Ms

[Fishy&2guppies]

My DH was diagnosed with MS two months ago. We have a trip planned for fall. DH has a lot of problems with the heat and walking and standing. He looks like a healthy normal 40 yr old but he is in a lot of pain and the heat just wears him out. I just found out about a GAC card. How do these work? I have read that you enter through the fastpass line, but then do they take you to another room to wait? I am also very nervous about using a GAC card after all the information that has been coming out about people using them that don't need them. He is very sensitive about his disease and doesn't want to cause problems. Any help would be grateful.

 

[kimysbug]

I'm sorry about your husband

My husband was diagnosed 15 years ago and the first thing he said way my name is Bruce, I was just diagnosed with MS and I'm goi g to Disney world.

We have gone numerous times since and even renewed our vows at WDW.

My husband also has similar issues
We take his pace slow and steady, take beaks, drink lots of water.

We stay on site, and take a break every afternoon to nap and shower.

We have never used a Gac for him, not saying you should or shouldn't, just can't help with that.

He has used a cane before at WDW , we go slow and rest.
It all depends how he is feeling, if he is have an exasperation or not.


Good luck
Have a magical trip

 

[Piper]

My DH was diagnosed with MS two months ago. We have a trip planned for fall. DH has a lot of problems with the heat and walking and standing. He looks like a healthy normal 40 yr old but he is in a lot of pain and the heat just wears him out. I just found out about a GAC card. How do these work? I have read that you enter through the fastpass line, but then do they take you to another room to wait? I am also very nervous about using a GAC card after all the information that has been coming out about people using them that don't need them. He is very sensitive about his disease and doesn't want to cause problems. Any help would be grateful.

You are a victim of some of the misinformation floating around these days. A GAC doesn't automatically get you fastpass. WDWs answer to mobility and stamina problems are to rent a WC or ECV. They are mainstreamed and go in the "regular" line unless you get a fastpass like everyone else. Occasionally a CM might pixie dust you and let you go in fastpass. There are a few lines that have a special entrance, but you may have to wait longer in those lines.

Walking from attraction to attraction in the sun might be a bigger problem. I think he should rent an ECV (from an outside company preferably.) If he doesn't want one, ask him if he would refuse to wear glasses if he needed them. An ECV is just a tool like glasses. With that, he shouldn't need anything else. Oh, and be sure to stay hydrated.

Read the FAQs at the top of this board for lots and lots of accurate information!!!

 

[Fishy&2guppies]

We do have a wheelchair for him. Since we will be driving we can take it with us. We can bring our own wheelchair in to the parks can't we. Sorry for all of the questions. I'm trying to read up and take notes. This is all new to us.

 

[SueM in MN]

Just time for a quick reply. Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Post 6 of that thread is about Guest Assistance Cards.

That said, the bigger problem than attractions for most people is just getting around from place to place. Besides bringing his own wheelchair, you may also want to look into renting an ECV (electric mobility scooter) for him. That way he could be more independent and not have to worry about someone pushing him.
There is more information on post 2 of the FAQs.

Since he was just diagnosed 2 months ago, everything is pretty new and overwhelming. Hopefully in 2 months, he will have started some effective medication that can help with his symptoms. My son in law has MS and is in a clinical trial of an oral medication that seems to be very effective ( his has not been released yet, but there is another one that just came out). There are some exciting new advances and I hope they work for your husband.

 

[sb682]

When are you going in the fall? If it's early fall (September), he will probably have more trouble with heat sensitivity. Late October and November are cooler and much more tolerable.

My husband was diagnosed about 4 years ago and we took our first trip to WDW since his diagnosis this February. He was completely against renting an ECV or getting a GAC, which made me worry, but he did VERY well and felt great during and after the trip. Things that helped him:

- We did most of our touring right after park opening and in the evening. Our 3-year-old needed a daily nap anyway, so we the left parks around lunchtime and went back to our hotel for a few hours. We either slept or laid in bed and watched TV. The crowds and heat are worst midday, so we avoided both and were much happier.
- He started walking a few weeks before our trip. He found that even walking a mile or so at a moderate pace helped him prepare for all the walking you do at DW. Most people average 8 or more miles in a day, so be prepared for that. I don't know how your husband's mobility has been affected, but if he can do any walking, it will help.
- We followed the touring suggestions from EasyWDW and got Fastpasses whenever possible. The crowds were average-sized (we were there right after President's Day and during the Princess Half Marathon) but we never waited more than 20 minutes for anything. A GAC will not let you skip the line, and you can end up waiting just as long as everyone else in the standby line, if not longer. Using Fastpasses wisely will cut down significantly on your waiting.
- In general, he doesn't like to complain and sucks it up when he is fatigued or experiencing some spasticity. He will power through it, especially if it's something our son is enjoying, and then be miserable. I told him that I wanted ALL of us to enjoy our vacation, so he needed to tell me when he really needed a break. We would sit down in the shade or a CS restaurant when he needed to. We also brought Brita water bottles so we could refill them anywhere, and he drank tons of water.
- Wear moisture-wicking clothes, a hat and comfortable shoes. If he has a cooling vest, bring it. If not, buy a Frogg Togg towel from Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond and keep it in your park bag. Lowering your temperature by even a few degrees can help stave off issues if you have MS.
- Our condo had a soaking tub, and he loves to take a warm bath with Epsom salts after a long day. I bought some small bags of eucalyptus-scented salts at Dollar Tree and packed them with us. I ended up using them, too.

 

[Fishy&2guppies]

Thank you to everyone for the helpful tips and information. We are going in November and we normally do go first thing in the morning and then take breaks in the afternoon. Since our children are still young, we are not out late at night either. Hopefully he will learn his limits and know when he needs to rest and what he can do as the summer goes by. We go often enough that we have talked to our kids and explained that we will probably not be able to do everything we normally do but we will be back and can do the things we missed the next time. I'm guessing he will not even want a GAC card and will want to just wait in the standby line, and just take a lot of breaks.

He is on clinical trial but was selected to try the injection medication instead of the oral.

 

[Mama Who]

Different ways my GAC has been treated by a CM:

1. Enter through the exit, get on immediately. (Rare, tends to happen on 1 or 2 specific attractions)

2. Enter through exit, wait a while- often the amount of time the stand by line is, sometimes longer.

3. Enter through FastPass line, no special waiting area, just go through like I had a FP.

4. "You know, stand by is only about 5-10 minutes, does that work for you?"


There's no way of guaranteeing how a given ride will accommodate a GAC at any given moment. The CM will use their judgement to make it work.

Get the GAC, but plan to use FastPass and a good touring strategy whenever possible- that's often more helpful for the sort of challenges MS presents.

 

[ttintagel]

With most rides, there's a CM stationed outside; when you're using the wheelchair, he or she should see you and direct you where to go.

 

[kimysbug]

I think the first year with MS is the toughest, the not knowing, the new meds, dr visits.

If he has a wheelchair, by all means bring it, even if he never uses it.

Check his meds, my husbands meds make him
Photophobic, meaning he burns very easy and needs to wear a hat, lots of reapply of sums team and lots of water.

It's amazing on when your forced to slow down, all the cool and shady places you can find.

 

[lhall7]

I was diagnosed with MS just over a year ago. I have been to Disney three times since diagnosed. The first time was just 2 months after I was diagnosed and I was very unsure about getting the GAC, but did and have the other trips as well. I KNOW that I could not make it without it. I don't use it for every ride, but I know that I have it if I need it. I am so very grateful that I do have this option as it has been very helpful to me. I too look very "normal" but it is hard to explain how I feel and certainly no one can see how bad I feel at times. That is both a curse and a blessing.

 

[Belle1997]

Suggestion to deal with the heat. I use a wash cloth and wet it in cold water and stick in on the top of my head under my baseball cap. You can also look for cool ties. You put them around your neck. Really helps to cool a person down.

Use a mister too.

I have MS and I would suggestion renting a scooter. If you are driving and worried about the size get a travel scooter. It comes apart and can be put in a trunk of a car. Total weight is @100 pounds but taken apart the heaviest piece is the battery weighing @30 pounds. Since you have kids pushing him and trying to look after kids will be tiring and stressful. The travel scooter fits in most lines. It is extremely easy to take apart can be done in under a minute.

I would ask for a GAC for the heat. If there is a line on the outside they can try and have you wait a shaded area.

Have a great time.