WAY OFF TOPIC BUT AWESOME TIME

I actually steered a small cessna plane today and it was sooooooo fun! A friend and I went in a cessna at a local airport for flight seeing and the pilot instructor let me steer and do some altitude adjustments by pulling the steering wheel in and out. What an awesome time. We were also flying right into the sunset. WHEW! Man what a great time. Rosemary

Well it was only a cessna and we only flew at 10,000 feet. I actually did this a few years ago and I loved it so much I did it again yesterday. BUT we didn't fly at the 30,000 feet that commercial airlines fly at with the pressure and all that stuff. BUT, it is nice to dream Rosemary

did you try flying in a regular plane and something happened? I know you posted one time that you couldn't fly.

Glad you enjoyed it. flying is the only thing besides running that makes me sane. it is my first love. where in MA did you fly? when i was healthy i flew in western ma a lot at a local airport.

are you taking lessons?

Ryan (pilot guy),

Hey just dawned on me how your code name came to be I hope you can get back to your flying passion. I share the same passion. Flying, travel, and ballroom dancing. I live in Greenfield in western MA and took the Cessna 10,000 foot altitude sight seeing flight out of Northampton Airport. We flew over the Quabbin Reservoir.

There is also a small airport in Turners Falls, MA which is just over the mountain from Greenfield. Poet Seat tower sits on the mountain between the two towns.

Orange airport is more central to the state than either of these other two airports, but that is one is also near by.

I just read your bio. WOW are you young! How long had you been flying? Which of these places did you fly out of? Where do you live?

Your bio sounds as bad as mine. In 2006 I went in for basically a GYN surgery, (there was what turned out to be misread of a scan upon which surgery was based); permanently lost the use of my colon and rectum and for 13 months the use of my small bowel. Though not confident with food, so far so good since the much needed 2007 lysis of adhesions and permanent ileo.

I am thinking of taking the flying lessons at Northampton Airport.

So what you are saying is that if I flew at 10,000 feet without any gut issues, then I could fly commercially because the commercial airlines, (though they go much higher like to 33,000 feet) that the cabin pressure is maintained like we would be at 8,000 feet. So by doing what I did yesterday, I actually exceeded the lack of air pressure by 2,000 feet and was fine?

Hmmmmm, maybe I would be perfectly fine flying commercial. WOW! Would that bring me back to "life."

I have always had a passion for the air. After my undergrad degree in teaching there were no teaching jobs and I applied to be a flight attendant. AT THAT TIME, they were VERY picky. I had all the qualifications except my eyesight without my glasses was not good enough. They said their reasoning was that if there were a crash and I had to help passengers and my glasses got broken, then I could not assist appropriately. Same applied for their policy on contact lenses.

Let me know more of your pilot world, I am very intrigued. Thanks, Rosemary

Hi Ryan,

Auugh! I wish I could remember his name. Real nice guy about 28 or so I am guessing. Thin, dark hair, glasses. Been flying since he was 15. Sorry I just can't remember his name. I was so excited steering that plane I could hardly remember my own name. hehehehe!

Oh, yeah, Palmer not that far at all. Just off the Mass pike. Northampton a great airport. That whole town is great. They have the air port. Look Park where I walk daily and Dance Northampton where I now take ballroom dance class.

Hmmmm, this could be a new career for me. Sure beats worrying about sh--! Rosemary

Great . I will remember John's name. Thanks Ryan. Rosemary

Ryan,
Very interesting. Ok that will be fine. I understand about the email going up and down. I have this VERY weird heavy feeling over my stoma that gets heavier as the day goes on even though it is working fine. A few foods I have to avoid but oh well. Anyway most responses I have gotten is that this is the symptom of a peristomal hernia coming. SURE HOPE NOT, but I will get that checked by my surgeon. Am looking into support belts. I have gained quite a bit since I regained the ability to eat. went from 99 to 135. Am 5'7". Maybe I have just gained too much, I gotta cool on sweets. Think I got into some "comfort" food after my ordeal. Ice cream my downfall.

There are several hernia and hernia prevention belts on the market and I am getting all of them and going to see which I like best. BUT the thing that FEELS the best is a 4-inch wide ace bandage that can be stretched to where it feels the best then anchored. All I have to do is cut a hole in it where I can bring my bag through then put nail polish around the hole in the ace on both sides so that it does not run. I got this clue from a 74 year old spritely ileostomate lady who does have an actual peristomal hernia but this lady is unstoppable. She is amazing and an inspiration.

I can never be reconnected so I gotta "get with" on all levels. It's a work in progress. I think always will be. If I didn't have this heavy feeling I would not even be so aware of the ostomy as I am long used to the emptying and the changing and so on. One adapts and I was lucky to get this as I would no longer be here without it. My stoma is my little "life saver."

The plane I was in was N32732 from what I could make out from one of our pics, but my friend was standing in front of the first few letters or numbers. Southbridge sounds good with the diner. In summer the Turners falls airport has a creamee stand right across the road. people fly their little planes in get a creamee then fly on. Not too bad.

WOW a law degree, a pilot license, surviving peritonitis and sepsis. I know what you mean about the mental confidence part. Easier said than done. I hope you do fine. You have lots more to do in this world and you are so young.

Good to hear 8k is about right for a private pilot license.

Rosemary