Traveling in Your 80's

Dear Althea,

Recently I traveled by air from Michigan to Phoenix, Arizona. It was my first trip since my Parkinson's disease diagnosis. As you know, I have a variety of other ailments that all cropped up since turning 80. I now have, in addition to my metal hips, artificial lenses in my eyes, implants in my mouth. onset of asthma, a pacemaker. To accommodate all these adjustments, I have to plan ahead when I travel.

I decided to check my luggage. There is no way I can get it in the overhead. I arranged for a wheelchair. It is now someone else's problem to get me to the right gate. There are always a long line of wheelchairs in the skyway when I get off the plane, so I'm not alone. And I get to board the plane in the first group, which is so much easier.

Because of my metal parts, I would light up the metal detector if I could use it, which I can't because of the pacemaker, since the magnets in the detector might shut it down. So I go through the other thingy, which always calls for a pat down. I have never gotten through TSA without a pat down. I told the young lady that it would be a lot more interesting if a man did it. She laughed and blushed.

I also told her I was flattered that my country viewed me as a threat to it. Didn't know I had that much power.

With these adjustments to my travel plans, I was able to have an easy trip. I  met a lot of nice people. A young girl (16) on her way home from a week-end workshop with her friends in Chicago was fun to talk to as was the man across the aisle who got my coat out of the overhead. His grandmother is 86. I agreed with her that life is incredibly short and you should enjoy it as you go along.

I talk to people all the time. It is interesting to learn about their lives. I'm not sure they get my humor but so be it. One man was most anxious to move my things so his wife could sit next to him. I have no trouble with that, but I said, "Oh, you too still like each other?" Everyone including his wife laughed. He was not amused. I guess I should learn to keep quiet.

Hetty