Aw Toni, I hope you'll be feeling better really quickly! So sorry you had to cancel your birthday plans!
Next time you're getting ready to fly(or any time you think you're getting cold/flu), try using Zicam and Halls Defense drops with zinc, vitamin c and euchnacea(SP?). My husband I used those around the Christmas holidays as we were having different cold/flu symptoms. We took vitamin c tablets and drank lots of hot tea, too. (I hear Celestial Seasons have some sort of "wellness tea" out but I haven't found in the store yet. I'm not sure if it's to use to help prevent colds or if it's to help you get over them.) The father of the little girl I babysit wears a mask, like doctors/dentist wear, on airplanes and also swears by the Zicam. I don't know if it was luck or the preventatives we used, but neither of us ended up full-blown sick. I've never gotten sick from flying but I get AWFUL ear pain when we land. I haven't found anything that helps alleviate it.