I'm a Survivor...Time to head to Disney!!! About This Page:

[doccoc2002]

Hi everyone!
So, I am going to try and write a PTR/TR and keep with it!
Why the title?...
Back in January I had called my OB/GYN's office because I had a lump that I thought was a clogged milk duct from breast feeding my youngest who was 19 months at the time. I had an appt in Feb. and from there I needed to have a mammogram/ultrasound to see what it was. Well, it came back abnormal so they told me that I needed to have a stereotactic biopsy. So we had it scheduled for March 11th...I got the results that it was in fact breast cancer on March 16th. My world seemed like it was falling apart. I was 33 at the time of my diagnosis. We decided to get a 2nd opinion up at Dartmouth, which is where I had all my surgeries and am still under treatment for it. I had a unilateral mastectomy with TRAM Flap on May 19th and a second surgery on May 22nd. I am healing but since the breast cancer was not hormonal I will be watched closely. They do have me on hormonal drugs, that I have to take for 5 years. They believe they got it all and it had not spread to the lymph nodes. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 micro-invasive carcinoma, I was lucky as it was starting to spread. If I had waited any longer who knows.
SO, I decided to book the trip after I received a 40% off room pin code at the BC in February...before everything happened.
After thinking for a while about our trip and what we were going through. I decided to upgrade to Club Level...I really wanted a full balcony, so I decided to move over to the YC. Unfortunately, they did not have any GV so I booked the SV. We have always dreamed of staying at the Y&BC and we wanted to stay deluxe. This trip will be shorter than our usual trips, we are staying for 9 days instead of our usual 12. We are only heading into the parks for 5 of the days and one night at MNSSHP on our last night. We will be relaxing by the pool and enjoying CL. Now, don't get me wrong we will be doing lots of stuff on our touring days...We will also be coming out of our comfort zone...a little...and trying new places to eat.

Here's a little about my family...

Me...Diana(Dee)34, wife to a Police Officer, mom to 3 beautiful Princesses and a Survivor. I fell in love with Disney when my single mother would take my younger brother and me to Disney every year when I was younger. We would spend one week going to the Parks and one wee visiting my Uncle.

DH...Corey 36, wonderful father and husband. He has been my rock through all this. We will also be celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary. The upgrade to CL is a surprise to him...

DD8...Kaelan(Kae), she is the oldest and probably the most shy. She loves to draw and do crafty things...very Artistic. I tell her she is my little Artist and she Loves Disney, of course

DD6...Brenna, she is my vocal child. She loves to sing, perform and dance. She is my Starlet! I tell her she will make a lot of money and support her starving artist...aka Kae...and us. She also loves Disney and sings all the Princess songs...any song really

DD2...Layne, she is our youngest and everyone wonders where she came from. Believe it or not my hair was that blonde as a little girl. Her blue eyes come from both our families...but mine mostly, everyone on my mom's side has blue eyes...even my baby brother.

So, there you have it...oh wait...

Dates and Important details...
We will be going September 20th-September 28th 2011
We will be staying at the Yacht Club in a Standard View Club Level...first for us!
We will be celebrating our 9th Wedding Anniversary on the 21st!
We will also be celebrating the girls Birthdays too...With everything going on and my recovery I didn't get to plan any parties for the girls I feel horrible but I told them we would have a small dinner with their close friends and then we will celebrate at Disney!
This is a surprise trip for the girls...they now we are going this year but have no clue when...
DH will be surprised with CL...the girls know we are staying but I told them it's a secret from Daddy...We will see hoe long they keep it. They've kept it so far but I'm worried about the plane ride and DME ride. We will see...

Now for ideas on how to surprise the girls...
Last year we woke them up and told them...needless to say it too them a while to wake up and comprehend what was happening. I want something different this time. I was thinking about a phone call from Mickey or a Princess. They love the pizza idea they've seen on the commercials and someone mentioned a Fortune Cookie the night before. I'm just worried that they will not go to sleep cause they are so excited!

Please Help!!!!

Here's a photo of us back in early May for Kaelan's First Communion.
Family photo.jpg

Up Next...Our Plans

[mzozzietj]

Very fitting title and you deserve a wonderful trip for all you've been through. I know a few friends that have done the call from characters. One of my friends has planned a call ON christmas morning for her 3.5 yr old this year. They are going later that week since they will be visiting family only a few hours away for the holidays. I agree it would be easier to get them to sleep if you can surprise them that morning but maybe you wait until they are more awake? Do you have a morning routine they are used to? Maybe you can have balloons and a sign waiting for them at your first stop of your morning routine then you go to the airport from there? I don't know the logistics so not sure if that would work.

Congrats and I can't wait to hear how you surprise them!

[shnewell]

First of all, congratulations on being a survivor! You definitely deserve a trip to Disney!

I can't wait to hear how you surprise the girls and whether the secret can be kept from DH until your arrival!

[mom2twingirlies]

Congrats on being a survivor. How cool that each of your family members is getting a different surprise!

Not sure of when you are leaving etc, but if you have time, what about mickey pancakes in the morning. Therefore they will sleep and you can still surprise them. I have a mickey mold that I use for pancakes, but I have also successfully pored the batter in 3 overlapping circles.

[doccoc2002]

Thanks for the great ideas...

I should of mentioned our flight schedule and the routine the day before...
So, our flight leaves at 6:50am from Manchester, which is an hour away. My mom will be dropping us off and then heading to work. She works 10 mins from the airport.
I have a Dr's appt with my oncologist/blood test. I will get the blood test results at my Oncologist appt. I am sure they will come back perfectly fine.
My MIL will be dropping off the older girls at school while we take Layne with us. Dartmouth is about 90 mins away. My appt was early enough that we should be home well before the girls get out of school.
I was thinking of having the girls picked up by my DM, which I am sad they are not coming with us. They usually do but my stepdad had open heart surgery at the beginning of the year. I was thinking of having the girls sleep over my mom's and then pick them up on the way to the airport, along with my mom. We let them figure it out when we are in the car for a while.
We could tell them the night before...they love that Mickey pizza commercial. I really like the idea of the phone call though.
We have to leave the house around 4:15am because I have to pick up my mom on the way.
Last year we surprised them the morning we were leaving...We woke them up and they took about 10mins to set in, the video camera was off by then. My DM & StD came over and we left but not after we had to stop at a 24hr Pharmacy because Kaelan & Layne were in the ER until after midnight with double ear infections I do not want a repeat of that : It was not a fun way to start a trip, it took me a while to catch up on sleep & I had to still pack the car up when we got home. I got a quick 2 hr nap before I had to wake them up.

Thanks for the ideas...Keep them coming!!!

[truenancy]

Reporter: Dee, you're a super-cool mother of three who has survived breast cancer - what are you going to do now?

Dee: I'm going to Disney World!!!

Sounds like great plans. Good luck with the surprise!

[OhToodles!]

What a great thing to celebrate. You sound like you'll have a great trip. We'll be there a few days you're there as well.
I have no ideas on surprising, especially with it being so early. If I think of anything I'll be sure to share.

[lazanya]

Congrats on being a survivor. You and your family certainly deserve this vacation. I'm sure you all will have such a fun and magical trip!

[PhilsEagles08]

Congrats and make sure you REALLY enjoy this trip! You completely deserve it and I hope your family has a wonderful time!

[mcc0313]

What a fitting title and a very well deserved trip. You have all been through alot and there is no better way to celebrate you all getting through it then to be together at Disney. Love the Club level surprise and I can't wait to hear all your plans.

[WDW Traveler]

Great start to your trip report of a well deserved trip!

Just wanted to give you a possible heads up about your airport times. Is your 6:50am flight on Southwest? If so you may want to give yourself a little extra time to head to the airport. We took the SW 6:50am flight out of MHT a couple of weeks ago. We are less than 30 minutes from the airport. We left our house before 5:00am. We were dropped off. We were at the airport by about 5:20 - giving us over an hour before boarding. Which is always plenty of time at MHT. WELL, check-in and security was CRAZY! There were tons of people checking in curbside and even more checking in inside. We opted to stay outside. It took us a while and then we headed to security. More crazy lines. Then my husband’s bag got held up. They made him empty it and then they re x-rayed it and all its contents.

We almost missed the flight! As we were finally leaving the security line they were calling all checked in passengers for our flight. If we didn't board immediately they were going to sell our seats to stand by passengers!!

Not sure if it was the time of year or just a fluke. But just wanted to give you a heads up.

Have a great trip!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Dee! You so deserve this trip! Congrats on being a survivor!

[doccoc2002]

Originally Posted by WDW Traveler

Great start to your trip report of a well deserved trip!

Just wanted to give you a possible heads up about your airport times. Is your 6:50am flight on Southwest? If so you may want to give yourself a little extra time to head to the airport. We took the SW 6:50am flight out of MHT a couple of weeks ago. We are less than 30 minutes from the airport. We left our house before 5:00am. We were dropped off. We were at the airport by about 5:20 - giving us over an hour before boarding. Which is always plenty of time at MHT. WELL, check-in and security was CRAZY! There were tons of people checking in curbside and even more checking in inside. We opted to stay outside. It took us a while and then we headed to security. More crazy lines. Then my husband’s bag got held up. They made him empty it and then they re x-rayed it and all its contents.

We almost missed the flight! As we were finally leaving the security line they were calling all checked in passengers for our flight. If we didn't board immediately they were going to sell our seats to stand by passengers!!

Not sure if it was the time of year or just a fluke. But just wanted to give you a heads up.

Have a great trip!

Thanks for the heads up! My mom will have us leaving so early we will have 2 hours to sit at the airport. She tells me we have to be there early and then says We'll have to be there by 5am the latest Not really happy about that but with trying to get three kids and a husband out the door I need to be there at that time just in case I run a little behind schedule.
I know what you mean we left at the same time last year and security was crazy! I miss the days of small lines but am so happy they are checking!

[mom2twingirlies]

Hmmm, with it being that early of a departure, I think you'll have to surprise them the night before - on the bright side, it should be easy to get them up and moving because they'll be so excited.

[Laurast]

Congratulations on being a survivor. This trip sounds like it is just what you need