Take Deep Breaths

I know that flying on an airplane terrifies many people. I was once on a flight from DFW to RDU with my then four year old daughter and we happened to be sitting across the aisle from a young woman; she had her nausea bag clutched tightly in her hands almost the entire flight. I was relieved  when we landed without incident and her color turned from a greenish hue to a more natural skin tone. Hannah later asked why the lady held that bag and I explained that she must have been nervous. She could not understand why anyone would be nervous flying; she thought of it as a WONDERFUL adventure. Hannah  loved everything about the plane...including the lavatory. I eventually had to limit our visits to the restroom once  I realized that she thought of it as her personal playhouse.

Hannah at age four.

I haven't flown as much in the ten years since having Cody. The main reason is that air travel isn't the most accessible and when we travel, we bring along  Cody's extra equipment. I shudder to think of his equipment  being "checked" and definitely not able to fit in the overhead compartments.

Typically, I'm one of a handful of passengers that actually makes eye contact with the flight attendants as they recite the safety procedures. I'm curious if anything has changed since the previous time I had flown (it rarely does).  I  find it odd that the majority of  passengers act as if the flight attendants  are invisible during this time. This is also the time that I size up the folks that have been  chosen to sit  near the emergency exits. ;)

Recently I was reminded of the part of the flight attendants' speech pertaining to the oxygen masks, “In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will automatically descend from the ceiling. Grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have children travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs.” To most parents, this would be against our instinctive role as a parent or caregiver. I thought of this as a perfect analogy for us as mothers (and fathers) of children with disabilities.



Cheesy/Effective oxygen mask illustration.


Having a child with disabilities and/or chronic medical condition can feel as if you are  on a roller coaster and constantly anticipating that next drop. The "drop" can take its form in a rush to the emergency room, a seizure, a negative reaction to a new medication, additional orthopedic complications, etc... Please understand that this roller coaster ride is also wonderful, exciting, and worth the drops. :)



I googled "roller coaster drop"....this was an option --- PERFECT! :)


I have made some friends that were first informed of their child's potential diagnosis during pregnancy. They heard words such as: down syndrome, deformity, abnormal, etc... These words echoed in their hearts and minds for months, weeks, days before delivery. Their "roller coaster" experience began before they even held their newborn in their arms.

In recent years/months, as Cody has grown (particularly in size).... I've come to recognize the importance as a caregiver of putting on that oxygen mask first. We can't give to others if we aren't taking those 'deep breaths' ourselves.  Those deep breaths can take different life-giving forms depending on  each unique individual. It can be in hobbies, exercise, reading (a personal fav), friendships, support from other parents w/children with disabilities, and so on...... The key is to MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF!

Cody's latest pic - today 9/16/11