Why Having Major Surgery is Easier than Flying (for me)

This morning over breakfast, my husband bought up the idea of our one year anniversary trip this summer.  He mentioned San Francisco and I froze for a minute.

While he ate his oatmeal, all I could think was "FIVE HOUR FLIGHT"  I imagined myself in a closed spaced thousands of feet up in the air feeling like I was going to die at any moment for FIVE HOURS and then how could I really enjoy my trip when I know I am going to have to come back.

And that got me to thinking.  My  five hour surgery (myomectomy) that I had last year was easier than that.

Let me tell you why:

1.  Anesthesia:  During your surgery, you are completely out of it.  I was in surgery for four or five hours and it was literally like I had blinked.

2.  Pain Meds-You are HIGH as KITE.  Yes, your body has been traumatized, but you don't even realize it.  I remember shortly after my surgery lying in the bed thinking life is truly wonderful, and I am at peace with the world.  Seriously? I had just been gutted, and I  had just gone through a break up and I thought life was wonderful.

3.  There are people who will take care of you.  I stayed with my mom for a month.  Really, I only needed to stay with her for a week BUT, I got really comfortable.  I was driving, walking a couple of miles,  and walking up stairs before I left my momma's house.

4. It is the only time in life where you can just be-You don't have to feel guilty about lying around all day.  Your only job is to mend.


So, um yeah,  flying seems a lot scarier than surgery.  There is no anesthesia in flying; you have to experience the whole excruciating five hours of fear.  There are no MEDS (well, maybe I could....)
And there is no one to take care of you, nobody cares.  My husband will just sit there watching something on his iPod and occasionally grab my hand and ask if I am okay.  And all the passengers will go on with their flight, while I suffer in silence.