Trip Report It's all part of the experience...a Sweet 16 trip

My apologies for falling off of the face of the planet! LOL We have had a lot going on in our world since our trip in the beginning of November. I found out I needed a breast biopsy about a week before our trip. The doctor wanted to do it on the Wednesday before we flew out on Friday, but I decided it probably was best to wait until after the trip. I am so thankful that I did.

The biopsy itself was much more invasive than the one I had two years ago and it would have made enjoying the trip very difficult. Not to mention, we would have gotten that dreaded call with the results while we were in our "safety bubble". A perfect way to end a perfect vacation!! Waiting allowed us to focus on the trip, and Grace's big birthday.
I had the biopsy done 3 days after we came home (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving) which turned out to be invasive ductal carcinoma. It was early stage breast cancer, but scary none the less. I have a strong family history so it wasn't a total surprise, but the reality of it all was tough to handle.

I work for the Ohio State University Wexner Medical center so as an employee, I was able to navigate through the system rather quickly. We met with the surgeon (the head of the department) about a week after receiving the diagnosis and after discussing our options, surgery was scheduled for January 8th. Fortunately, it was caught quickly enough that I didn't need any treatment prior to surgery. We began to make preparations for the process and then I got a call that they had a cancellation and could do the surgery on December 20th instead. After a brief discussion and lots of prayer, we decided to go for it. I had a bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction on the 20th and was home on the 21st. The healing has gone well and praise God, there was no lymph node involvement so at this point no further treatment is necessary. I am still home recovering but I am getting stronger every day! Dennis and I will be taking an adults only trip to WDW in February to celebrate being CANCER FREE!!! We can't wait!


Now on to the fun stuff!! We had a wonderful trip experiencing our first DVC stay and celebrating the 16th birthday of our Amazing Grace. The weather wasn't ideal, but we packed a lot of "firsts" into this trip. Our first Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, our first dessert party and our first time in Pandora! I didn't do a very good job of journaling this trip, so I don't have a lot of details, but I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Cast of characters:
Myself- Sweet Evangeline
DH- Mouse Freak
DD- Grace- sweet 16
Our dear friend, Jodee, who Grace refers to as Disney Jodee
Dates- Nov 10-18, 2018
Animal Kingdom Lodge and Boardwalk- we moved rooms 4 times this trip. Not ideal but we made it work.




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12in12

Well-Known Member
I am sorry you had to go through such a difficult time however I am very happy to hear you are recovering well and will need to further treatment. Thank you for sharing Grace's sweet 16, I look forward to seeing more.
 

Swissmiss

Premium Member
What an eventful 2 months you have had! Glad to hear that it was caught early and that you won't need additional treatment. I certainly wish you a marvelous adults only trip next month! Happy very belated sweet sixteen to Grace.
 

SweetEvangeline

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1- Nov 10, 2017
We had a super-early flight out of Port Columbus that required a 3 AM alarm and on the road to the airport by 3:30 :jawdrop:! With little to no traffic, we got parked and had no wait for the shuttle to get us into the airport. Grace got a full pat-down by security because she wouldn't put her arms up in the body scanner. The staff was fantastic, though and it didn't take too long. The most frustrating part of the wait for the flight was that Starbucks wasn't opened. The sign said "24 hour" but it certainly wasn't. There was a huge line waiting outside of the door waiting for them to open. I stood in line for quite a while until it opened and I realized that there were only a couple of people working who were both taking orders and making beverages. No way was I waiting for that craziness! Caffeine would have to wait! I stopped by the gift shop and picked up a juice for Grace and we ate some granola bars I had packed in the carry on. By that time it was almost time to board.

We had an uneventful flight and no line for Magical Express. Our driver was quite magical and had a huge Disney smile! Grace kept repeating "Plane first, then down in the ocean". Her most favorite ride is Under the Sea but she calls it "down in the ocean". She couldn't wait to get to MK for that one! We were thrilled that she was actually showing some excitement and interest in this trip. After all, it was going to be all about her! :)
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We arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge for our very first stay on our newly purchased DVC contract. Our first night was at Kidani. The check in staff noticed the birthday celebration and gave Grace an adorable crown that matched her shirt perfectly. Her most favorite shirt in her wardrobe I might add because it says "Kiss the Girl"! :)
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Our room wasn't ready but we didn't mind. We left our bags with the front desk and jumped on a bus to Magic Kingdom to satisfy the birthday girl's request for her favorite ride. We were so hungry by the time we arrived and the park was insanely busy! There was a huge line for a Nutella waffle so we settled for a cinnamon roll and ham and cheese roll at Gastons before heading off to ride.
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With our bellies full, we took Grace on her favorites and then headed to guest services for a very important purchase...
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Yep, we bit the bullet and bought annual passes. We had purchased 7 day hopper tickets through Undercover Tourist several months earlier, and then we found out about the discounted AP's for DVC members. It was a no-brainer. We used price bridging to get the full gate-value price for the tickets we purchased at a discounted rate and paid the balance for AP's that will get us through at least 3 trips. So exciting!

We fought the crazy crowds for a few more hours until we were notified that our room was ready. We decided to go back and rest in the room for a while. Our view left a little to be desired but we didn't mind as we were only staying in that room for one night. There was construction going on in the parking lot right outside our room so instead of the peaceful savannah view, we had to listen to the beeping and roaring of the construction vehicles.
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After a brief rest, we hopped on a bus to Epcot to catch our reservation at Via Napoli. We had a delicious dinner even though they forgot our salad until after we had devoured the entire pizza! They did bring Grace a sweet treat and sang to her in Italian.
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We were exhausted after a long day of fun and travel so we called it a night. Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom and our friend Jodee arrives!
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SweetEvangeline

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We took in a Safari and Wings of Flight and got our first look at Pandora. Amazing! The coolest thing happened on the safari. The driver told us to look for the baby elephant. As we approached the area, the group of elephants heard our vehicle and proceeded to form a barrier to protect that adorable baby. It was fascinating to watch!!
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SweetEvangeline

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The park was insanely busy with being Veterans Day Weekend so after a few hours we decided to head back to AKL and check in to our second room of the trip. This night had been booked on Jodee's DVC points, so it meant a move to Jambo House. Our room was ready so we checked in and enjoyed the view while we waited for Jodee to arrive.


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Jodee arrived and Grace was thrilled. She loves her Disney Jodee!
 
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Kiwiduck

Well-Known Member
I am glad to hear that you are recovering well and thank you for sharing your story. I have recently (last Friday) had the same diagnosis as yourself and although it is early stage I am still reeling while trying to keep a brave face for my family and friends. I am having a bilateral mastectomy on the 17th as I have the BRACA 1 mutation and don't want to have to go through this again. I hope you continue to do well and I will have time to read your trip report when I am home recovering from surgery (lovely trip report too!!).
 

SweetEvangeline

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I am glad to hear that you are recovering well and thank you for sharing your story. I have recently (last Friday) had the same diagnosis as yourself and although it is early stage I am still reeling while trying to keep a brave face for my family and friends. I am having a bilateral mastectomy on the 17th as I have the BRACA 1 mutation and don't want to have to go through this again. I hope you continue to do well and I will have time to read your trip report when I am home recovering from surgery (lovely trip report too!!).
I’m so sorry that you are walking this road. Feel free to email me directly with questions. I’m 3 weeks out from surgery and would love to offer support as others have for me. My email is chinafamily02@gmail.com. Best wishes to you. It’s a scary time for sure. Make sure you let yourself feel all of the emotions and don’t be too brave!! Allow others to support and carry you right now. It’s not easy for us to do as we are the “fixers” and the “controllers”. God bless you!!
 

Kiwiduck

Well-Known Member
I’m so sorry that you are walking this road. Feel free to email me directly with questions. I’m 3 weeks out from surgery and would love to offer support as others have for me. My email is chinafamily02@gmail.com. Best wishes to you. It’s a scary time for sure. Make sure you let yourself feel all of the emotions and don’t be too brave!! Allow others to support and carry you right now. It’s not easy for us to do as we are the “fixers” and the “controllers”. God bless you!!
Thank you, you are very kind :)
 

12in12

Well-Known Member
I am glad to hear that you are recovering well and thank you for sharing your story. I have recently (last Friday) had the same diagnosis as yourself and although it is early stage I am still reeling while trying to keep a brave face for my family and friends. I am having a bilateral mastectomy on the 17th as I have the BRACA 1 mutation and don't want to have to go through this again. I hope you continue to do well and I will have time to read your trip report when I am home recovering from surgery (lovely trip report too!!).
I'm sorry you also have to go through this, I am sending you lots of pixie dust for your surgery and wish you a speedy recovery. You have Magic friends so please reach out if needed, no brave face necessary.
The chitchat thread in the Chitchat forum is very fun and active if you feel like chatting.
 

Kiwiduck

Well-Known Member
I'm sorry you also have to go through this, I am sending you lots of pixie dust for your surgery and wish you a speedy recovery. You have Magic friends so please reach out if needed, no brave face necessary.
The chitchat thread in the Chitchat forum is very fun and active if you feel like chatting.
Thank you - I appreciate it.
 

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