Life’s too short...to never sleep in a treehouse! 8/27 TR is up! Link in siggie

[jordanyosh]

Praying.....

 

[Happydog]

Tough news, medicine for all its advances can really be slow regardless... so I hope they get the right answers soon.

I am glad your plans are shaping up. You really have come full circle with planning and then some! BUT with that many people to please I get it!
Shopping and bringing food is a tough call... the timing with the room is the tricky part, I agree...

Want to say boys went to see Cloudy this weekend... My DH thought it had quite a bit of adult level humor (not simply kid jokes) and that it was entertaining... the boys were captivated. this is a daddy bonding thing.. movies.. I mulched. LOL!

 

[eandesmom]

Praying.....

Thank you, it means a lot.

Tough news, medicine for all its advances can really be slow regardless... so I hope they get the right answers soon.

I am glad your plans are shaping up. You really have come full circle with planning and then some! BUT with that many people to please I get it!
Shopping and bringing food is a tough call... the timing with the room is the tricky part, I agree...

Want to say boys went to see Cloudy this weekend... My DH thought it had quite a bit of adult level humor (not simply kid jokes) and that it was entertaining... the boys were captivated. this is a daddy bonding thing.. movies.. I mulched. LOL!

I'd rather have gone to the movie than mulched. I'm hiding from my yard. I was sick most of the weekend plus it was really cold....but I really need to get out there! There was quite a bit of adult humor, Jeff and I laughed quite a bit. Very cute and the first full length movie any of us except Kendall had seen in 3D so that was cool.

Yeah, the Yacht Club and Hard Rock is a pretty big change from Treehouse Villas and Nick.



I'm not going to think about the cost difference.

If I work it right though, I may get to VISIT a treehouse while we are there.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Prayers for your FIL still going up. I worked for a surgeon - a PET scan will look for cancer other places in the body - it is very advanced and can find "hot spots" before they are detectable in other ways. It may be that they are just being sure the "atypical" cells are not there because of something else going on. They should be able to find infection from "bronchial washings" if they do them, or from the biopsy.

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Sending you lots of good thoughts and prayers for your FIL and your whole family...

I think your plans sound fab...the Hard Rock Hotel and Yacht Club...? Emily would pass out from the excitement of the whole thing...

I think your siggie is awesome...in fact when I begin my PTR-I was going to ask for a little help if you wouldn't mind...

 

[eandesmom]

Prayers for your FIL still going up. I worked for a surgeon - a PET scan will look for cancer other places in the body - it is very advanced and can find "hot spots" before they are detectable in other ways. It may be that they are just being sure the "atypical" cells are not there because of something else going on. They should be able to find infection from "bronchial washings" if they do them, or from the biopsy.

Well they did a bronchoscopy...it seems odd that they can tell they are atypical from that but not whether it is an infection or not. Jeff talked to his dad for quite a bit tonight and we will know more Thursday after they meet with the surgeon. They've been told they won't get the PET results until then but the surgeoun needs them for the meeting.

Jeff's grandma (Ron's mom) had a benign lung tumor that had to be removed. We are really hoping it is the same thing although they have no idea what caused hers and there is no indication that it is heriditary.

What is really scary is this has been going on since the last week of August

Sending you lots of good thoughts and prayers for your FIL and your whole family...

I think your plans sound fab...the Hard Rock Hotel and Yacht Club...? Emily would pass out from the excitement of the whole thing...

I think your siggie is awesome...in fact when I begin my PTR-I was going to ask for a little help if you wouldn't mind...

Thanks! I think Taylor is more likely to pass out from excitement than Kendall but that is cute about Emily! It does all sound rather posh. LOL!

Then again, Emily gets to go to Paris! Which Kendall would probably pass out over. Heck, I would too, it's been far too long.

I would love to help you with your siggie

 

[All7OfUs]

Well, this was certainly NOT good news to wake up to. I'm so very sorry that this has been so uncertain and S.L.O.W., and frustrating!

I guess a little more patience is what the Lord has ordered; may He give you strength and hope!

By the way, I DEFINITELY think you should go visit a treehouse while you are there! If life is too short to never sleep in one, then it's FAR, FAR too short to never at least visit one!

 

[MEK]

we got a little bit of info today.

The Pulmonologist today told us today the cells they flushed out of his lung during the endosocopy were "atypical" which means they are either cancerous or a very bad infection. He is having a total body pet scan and breathing test tomorrow. They will see a lung surgeon on Thursday. The surgeon will schedule an open biopsy in the next week. They are still trying to put the pieces together so we don't know yet what the final result is so keep us in your prayers. It's frustrating as we are very unclear as to whether the pet scan will indicate infection or not or if that has to wait for the biopsy.

The tumor is in the upper lobe of the bronchial tube. If the tumor is contained only in that area we will be very fortunate. Let's hope that it has not spread to other areas of the body. They can tell by the pet scan tomorrow.

Jeff and I hope that the plan, no matter what, is for surgery at the time of the biopsy, I cannot understand why they are moving so slowly on this and it is really frustrating.

Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts.

Cythnia - I must have missed all this stuff about your FIL. I am sorry to hear that he will most likely need to have lung surgery to obtain a final diagnosis on the lung tumor. The PET scan will give an indication as to whether this tumor is cancerous. It will also show if there are any other areas of the body that "light up" which can indicate cancer spread. This test will help the surgeon decide whether the lung surgery will be diagnostic or whether they will acutally be able to remove the portion of the lung that contains the tumor. That would be the best outcome - to get the tumor out completely.

There will be a frozen section obtained at the time of surgery - this can differentiate between non cancerous problems vs. cancer. The final biopsy, which takes 5 - 7 days, will identify what type of cancer it is (if it is cancer). Does your FIL have risk factors for lung cancer (smoking, asbestosis exposure, prior cancer hx, other lung hx).

It is possible that this is a benign tumor. When you meet with the surgeon find out if they will do the surgery as a minimally invasive surgery (robotic surgery). The healing time is really impressive.

Anyway, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I know you are getting frustrated, but the time frame you are describing sounds really approriate to me. The surgeon I work with does heart and lung surgery, so I have experience with this. Too bad you live all the way across the country. My surgeon is awesome.

On a lighter note - your plans are amazingly detailed. I am so NOT surprised that the winner is HRH. Knew it all along! So what did I win????? (pscyh)

 

[eandesmom]

Well, this was certainly NOT good news to wake up to. I'm so very sorry that this has been so uncertain and S.L.O.W., and frustrating!

I guess a little more patience is what the Lord has ordered; may He give you strength and hope!

By the way, I DEFINITELY think you should go visit a treehouse while you are there! If life is too short to never sleep in one, then it's FAR, FAR too short to never at least visit one!

Ah patience. Not my strong suit! I hope to visit a treehouse...we will see! Ideally I will be visiting someone staying in a treehouse

Cythnia - I must have missed all this stuff about your FIL. I am sorry to hear that he will most likely need to have lung surgery to obtain a final diagnosis on the lung tumor. The PET scan will give an indication as to whether this tumor is cancerous. It will also show if there are any other areas of the body that "light up" which can indicate cancer spread. This test will help the surgeon decide whether the lung surgery will be diagnostic or whether they will acutally be able to remove the portion of the lung that contains the tumor. That would be the best outcome - to get the tumor out completely.

There will be a frozen section obtained at the time of surgery - this can differentiate between non cancerous problems vs. cancer. The final biopsy, which takes 5 - 7 days, will identify what type of cancer it is (if it is cancer). Does your FIL have risk factors for lung cancer (smoking, asbestosis exposure, prior cancer hx, other lung hx).

It is possible that this is a benign tumor. When you meet with the surgeon find out if they will do the surgery as a minimally invasive surgery (robotic surgery). The healing time is really impressive.

Anyway, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I know you are getting frustrated, but the time frame you are describing sounds really approriate to me. The surgeon I work with does heart and lung surgery, so I have experience with this. Too bad you live all the way across the country. My surgeon is awesome.

On a lighter note - your plans are amazingly detailed. I am so NOT surprised that the winner is HRH. Knew it all along! So what did I win????? (pscyh)

Thank you so much for all the great info! He does have risk factors, he smoked when he was much younger (quit when Jeff was around 7) and has had skin cancer, twice. Both of Jeff's folks have had it twice, the "blessing" of all that California sun before people knew better and started wearing sunscreen.

Jeff's dad actually lives in the bay area so we won't be at the appointment or I would ask about the minimally invasive aspect. I'll pass it on to his stepmom though, hopefully she will aks those questions.

You are helping from all the way across the country, thanks! It is reassuring to know it's an appopriate timeframe. I think for me, having gone through brain cancer twice with my ex (the e's dad) I know things can move FAST if it is really serious and as a result I'm now frustrated with what is a normal pace.

Lets see...you win a custom image banner for your TR or your next trip?

Black stuff from a Seattle turf field?

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Many more prayers and positive thoughts Cynthia!!

 

[eandesmom]

Many more prayers and positive thoughts Cynthia!!

Thanks! I can't believe you are down to 16 days!!!!!!!!!

 

[eandesmom]

I had planned to share my updated touring and dining plan, v0.8

However I was sick this weekend. Not completely debilitated sick...just an annoying cold and sinus infection/allergy mess that had been going on for about 3 weeks and finally just drained me to the point where I felt I was fighting a low grade fever.

And so I was a bum all weekend. Didn't do squat on Saturday in particular. rested, drank tea, ate soup, trying to stave off any thoughts of the illness worsening.

I am pleased to report that it worked. I was however on the computer. A lot.

Playing.

Playing with...

My trip binder design!

To call it a binder is really a stretch, I make 4x6 pages and use a photo brag book to hold everything so it fits in my purse. This way, when flipped open I have 2 pages per day, right there in front of me but portable.

The one I made last trip was a good start, I put everything in outlook and then shrunk it down, but it was missing...shall we say...the feeling of pixie dust? Of Disney Magic? Of Fun? It was VERY utilitarian. Did the job well but, it was a little hard to read and so I really wanted to redo it. I had a few goals.

• Make it readable
• Highlight key info
• Make it FUN
• Make it match.

I am one of those people who likes some consistency in their layouts but I also wanted to give myself some latitude to have each day be a little different and unique.

I wanted to focus on basic high level info. I am not going to put much in the way of minute specific touring plans in here. That just won't work with my crew. I will be highlighting...

• Park/resort or other activities planned for the day
• Key items to do at the park or resort for that day. This will be a pretty short list. Not sure I can keep it to "top three" but still, it will be short. I figure if it is short, we'll get my must do's done and everything else is gravy!
• Dining Plans with ressie numbers
• Drinking Plans. Which makes us sound like lushes but I'll forget where to go and we'll end up grabbing a bad beer or whatever is closest. Doesn't mean we will go to all of those places lol.
• Any other key relevant information for that day that might be needed

Any suggestions on categories I might be missing would be great!

My plan is 2 pages per day, with 2 pages for my "last minute reminder list" for the flight day and then a CS and Snack reference guide at the back. I tossed maps in there last year and really didn't use them. I'm not going to have dividers, the backgrounds for the CS and snacks will be different from the main daily pages.

I came up with these as my WDW page backgrounds.

Magic Kingdom days and default background

Epcot

DHS

Animal Kingdom

Cover
I had originally planned to do a composite, using a different image for each person on the cover but I'm not really feeling it. Here is where it's at so far and it may just stay like this, no title, no nothing, just clean, simple and pretty. I use a clear cover book so I'll be able to see this. Then again I may just make the whole thing into a soft cover bound book which would be fun (and smaller!).

I did start my daily pages and my apologies upfront. I am going in order so the first 3 (after the pretrip/red eye page) will be for the dark side. But you get an idea of what I am going for and how they look with it opened so they are more like a "book".

So instead of a long list of my plans, I'm going to post these in order as I get them drafted and then I'll do a summary at the end.

August 12th

August 13th

I know, I'm a dork.

Next...Binders and Bags, Oh My!

 

[MainStMandy]

I have been kinda MIA for thoughts and prayers for your FIL

 

[Lady Lallie]

Oh my goodness! I adore your binder thingy! It's so pretty and wonderful. I wish I had the talent and patience to make something like that for myself. Simply beautiful!!

 

[eandesmom]

So what did I win????? (pscyh)

 

[eandesmom]

I have been kinda MIA for thoughts and prayers for your FIL

No worries and thank you!

Oh my goodness! I adore your binder thingy! It's so pretty and wonderful. I wish I had the talent and patience to make something like that for myself. Simply beautiful!!

Thanks! I had a lot of fun goofing around with them!

 

[elphie101]

I LOVE your trip binder pages!!! I was mindlessly browsing Borders and came across the 2009 PassPorter book, and after flipping through it for all of 15 seconds realized I wasn't leaving the store without it. Of course, then I got home and realized the updated version is being released literally in a month so I'll be returning it tomorrow while I wait for 2010.....I know it would bug me too much not to have the "proper" version, and these books are just too cute!

 

[MEK]

You are helping from all the way across the country, thanks! It is reassuring to know it's an appopriate timeframe. I think for me, having gone through brain cancer twice with my ex (the e's dad) I know things can move FAST if it is really serious and as a result I'm now frustrated with what is a normal pace.

Oh, how frustrating that must be. And so scary, too! Keep me posted on any new developments. I am curious to know what his PET scan shows and whether he would be a candidate for a robotically assisted surgery. There are some surgeons who really have a good handle on this and the incisions are so much smaller than the traditional incisions. Plus there post-op CXRs look amazing. You can barely tell they've had surgery.

I hope you get nothing but good news!

Lets see...you win a custom image banner for your TR or your next trip?

Black stuff from a Seattle turf field?

Oh, yeah....I won me some Seattle turf field pellets. Woohooooooo! I think I'll pick door #1 for my next TR since it will be the Wilderness Lodge!

ps Your planning book is amazing, not dorky at all. Very, very cool.

 

[Sandy321]

i LOVE the binder - drat - I didnt want to make one!!

but I love the Tink!!!

Thanks for sharing!

I usually just take a piece of paper, a ruler and use a pencil - last year I somehow lost that piece of paper - but I kept the "rough draft" (the one with uneven lines, and used to make changes!! nat I would lose the "clean copy"

a binder is looking better and better!! )

 

[eandesmom]

I LOVE your trip binder pages!!! I was mindlessly browsing Borders and came across the 2009 PassPorter book, and after flipping through it for all of 15 seconds realized I wasn't leaving the store without it. Of course, then I got home and realized the updated version is being released literally in a month so I'll be returning it tomorrow while I wait for 2010.....I know it would bug me too much not to have the "proper" version, and these books are just too cute!

Thanks!

I know a lot of people swear by the Passporter. I looked at it last winter and while it is very very cool and full of a ton of good info it was WAY too big for me. I tend to just keep everything on my laptop and did have it with me if I needed it, which I did a couple of times actually! I imagine I will take it this time too, it is like an appendage. Pathetic.

You can pre-order the 2010 I think. I agree though, definitely get the most current version!

Oh, how frustrating that must be. And so scary, too! Keep me posted on any new developments. I am curious to know what his PET scan shows and whether he would be a candidate for a robotically assisted surgery. There are some surgeons who really have a good handle on this and the incisions are so much smaller than the traditional incisions. Plus there post-op CXRs look amazing. You can barely tell they've had surgery.

I hope you get nothing but good news!

Oh, yeah....I won me some Seattle turf field pellets. Woohooooooo! I think I'll pick door #1 for my next TR since it will be the Wilderness Lodge!

ps Your planning book is amazing, not dorky at all. Very, very cool.

Well... another frustrating day

They had a terrible storm today. Lots of power outages. The
office that he was scheduled to have the Pet Scan at was one of the power outage areas so the test was cancelled. My poor FIL! It is bad enough to worry about this test once, but now we have to go through this whole ordeal again tomorrow.

He was supposed to have a his breathing test this afternoon, we've not heard if he did.

Oh c'mon....you don't want turf pellets? It'd be like opening a card or something that if full of confetti and you aren't expecting it and it gets everywhere.

Wimp.

I'd be happy to make a siggie pic for your next trip When you're ready just let me know what you want!

i LOVE the binder - drat - I didnt want to make one!!

but I love the Tink!!!

Thanks for sharing!

I usually just take a piece of paper, a ruler and use a pencil - last year I somehow lost that piece of paper - but I kept the "rough draft" (the one with uneven lines, and used to make changes!! nat I would lose the "clean copy"

a binder is looking better and better!! )

Aw heck, a little notepad will do, just get one with a cover! I still put my ADR's in outlook and that synch's to my phone, I feel much safer that way. Same thing with any key phone numbers and address info i.e. hotel, car, WDW DINE lol I put those in as contacts.

your DD doesn't use lined paper any more?

you can download some...or I'll send you some...



Isn't that tink cute? I loved her. Made me think of Kendall.