Ideas to celebrate after cancer cured?

[attain]

My DH was diagnosis with leukemia in November and has been undergoing treatment. He is in remission, but the only cure is a bone marrow transplant, which he will have next month. He is only 38 years old and we have 2 kids, DS7 and DD3. He is being admitted today for round 4 of chemo to keep him in remission until his transplant. After spending 6 weeks straight in the hospital and missing Thanksgiving, Christmas, and our DS7 birthday and knowing he will be spending Easter there as well, our family needs something to look forward to when this is all finished. The good news is that 1 year after his transplant without relapse, he will be 80% cured and at 2 years he will be 90% cured. We are grateful for those numbers!

We are a Disney loving family and have taken the kids almost every year to DisneyWorld. Of course, we won't be going this year, but we hope to return in Summer 2017 to celebrate DH reaching the 1 year mark. I am hoping for some ideas of celebration while we are there. The sky's the limit, after all, it doesn't cost anything to dream at this point and who knows what the future may hold!

 

[Jrits]

That's great!

 

[awdwnut]

I think it is wonderful that you are planning on celebrating in a place that means so much to your family. Since so many holidays were "missed" in 2015, you could do a Holiday themed trip in 2017. If you could plan your trip for the end of October, into the first of November, your family would be able to attended both a Halloween and a Christmas party.

As a fellow cancer survivor, I wish your husband (and your whole family) all the best!!

awdwnut

 

[MataHari22]

Fellow cancer survivor here, too. Hoping for the best for your husband and family. For me, I would love to celebrate by doing an Illuminations cruise, and be able to stay at the Poly or GF. I might be able to justify the former, but the latter is out of my budget of what I want to spend, so that would be a big celebratory splurge.

 

[CarolinaDD1997]

I wish your family the best and a good recovery for your husband. Im sure a Disney vacation to look up to is a great way to stay strong this year!

Definitely many exciting things for disney next year plus all the new things from this year too!

Id love a really nice dinner in one of the many lovely restaurants of Disney to celebrate the reason you're there. Maybe a fine/signature one for just you and your DH, and another special one with the kids

 

[Dan Murphy]

We celebrated my wife's 1st year in remission, at age 50, from Stage III breast cancer, with a family trip to WDW back in '99. A highlight of the trip was an Illuminations cruise, complete with a 'celebration' cake and drinks (soft). It was wonderful. Every year, 18 now, she says how great to be alive.

Best wishes for your hubby, you and family. God bless.

 

[Accident]

I remember hearing a story on a backstage tour where someone was wearing a write in your own celebration pin and just put "I'm celebrating.. Life". Perhaps something similar if you don't mind everyone saying hi to you

 

[tscrapper]

I just had an autogolus stem cell transplant for Multiple Myeloma in October and our rescheduled trip is in 17 days. I hope all the best for you! Planning kept me going once we cancelled our August trip. It's a magical place planning is a good distraction and a great dream

 

[attain]

Love the ideas! Keep 'em coming! We are both teachers, me at a University and him at a high school, so our schedules never seem to line up for a late Oct/early Nov trip. Although, one day we will have to go at Chridtmas at least!

Illuminations is DH favorite fireworks, so the cruise sounds like a great idea and I love the I'm celebrating button idea. Simple and meaningful! A special dinner is another great idea...we've wanted to eat at CRT and Brown Derby and haven't yet.

So many wonderful ideas! Thank you for the thoughts and well wishes for us. DH is doing well and we hope the transplant is as uneventful as possible!

 

[attain]

I just had an autogolus stem cell transplant for Multiple Myeloma in October and our rescheduled trip is in 17 days. I hope all the best for you! Planning kept me going once we cancelled our August trip. It's a magical place planning is a good distraction and a great dream

Glad you are doing well and I hope you have a wonderful trip. Glad you are doing well now and your transplant went well.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

My goal the entire time I was undergoing chemo for breast cancer was a "family" trip for the Food & Wine festival. It was my goal - my light at the end of the tunnel. My family was all in for it. The planning kept my mind off of everything else. The trip itself turned out great although the hotel I picked was the pits (Beach Club).

Good luck to your husband and your family. The planning will definitely keep your mind off of everything and the end result will be a magical celebration.

 

[Mark P.]

Just wanted to add my congratulations

 

[tstidm1]

Congratulations. Here's some ideas for you on this:

-Do a Christmas time trip (Early-mid December if possible. If not, Thanksgiving week even though UOR doesn't have full decorations up yet). Celebrate the Holidays at some of the best places on earth to do it.
-Stay at the Four Seasons (if you can afford it) or the best hotel you can for your money even if it's off site. I would even stay at the Grand Floridian or Polynesian.
-Do a Thing or two that is special within your budget such as Backstage Magic tour or that Dinner at Victoria and Albert's you've dreamed. Celebrate living.

 

[Pinkos]

Maybe go longer then normal so your days can be more relaxed then rushed? I'd even stay at a lesser resort to have a longer time there ... I often find our WDW trips are rushed, trying to take too much in. But with more time, it will give your family extra time to enjoy the trip and celebrate the meaning for being there ... Plus, even though he will be cured, those are some energy draining treatments. Your sh stamina might not be built back up so a slower pace might be helpful to him as well.

I like what others have suggested ... A nice signature meal, a fireworks cruise, maybe a dinner show for the kids? Mickeys backyard BBQ or hoopdedoo? Sounds like u will have an amazing trip!

Best of luck!

 

[BayouQueen]

We went to WDW after I completed treatment for breast cancer five years ago. We really splashed out on a splurge style trip, BUT...the thing I treasure most from that trip is the photo I have of getting the hugest hug from Minnie, my favorite character.

Take time for a character M&G with whichever character he connects with. (I think we all have one!) I know they're just people in costumes, but the warm experience and the photographic memory of it just kind of put me in a happy place, and made me feel like I was back in my happy game.

Best of luck to you. Hang in there!

 

[alliecat523]

Definitely get the "I'm celebrating" pin and let the hotel know when you make the reservation. They may give you some extra special surprises (although never guaranteed, but you can request their help). I would do dinner in the castle during the fireworks.

 

[sdomino11]

Congratulations on being so close to the end of such a horrible time! I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. I was 28 with two little kids, as well. And you better believe we celebrated in WDW when my treatment was done! Just being in Disney World and letting my tiny kids enjoy the magic was enough to make that a great trip, with no special add-ons at all! But, I don't have many memories of the trip because we went about two months after chemo ended and I was still living in the land of "chemo fog." Chemo affected me the most by ruining my concentration and memory. So, I would just say that although you'll be ready to go celebrate as soon as possible, have a little patience and wait before jetting off. Just to give your DH time to recover. Again, I'm so happy for the end being in sight for you! Congrats on the "cure" word, too! My doctors still haven't uttered that word, and I'm five years out!

 

[sdomino11]

One more thing-- what about considering a Disney Cruise instead of a park trip? Then you're likely exhausted family will definitely have some down-time!

We went to WDW after I completed treatment for breast cancer five years ago.

BayouQueen, looks like we're on the same timeline! Congrats on that 5 year mark! Isn't it great getting to that number?!

 

[ericstac]

My 7yr old just finished his last chemo session two weeks ago after a year long battle with cancer. We are scheduled to have his port removed in a couple weeks and then mid-March we will be celebrating at WDW!!! We love Disney and missed not going at all throughout 2015 so we have some making up to do lol. There are 22 people going as well to help us celebrate so it is going to be a mad house out there, especially during the nightly pool times

 

[luvgoing2disney]

What if you celebrate all the holidays or events that were missed? Have one day designated as Thanksgiving Day and eat a Thanksgiving type meal at Columbia House. The day for Christmas Day, buy a special ornament at The Christmas Shop in Disney Springs. Easter day, have pastel colored shirts for each of you to wear. Birthday, have a small birthday cake somewhere. If you missed Halloween, the obvious choice to visit would be MK again with a Haunted mansion ride.

Perhaps buy some flat wall decorations that you could place in the room and not tell anyone what you are celebrating each day. If you wake before the others, you could place them as a surprise. Get a button each day that you celebrate and explain to the CM's what it is for. I bet they will love it too, and you will have free souvenirs!

I love doing things like that, so my wife NEVER knows what to expect!

BTW I am a melanoma survivor and celebrated a WDW trip when I was 5 years out so WDW or any Disney park is the BEST place to celebrate. Many congratulations and best wishes for you and all fellow Diser's who are survivors or are battling cancer now. Hang in there!!!!