A positive demeanor makes a big difference to this CAD patient

“Are you OK?” The young woman’s anxious query affirmed to me that I was’t imagining things. I’d just stood up from the wheelchair and entered the women’s bathroom at the airport.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“I was concerned. Your attendant wasn’t …” She paused as she searched for a good description.

I interrupted her. “So it wasn’t just me?”

“No. He wasn’t being helpful at all. I was going to volunteer to take care of you, but he’s already left with the wheelchair.”

“It’s fine. I told him I could handle things from here.” The woman smiled and left me. Mentally I reviewed the situation.

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Traveling with CAD

Usually I’m flying to get from one side of the world to the other. While I don’t hate traveling, I’ve found it a bit more challenging since being diagnosed with cold agglutinin disease (CAD), which makes me tired. I have trouble walking long distances, especially in airports. Travelers lug themselves to check-in counters, past security checks, and all the way out to their gates. It seems like a lot of footsteps just to sit in an airplane.

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, I and travelers like me are assisted with our needs. I now always request wheelchair assistance to and from an aircraft. After my flight, personnel meet me at the aircraft’s door and push me to baggage claim and beyond, if necessary.

I use this accommodation because of my CAD fatigue. It’s a condition where, at certain lower temperatures, my red blood cells clump together and then are destroyed by certain antibodies within my blood. Because I don’t have sufficient red blood cells to carry needed oxygen to my muscles and organs, I experience some difficulties.

This particular flight wasn’t a long trip — only slightly less than two hours. But my problem with traveling is always the same: long walks to and from the aircraft. I feel like a bit of an impostor when I request a wheelchair, as I don’t always look disabled. Hemolytic anemia isn’t always apparent to an observer. Others are more limited than I am.

Nevertheless, after struggling through unexpectedly long Jetways on a previous trip, I always request assistance. It’s much easier to release an attendant than to find one later.

After I’d released the first surly attendant from his “onerous” duties, I left the bathroom and went back to the gate to wait for my flight. My attendant’s cheerless tone made me feel I had to be a bit more aggressive in asserting my needs.

Coming home again

Eight days later, I reversed the flight. As soon as I printed my boarding pass, a young lady came over with another wheelchair. She greeted me with a smile. She helped me drop off my luggage before we headed to the security lines.

I relaxed as this attendant made sure all my needs were met. When it came to boarding, she wheeled me down the Jetway. As we parted, we were both smiling from ear to ear. The assertiveness and tenseness of the week before evaporated with her good actions and positive demeanor.

Proverbs 15:13 says, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.” My tale is about two flights made different by the actions and demeanors of my helpers. The second attendant’s cheerful face made a big difference to my spirit.

Note: Cold Agglutinin Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cold Agglutinin Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to cold agglutinin disease.