msm
09-01-2009, 05:16 AM
Hi everyone!
Thanks to those who tracked my flights last week - it was much appreciated!! I can't believe exactly one week ago I was on the plane...
Anyway - the first flight was pretty good. I hadn't slept the entire night so I was very sleepy - we took off at about 7am. I was a little nervous at take-off, but once we were up there it was all smooth so I was able to sort of forget and just go to sleep.
The second flight was the toughie. It was 13.5 hours long. So VERY long! There were 4 different sections of turbulence. For the first two, I was able to talk myself through them. The jello metaphor helped a lot. I also used the breathing techniques from the anxiety website, and kept telling myself that this is uncomfortable but not unsafe. It all felt pretty good, and I was thinking, okay, I can do this, bring it on!! Also, in those first 10 hours of the flight, there were a lot of smooth sections too, and I kept reminding myself that this fear is new, and I didn't use to feel like this before and I have flown so much. So at points I actually forgot that I was scared - as in I stopped obsessing for a bit. That was good :-)
Anyway, when there were about 3.5 hours left in the flight, there was another bout of turbulence. This time it was a little more shaky - the plane was creaking as we were moving side to side. I continued the self-talk but I think I was tired, and it was hard to keep it up. So this was a little bit harder. I just wanted it to be over by then!! But I got through it, and through the last little bit too, which was mild. But as I said, I think I was sick of it all by then so even mild didn't feel too good. But I got through it, like I said. So 10 good hours out of 13.5 isn't toooo bad :-) Needless to say, I was thrilled to arrive in Toronto, and now I don't have to think about it until my next flight to Karachi on December 18th... a 14 hour nonstop.
One odd-ish thing. I didn't end up asking to meet the captain etc., but I did walk over to the back at one point to use the bathroom and started chatting with a flight attendant. I told her I was a nervous flyer- and she said I don't blame you given all the recent incidents. She went on to say that she gets nervous on each flight too, particularly as she is the person in charge in economy class, and feels nervous that if there were an incident she would be responsible for 300+ people. Anyway, it wasn't the most appropriate response for her to give someone who had identified themselves as a nervous flyer, but thankfully somehow it didn't really affect me.
Anyway - thanks again everyone!
Maheen
Thanks to those who tracked my flights last week - it was much appreciated!! I can't believe exactly one week ago I was on the plane...
Anyway - the first flight was pretty good. I hadn't slept the entire night so I was very sleepy - we took off at about 7am. I was a little nervous at take-off, but once we were up there it was all smooth so I was able to sort of forget and just go to sleep.
The second flight was the toughie. It was 13.5 hours long. So VERY long! There were 4 different sections of turbulence. For the first two, I was able to talk myself through them. The jello metaphor helped a lot. I also used the breathing techniques from the anxiety website, and kept telling myself that this is uncomfortable but not unsafe. It all felt pretty good, and I was thinking, okay, I can do this, bring it on!! Also, in those first 10 hours of the flight, there were a lot of smooth sections too, and I kept reminding myself that this fear is new, and I didn't use to feel like this before and I have flown so much. So at points I actually forgot that I was scared - as in I stopped obsessing for a bit. That was good :-)
Anyway, when there were about 3.5 hours left in the flight, there was another bout of turbulence. This time it was a little more shaky - the plane was creaking as we were moving side to side. I continued the self-talk but I think I was tired, and it was hard to keep it up. So this was a little bit harder. I just wanted it to be over by then!! But I got through it, and through the last little bit too, which was mild. But as I said, I think I was sick of it all by then so even mild didn't feel too good. But I got through it, like I said. So 10 good hours out of 13.5 isn't toooo bad :-) Needless to say, I was thrilled to arrive in Toronto, and now I don't have to think about it until my next flight to Karachi on December 18th... a 14 hour nonstop.
One odd-ish thing. I didn't end up asking to meet the captain etc., but I did walk over to the back at one point to use the bathroom and started chatting with a flight attendant. I told her I was a nervous flyer- and she said I don't blame you given all the recent incidents. She went on to say that she gets nervous on each flight too, particularly as she is the person in charge in economy class, and feels nervous that if there were an incident she would be responsible for 300+ people. Anyway, it wasn't the most appropriate response for her to give someone who had identified themselves as a nervous flyer, but thankfully somehow it didn't really affect me.
Anyway - thanks again everyone!
Maheen