Infidel, Traitor.
Nov 20, 2012, 8:41 pm
#181
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E50K, NEXUS
Posts: 645
Yes, it's true, you read the message correctly. I will purchase the Z fare for the bonus status miles, but will ask to be seated in the rear - usually ends up being among the last 3 rows in the middle - so I can fall asleep before push back, and stay asleep until we land.
I just find the pods sooooo uncomfortable to sleep in - even in the lie flat position - I only like hard sleeping surfaces when I'm out camping.
Since I'm always in the air, I just want to sleep and not be bothered from push-back until touch down, sadly that is not the case with the pods.
I just find the pods sooooo uncomfortable to sleep in - even in the lie flat position - I only like hard sleeping surfaces when I'm out camping.
Since I'm always in the air, I just want to sleep and not be bothered from push-back until touch down, sadly that is not the case with the pods.
PS. Ken, sorry for hijacking your thread. Get well soon.
Nov 21, 2012, 1:02 am
#182
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
Thanks everyone for your sympathies. But they are not required. I just wanted to put this thread to bed, as the intended plan will not now come to fruition.
As for DISH, it is of spontaneous and unknown cause (idopathic), there is no cure, and it is an auto-immune related non-degenerative form of arthritis. Depending upon where you look it affects somewhere between about 0.8% and 3-4% of the population, but many people have no sypmtoms. Treatment consists primarily of anti-inflammatory pain killers and muscle relaxants. If you have a good physiotherapist, as I am fortunate to have, symptoms can be mitigated through a series of exercises (which are actually easy to do, and primarily involve stretching.)
The problems arise when I am "stationary" for extended periods. In my case "extended" appears to mean somewhere between 2 and 4 hours. I frequent cinemas, and your standard ~2 hour movie causes me no problems. But last week I saw the newly released digital Lawrence of Arabia at about 4 hours with a 15 minute intermission. At intermission I was fine, walked around a bit, had a few stretches, and went back to the movie. But at the end of the 4 hours I was toast. Took me 10-15 minutes to get to my car, and the 20 minute drive home was fraught with muscle spasms with every little bump in the road. My recent office experiences suggest likewise, as if I spend 3-4 hours are my desk I start to have problems. For now, I'm still kind of figuring things out.
Likewise, staying in bed for 8 hours causes problem (which is actually how I first experienced the problem.) I now have a series of "exercises" I can do while still in bed to "get my spine moving before I get moving." (Not to mention receiving training on "how to get out of bed" -- something I never imagined needing instruction on.) Getting up on a good day now takes maybe 10 minutes. On a bad day perhaps as long as 45 minutes. And if I'm not careful I can "ruin the whole day."
So clearly, sitting (or lying) on an airplane for 5 or 10 or 14 or 17 hours is a "bad" thing (as in Ghostbusters "I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, 'bad'?") I can see myself flying to LHR, and on arrival finally being carried off the plane on a gurney after delaying operations for 90 minutes or more.
More importantly, the risk of straining or spraining muscles in my back is increased, apparently significantly. So the parts of my job that (used to) involve climbing masts, pulling cables, muscling consoles around a ship's bridge, or climbing into compartments to get to sensors are also problematic.
Fortunately for me, I work for a very civilized employer that highly values their employees and their skills. It took a casual discussion of the issue lasting all of 45 minutes to figure out what new roles I could take on, that basically consisted of me being asked what I would like to do. That process will be formalized in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, I guess I revert to the guy who (prior to this job) never travelled further than Seattle or Calgary, and only by car (a very slight exaggeration.) I may start another thread detailing that process, and the potential weirdness of never again seeing places that seemed completely familiar to me, like the NZ lounge at SYD.
As for DISH, it is of spontaneous and unknown cause (idopathic), there is no cure, and it is an auto-immune related non-degenerative form of arthritis. Depending upon where you look it affects somewhere between about 0.8% and 3-4% of the population, but many people have no sypmtoms. Treatment consists primarily of anti-inflammatory pain killers and muscle relaxants. If you have a good physiotherapist, as I am fortunate to have, symptoms can be mitigated through a series of exercises (which are actually easy to do, and primarily involve stretching.)
The problems arise when I am "stationary" for extended periods. In my case "extended" appears to mean somewhere between 2 and 4 hours. I frequent cinemas, and your standard ~2 hour movie causes me no problems. But last week I saw the newly released digital Lawrence of Arabia at about 4 hours with a 15 minute intermission. At intermission I was fine, walked around a bit, had a few stretches, and went back to the movie. But at the end of the 4 hours I was toast. Took me 10-15 minutes to get to my car, and the 20 minute drive home was fraught with muscle spasms with every little bump in the road. My recent office experiences suggest likewise, as if I spend 3-4 hours are my desk I start to have problems. For now, I'm still kind of figuring things out.
Likewise, staying in bed for 8 hours causes problem (which is actually how I first experienced the problem.) I now have a series of "exercises" I can do while still in bed to "get my spine moving before I get moving." (Not to mention receiving training on "how to get out of bed" -- something I never imagined needing instruction on.) Getting up on a good day now takes maybe 10 minutes. On a bad day perhaps as long as 45 minutes. And if I'm not careful I can "ruin the whole day."
So clearly, sitting (or lying) on an airplane for 5 or 10 or 14 or 17 hours is a "bad" thing (as in Ghostbusters "I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, 'bad'?") I can see myself flying to LHR, and on arrival finally being carried off the plane on a gurney after delaying operations for 90 minutes or more.
More importantly, the risk of straining or spraining muscles in my back is increased, apparently significantly. So the parts of my job that (used to) involve climbing masts, pulling cables, muscling consoles around a ship's bridge, or climbing into compartments to get to sensors are also problematic.
Fortunately for me, I work for a very civilized employer that highly values their employees and their skills. It took a casual discussion of the issue lasting all of 45 minutes to figure out what new roles I could take on, that basically consisted of me being asked what I would like to do. That process will be formalized in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, I guess I revert to the guy who (prior to this job) never travelled further than Seattle or Calgary, and only by car (a very slight exaggeration.) I may start another thread detailing that process, and the potential weirdness of never again seeing places that seemed completely familiar to me, like the NZ lounge at SYD.
Nov 21, 2012, 5:14 am
#184
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9780; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.448 Mobile Safari/534.8+)
Oh, I may not be going anywhere, but I'm not going anywhere.
Oh, I may not be going anywhere, but I'm not going anywhere.
Nov 21, 2012, 8:33 am
#185
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE100K MM
Posts: 588
So sad to hear about your physical issues. Seems as if your mind is as sharp as ever.
Personally, thanks for helping me break the AC addiction. I am now a free agent and will go with who will treat me best. You taught me this.
Personally, thanks for helping me break the AC addiction. I am now a free agent and will go with who will treat me best. You taught me this.
Nov 21, 2012, 4:12 pm
#186
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: Air Canada Aeroplan
Posts: 1,748
Ken,
If your new responsibilities will include a desk job, I can't recommend a sit-stand desk enough. I have nothing like DISH, but I was getting muscle and nerve pain from sitting for too long. Changing my work position from sitting to standing and back every couple of hours did miracles. I got my desk from these guys:
http://www.impactoffice.ca/adjustabletable
They are in Vancouver and although they do not post their prices online, they are very reasonable and provide great service.
I hope you get your wings back soon!
If your new responsibilities will include a desk job, I can't recommend a sit-stand desk enough. I have nothing like DISH, but I was getting muscle and nerve pain from sitting for too long. Changing my work position from sitting to standing and back every couple of hours did miracles. I got my desk from these guys:
http://www.impactoffice.ca/adjustabletable
They are in Vancouver and although they do not post their prices online, they are very reasonable and provide great service.
I hope you get your wings back soon!
Nov 22, 2012, 10:27 pm
#188
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YYJ - Victoria
Programs: E50K
Posts: 453
I've said a few times before that Ken Hamer's posts are the most creative, most well-written posts on FT. I know he says he will still be around, it won't be the same if he's not in the air.
Thanks for all the laughs, Ken!
Thanks for all the laughs, Ken!
Nov 23, 2012, 2:39 am
#189
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
I may not be in the air, but that doesn't mean I can't still get high. Courtesy of the Seattle Police Department:
Marijwhatnow? A Guide to Legal Marijuana Use In Seattle
(I especially enjoyed the video and the disclaimer.)
Marijwhatnow? A Guide to Legal Marijuana Use In Seattle
(I especially enjoyed the video and the disclaimer.)
Nov 23, 2012, 12:26 pm
#190
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,186
Not sure what would be more terrifying: confronting a debilitating disease or knowing one will be grounded indefinitely? Together these two life changing events would require the strength of purpose, wisdom, wit and worldliness that you have demonstrated over the years we've known one another from FT. Hang tough!
Nov 23, 2012, 6:09 pm
#192
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CHI
Programs: UA 1K, MR Titanium, IHG Gold, National Exec
Posts: 3,841
Ken, I'd love to buy you a beer (or several) the next time I'm in YVR. It'd be great to pick your brain for a bit. 
I hope you can find the time without your wings to make some interesting posts of a different flavour on FT. I look forward to reading them.
I hope you can find the time without your wings to make some interesting posts of a different flavour on FT. I look forward to reading them.
Nov 24, 2012, 11:35 am
#194
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9780; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.448 Mobile Safari/534.8+)
If I knew that people were going to say such nice things I would have developed a medical condition much sooner.
OMG! I'm pregnant!
If I knew that people were going to say such nice things I would have developed a medical condition much sooner.
OMG! I'm pregnant!
