The skies seem friendly again

I just got back from my first air trip since my diagnosis in February. (I guess it goes without saying that I survived the trip :) .) I traveled from Sacramento to Texas -- two flights and a total of about seven hours in the air.

It was scary to fly again ... but, after an uneventful outbound trip, I became excited by the prospect of traveling again! I learned a few things, too:

• Sports drinks: yes, the advice to take sports drinks instead of water does seem to make a difference.
  
  For years I've been a frequent traveler (100k+ miles per year in the late 90s), and always a big water drinker while in the air. Generally speaking, the amount of water correlated directly with trips to the bathroom. And although psychologically I felt reassured that I was maintaining the best possible hydration, physically I still felt dehydrated and tired getting off of planes, regardless of how much water I drank.
  
  This time, I decided to take into account the results of some recent research which said that water is actually dehydrating when inside an airplane, and sports drinks work better. I drank only Gatorade and Powerade on my flights to and from Texas.
  
  What a difference! I wasn´t running to the bathroom every ten minutes like I did in the past when I was guzzling water on planes. I noticed I had much more energy, and my feet weren´t swollen like they´d always been in the past (although this last effect may have been due to the compression stockings as well).
  
  The only downer is that the sports drinks have a lot of calories, and, in my opinion, taste kind of gross. Small prices to pay, though.
  
  
• Compression stockings: typically, I wear only one stocking (on my DVT leg). But, for flying, I decided to wear them on both legs. I had read a story recently about a father and daughter who traveled together by air. The father was a previous DVT patient and wore compression stockings on both legs. His twentysomething daughter didn´t wear stockings, but was careful to drink lots of water and walk frequently about the cabin. Sadly and unexpectedly, the daughter suffered a fatal DVT and PE, while her father (who took no other precaution besides wearing the compression stockings) was fine.
  
  The anecdotal medical conclusion from this story was that compression stockings have a very powerful, positive impact on circulation. Compressing the lower leg near the ankle significantly increases the speed of blood flowing from the bottom of the leg back up the body, and this greatly reduces (possibly eliminates) the risk of a clot.
  
  Additionally, as mentioned above, the improved circulation in the legs really helps eliminate the draggy, tired feeling air travel can cause. And no more swollen feet!
  
  I´ve been recommending (like a broken record) that all my high-risk friends consider wearing this hose on planes. And high risk women are more plentiful than you might think, since birth control pills, HRT and varicose veins all contribute significantly to DVT risk.
  
  
• Walking. I recently invested in a pedometer, and took the opportunity to cruise the airport during my layovers. Great way to get the extra steps in ... plus reassure yourself that you´re getting the blood flowing again between flights. I was able to easily get 8,000 steps in during pre-boarding and layover time on my Texas trip.

It feels great to know that I can travel again. When I was first diagnosed, I thought I would be grounded for life. With a few extra precautions, it seems there is no need for my wings to be clipped. (Well, I´m not sure I´m ready to head for any locations without really modern hospitals until I´m off anticoagulants. But that leaves the door open for many of the places I´m eager to visit.)