Expert Cancellation Help Needed...I tore my ACL

[Cruelladeville]

Diva--have you called and talked to DVC yet? Please keep us up-to-date on what ends up happening with this. Also, don't forget to post after your surgery to let us know how it went. I'll be thinking about you!

 

[kathleena]

I have nothing to add except sorry to hear about your accident (can I add freak accident here, that is just so strange.....) and good luck with your surgery. I hope everything works out well for you. And don't press your luck on your next trip - spend the extra to get the scooter so you can have it if you need it.

And for the non-medical and uninitiated - what does ACL stand for?

 

[Divamomto3]

Kathleen...ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament. It's the ligament in the middle of your knee that connects the bone in your lower leg, to the bone in your thigh. It gives your knee stability. Many people live without it (like pro football players) but I have a great deal of instability and I just can't live with wondering when my knee will give way and my body will hit the floor.

After long discussions of pros and cons, my DH and I have decided to go ahead with an abbreviated version of our 12 day August Disney Extravaganza. Even if it's not my greatest trip ever, my kids will have a blast and I'd rather be parked at the side of Frontierland on a scooter, than parked on my couch saying "Today, I would have been in Epcot..." etc etc. We keep our SSR reservation from 8/13-8/19 and used up some points that would have went into holding by adding on the Friday night. I cancelled my AKL ressie that I made on a cash AP rate, and cancelled my 8/21-8/24 BCV ressie. (if anyone is waitlisting for one of those...it's available now!) I changed my plane tickets and had to pay $375 extra total between the change fee and the new higher fare, but that may have happened in December also. And now I'm on an all points stay, so I've saved the money I would have paid at AKL. I'm going to rent a scooter that will be waiting for me at SSR. I just have to get used to backing into the buses. It all looks good on paper...I hope I don't get too frustrated too easily. The whole experience is turning me into a different person. I have to take a lot of deep breaths and learn not to sweat the small stuff.

As for DVC, I have 37 pts in a holding account that maybe my DH can use for a December getaway in an OKW studio, maybe I lose them, or maybe DVC decide to give me a one time manual adjustment and put those points back into 2006. Either way..I'm going to make the very best of this.

When this is over, it will make that first time I can walk down Main Street again all the more of a blessing. I'm continuing to count my blessings, as this is just a temporary set back.

Oh and the DVC rep. I talked to on the phone told me her husband just had the same surgery and is really just fine after only 2 months so I will hold out hope!

Be on the lookout for me at SSR and points beyond...I'll be trying to smile while riding my scooter!

 

[problemchild718]

I'm right there with ya! I too am a nurse. Was in a horrible auto accident in Nov. (Jeep vs Cement truck, the Jeep lost) and havent walked without a brace, cane or crutches since then. I have had 4 surgeries and haven't worked since Nov. my advice, plan for the worst and anything extra is a bonus-remember, nurses are the worst patients!!!
I too asked about cancellations and was told death in family and medical emergency was considered with a letter from the Dr. Best of luck and I'll pray for ya!

 

[Divamomto3]

Robyn...so sorry to hear about your accident. Yes, we are the worst patients!

Enjoy your upcoming vacation!

 

[kathleena]

Good for you for going on your trip anyway! You will undoubtedly see WDW in a different way, but I hear ya when you say it's better than sitting at home wondering what you would be doing that day. I would do the same thing.

Here's my little story for you - not the same thing - but I would make the same choice as you!

I went in March 04 when I was ill. I had been hyperthyroid for six months and just about to be diagnosed with Graves Disease (two days after I got back from the trip.) I wasn't at the point of needing a scooter when I arrived at WDW, but by the last two days I was getting exhausted. Me, who is usually the fast walker and way out in front of everyone, always having to slow down, was the one who was lagging behind. Even my slowpoke DH was walking in front of me. My friend could not believe it - it was so unlike me - but I was so tired and unknown at the time - and despite being on beta blockers - the hyper was starting to really affect my heart.

Within two weeks of returning home, I was so sick that I couldn't even walk into the grocery store without having to sit down. My friend kept telling me - good thing you weren't that sick a few weeks ago, we would have had to cancel. I would say - no way! That's what scooters are for! I wasn't too sick to still have a good time - I just had a resting heart rate of 100 and a walking heart rate of 150! As long as I wasn't walking, I was OK! LOL. Oh and I suppose I wouldn't have been able to go on the ToT or RNRC either!

Anyway - if the GD ever comes back - I would definately get a scooter to get me around!

Have a great time on your trip. I'm arriving on the 19th myself, so will check out all scooters for any sign of DIS!

 

[Divamomto3]

thanks Kathleen! I really ought to put a lime green Mickey on my scooter.
I'll be on the lookout for Fairy Godmothers.

 

[Disneycatlady]

The real reason that I'm writing is to tell you that I just bought into DVC yesterday (yea!!!), and I asked my guide to clarify the scenarios concerning banking deadlines, etc. He told me about the less-than-thirty-one-day-out cancellation policy, but then added that those rules are relaxed in the case of a medication emergency or disaster of some sort. It seems like you would fall under this category. I would suggest that you call MS tomorrow and explain your circumstances to them. Maybe you have more options than you think. Hope so!

Sending my prayers and best wishes. Keep us posted! [/QUOTE]


This is true- My vacation plans to New Orleans were wiped out by Hurricane Dennis just 3 weeks ago- We were supposed to stay at The Windsor Court Hotel using DVC points and I had to cancel because we couldnt drive from South Florida into a hurricane- so the points went into a holding account and I tried to get reservations at a non-DVC hotel at WDW for the same week- everything was booked solid- so I cried and complained to the DVC and they actually gave me back all my points and took them out of the holding account- so now I can use them all before my February use year however and wherever I want.

 

[wanna-b-Tink]

DivaMomto3

Have you heard back from your "new" bose yet??, since you've been with the same hospital for so many years i would hope they would take that in to consideration and not leave you jobless.

FMLA will insure she has three months off to get herself better. They will have to restore her to her prior position or a comparable one upon her return. After three months, it is at the employer's discretion as to their leave policy, some cut employment ties at the 3 month requirement, others go longer (my company keeps a person on the books for a year). Hopefully you'll be back in action before the end of your FMLA entitlement.

 

[xterratri]

I would think long and hard about the use of the cadaver graft. The use of the cadaver graft for my second left ACL recon caused the third one as it eroded the bone tunnels and essentially failed about 4 years later. Ergo, the third surgery was ACL reconstruction and bone grafting- fun and games. It took 18 months of rehab until I could run over 1.5 miles again after the third one when I was playing soccer and skiing again 6 months after the first(too soon but it felt great). The first was done with semitendinosus and the third with patellar tendon. Looking at the research studies, the patellar graft is consistently the strongest but it has a slightly more difficult rehab as the patellar tendon is being sliced and diced too. If you want more details on the research, just PM me.

BTW, the third surgery was in 2000 and I finished Ironman USA Lake Placid in 2002 and 2003. The Army automatically disqualified me for retained hardware but on the basis of my athletic accomplishments rubber stamped the waiver in approx 24 hours. It may have something to do with the fact they are always looking for Medical Corps officers... I may never pass the physical to go to Airborne training but as an ortho doc I'm more likely to be assigned to a CSH(Combat Support Hospital) than a FST(Forward Surgical Team) and I don't have to be able to jump to be on a FST anyway. Good luck with your surgery and have fun on your abbrev. trip. Visits with the Mouse are always good, no matter the mode of transport.