Disney Helping to Diagnose a Health Issue?

[Attina]

I was just curious as to whether anyone else has had this happen to them. I suppose it could be scary, but once you look back, you realize what a blessing in disguise it really was!

Here is my example:

I went to WDW with my parents for their first trip in 2004. We, of course, were having a wonderful time. My mom was making a slow but steady recovery from thyroid cancer and various other smaller health issues. My dad was "healthy as a horse" as it were.

About halfway through our trip, my mom and I noticed that my dad was having some issues keeping up. Granted, we all know how adrenaline and excitement can push some forward much more than others when you're at WDW! Still, we found that we had to stop back at the resort each afternoon because my dad was exhausted. He's the type that does lots of tough manual labor and is on his feet all day, so we both thought that he'd be able to tackle WDW with no problem. We made the best of it, though, since it was vacation. My mom spent the down time photographing animals outside our room (thanks, AKL!) and I just took a bit of time to relax and unwind before heading out to dinner.

The harder he slept during those breaks, though, the more we began to wonder. In the parks, we figured that he just needed caffeine or sugar to keep him energized. Little did we know we were doing more harm than good! Late night meals weren't helping, either!

Anyway, it was that lovely trip that spurred my mom to prod him into going to the doctor. It turned out he had developed diabetes and we wouldn't have known to get him checked had we not been around him and watched him 24/7 while at WDW. It doesn't run in the family, so it wasn't what I would have expected. Thanks for helping us recognize the problem, Disney!

I'm not sure if anyone else has had a similar experience, but I thought I'd bring it up. Maybe we can help one another be on the lookout for health problems while enjoying vacation. When you're with your family and friends for that long every day, you start to notice things that may be out of the ordinary!

For the record... we're planning another trip in 2014. It'll be a blowout fun time! It will be the first time we've been back since then. We'll celebrate 10 years of all of us being in better health (and me finishing my masters degree! Yay!)

All in all, it's a happy ending, thanks to our experience at Disney. Anyone else have a similar story?

 

[larryz]

That sounds like an excellent method to make your Disney trip tax deductible as a medical expense! Now, if only you could convince your doctor to write a prescription for it, something along the likes of, "Go to DisneyWorld for seven days, spending at least 8 hours per day in the parks, and walking at least 8 miles in each park. Keep a journal of your energy level, joint pains and intensity, and fluid intake and output."

Oh, and congrats on your Masters.

 

[Dsnyfireman]

I want the name of the dr. That will write that script!!!!! Maybe it will cure my PTSD, think I should check with my insurance company . Doubt they will go along with this plan though!