my back with lots of faces staring at me from far above.  Last time was really scary and there was nothing in my belly.

This time the flight attendant took my hand.  She asked me questions and tried to keep my eyes open.  I successfully figured out I was on a plane and thought to tell her "I'm pregnant."  She got me Ginger Ale and got me a bag of ice and stayed with me until the color returned to my face.

A minute or two later I started to feel alive again.  The tingling stopped, my eyelids stayed open, I became incredibly self conscious and pushed myself back up into an actual seat.  I downed my cup of ginger ale, and then another can, and a bunch of water.  I devoured my bag of trail mix.  I graciously said thank you to the congratulations now being shared by previous onlookers.  I rolled my eyes at my inner dialogue from earlier in the day.  Who doesn't drink water before a 4.5 hour flight?

Consider my lesson learned.  And another bullet point added to my "things to ask my doctor about" list in my journal.

This whole pregnancy thing sure does keep me on my toes!