VWL Lovers & Groupies thread: It all started with a Moose

[jimmytammy]

MissFitt

Glad you had a wonderful time! And glad you enjoyed that wonderful place we refer to as the Lodge. As Muushka said, you are more than welcome to join us as kindred spirits.

 

[stopher1]

In such a difficult time, it is so hard, we went through a similar but different situation with my FIL, does he have 24/7 care or do they just come in a few times a week? I only ask because if you need 24/7 care, I could help you out with an OC agency that is the most affordable company around. Believe me, we went through quite a few agencies!

I know how hard it is, and it just makes it worse that you live so far away. At least we only lived 4-5 blocks away. Although perhaps living far away can be a blessing and a curse.

Thanks Alison, that's very kind to offer. My BIL is there full time with him, and is very thankful that the care givers will be in 3x per week. Originally they were only going to come in 2x, but my DW, SIL and BIL determined 3x would be better and made that request. The company they are using allow up to 7x (once per day). After my DW returns home, my BIL said he'll play it by ear and up the amount if needed. My guess is he will go with 4 or 5 after she leaves.

And you've got it right - being so far away definitely is both!

 

[eliza61]

Yes, you won't get any argument out of us folks about our beloved.

Pull up a rocking chair and sit with us a spell. And if you feel inclined, grab yourself our Moosie.
I'll bet he would look mighty handsome on you.

This was posted over on another board. Good fun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of7_K1e_x3Y

cool video. I remember this show!! Look how young Jerry Lewis was!!

 

[Inkmahm]

Jimmy, I've been trying to find them outside of disney for the longest. I also want those car details of families in Mickey ears. The ones you can pretty much customize for your family. I saw that on a car the other day.

My DH has our family in Mickey ears on the back of his Pacifica- it is DH, me, DDog and two Dcats. We love them!

 

[Inkmahm]

Anybody here ever done Keys to the Kingdom Tour? We are seriously considering doing it this Dec., kids are over 16 now. Also saw the Backstage Magic Tour, and it looks interesting, but 7 plus hrs may be beyond what we could handle

Any thoughts on the tours?

DH and I have done both tours and loved them both. I'd start with the Keys to the Kingdom tour this time and then do the Backstage Magic Tour in the future. There are a few repeats on that one from things that you see on the KTTK tour, but you'll be happy to see them again.

 

[Inkmahm]

Oooooooo! I didn't know that. I love that chowder. It's very authentic N.E. chowder. Thick, creamy, & full of chunks of potatoes & clams. Yum! We've never been to Columbia Harbor House, but I'm putting it on the list for the next trip in 23 more days!!!!

My DH loves that chowder, too. He's from PA originally and laughs at some of the things that pass for clam chowder in WI. Airtran just had a one day sale this week for $50 one way fares to several cities, including Boston. For my DH's Christmas present, we are going to Boston for a few days at the beginning of Nov so that he can get decent chowder. We both love the fresh seafood so I"m looking forward to it, too! The advantage of STILL being unemployed is being able to schedule extra vacations. I'll miss that when I'm back to the grind in an office.

We had lunch at the Columbia Harbor House on our tour, too. You get lunch on the Backstage tour, also, but I honestly don't remember where we ate.

 

[bobbiwoz]

8 of us did the Keys to the Kingdom tour, and most of us found it very enjoyable. For the one who didn't, our younger DS, it turned him off to Disney even more so. I've only gotten him back twice now, since we took the tour in 2001, and at that, it was really as a "Favor" to me. He does say that if he has children, I will be allowed to bring them! He gets married this November, so I'm hoping!! Meanwhile, I take what I can, the other DS/DDiL enjoy WDW as much as we do, and a DGS things VWL is his favorite place on earth!

I have a friend who will be taking the longer tour in December with her DD, maybe they will be with your group!

Bobbi

 

[Inkmahm]

Stopher

Hospice is a wonderful org. to have. Our local has been so great to our family in the past. Sounds like it is working well in your FILs care also. So glad he is able to be home, see the sights that make him happy. Continued prayers for all your folks.

I agree. I'm not sure what people did before hospice care. I know my great aunt used one of the first hospice care facilities in our area back in the late 1970's. My grandfather was the first in our family to use it in 1986. Back then, a worker moved in with you and stayed with you. I had to give up my bedroom for the worker to have a place to stay. By 2004 when we used home hospice for my dad, they were so much better organized and so helpful. We had hospice for him for less than a week since he went downhill so fast, but we really appreciated those days. Without the help, dad would have had to die in the hospital. It was easier on him AND us for him to be at home.

Prayers all around for those going through the tough times now.

 

[Muushka]

Christopher, you and your family are in my prayers.
Having just gone through this via my dear friend, it is a very difficult situation.

I agree. I'm not sure what people did before hospice care. I know my great aunt used one of the first hospice care facilities in our area back in the late 1970's. My grandfather was the first in our family to use it in 1986. Back then, a worker moved in with you and stayed with you. I had to give up my bedroom for the worker to have a place to stay. By 2004 when we used home hospice for my dad, they were so much better organized and so helpful. We had hospice for him for less than a week since he went downhill so fast, but we really appreciated those days. Without the help, dad would have had to die in the hospital. It was easier on him AND us for him to be at home.

Prayers all around for those going through the tough times now.

I can tell you what one person did back in 1976.
It was my X-husband's grandfather. He had CA of the pancreas (one of the worst kinds of CA). Very painful.
I remember visiting him in the hospital in such pain and at one point he begged his son-in-law to throw him out of the window. Back then they did not give pain meds like they do now. Thank goodness for Hospice.

 

[Inkmahm]

Christopher, you and your family are in my prayers.
Having just gone through this via my dear friend, it is a very difficult situation.



I can tell you what one person did back in 1976.
It was my X-husband's grandfather. He had CA of the pancreas (one of the worst kinds of CA). Very painful.
I remember visiting him in the hospital in such pain and at one point he begged his son-in-law to throw him out of the window. Back then they did not give pain meds like they do now. Thank goodness for Hospice.

It was pancreas cancer that my dad had, too. By the time we had hospice help at home, they put a morphine patch on his neck. I can't imagine suffering so much pain when they can do so much to make loved ones more comfortable.

 

[stopher1]

Stopher

Hospice is a wonderful org. to have. Our local has been so great to our family in the past. Sounds like it is working well in your FILs care also. So glad he is able to be home, see the sights that make him happy. Continued prayers for all your folks.

I agree completely. So much better than when my grandmother died of cancer 19 years ago, though her diagnosis to death period was quite short. My DW's cousin was in hospice 2 years ago, and it was a great situation for him and his wife. Way too young to go, but it was a good situation all considered.

 

[DaveH]

So ok, it's time for a little FIL update. DW has been out in CA for nearly a week now. I believe I last mentioned that he was in a convalescent home, and they were looking at hospice care. His spirits were very, very low, and a kind of depression had set in. She told me the next day after arriving, that when she walked in the room, he just got such a large grin on his face, and tears came streaming down his face. He was so very happy to see her. My BIL said he hadn't smiled in weeks.

Last Friday they (DW, BIL, SIL & FIL) had a confab with the doctors discussing next steps, etc. They did choose in-home hospice care, and so he was sent home. He's back in his condo overlooking the ocean in San Clemente, and again, his sprits lifted greatly. Atmosphere and environment have definitely helped him on that front.

On the physical front, the cancer itself is in both lungs, his liver, kidneys, bones and back. The prognosis pretty much remains the same, just a matter of months. He is taking the chemo pill, but the doctors have said it will only treat the symptoms and help slow the spreading, it won't cure him.

He's happy, and eating again. (He barely ate anything in the hospital and convalescent home, and most just came back up again). He'd lost 55 pounds, but has now put on 4 again. The hospice folks brought in a hospital bed, and set it up in the living room - which has a direct ocean view. So DW said he sits there most of the day just enjoying the view. At night he actually sleeps in his own bed instead of the hospital one. The in-home workers will be coming 3x per week to help him with various personal issues, etc, and the service has folks (volunteers) who will come to the house and read to him, play games with him, do puzzles, sing, play instruments - you name it, they pretty much have it. The whole point is to make him comfortable and happy - as happy as possible, during the next weeks & months.

She is still scheduled to fly home this Saturday, unless something happens between now and then necessitating some kind of change. She's so thrilled to be out there with him, and while I'm exhausted, I'm so thrilled to have been able to get her out there too.

Ok, that's it for now - back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Sorry for what your FIL is going through. It is great your DW got to go see him. It is great he is smiling now and eating better. We will keep you all in our prayers.

 

[Muushka]

Sorry for what your FIL is going through. It is great your DW got to go see him. It is great he is smiling now and eating better. We will keep you all in our prayers.

Thank you, Dave.

I read what Stopher wrote, but neglected to see/comprehend/appreciate the positive in the situation.

And at the end of the day, the happiness he is experiencing is what matters the most.

 

[DaveH]

Muushka my mom gave up a few years ago because she could not go home anymore. She was better off and started well. Then she just got mad at us. So hearing someone getting some pleasure in a bad situation sound so much better to me.

 

[twokats]

Ok, an update on our continuing saga.
Well, my groupie friends, I made the hardest decision I have ever had to make yesterday. Each of the last four chemo treatments have made Mom weaker and weaker and she has been such a trouper getting through it to go through it again and again. She is really bad this time and was ready to suffer and take the shots and get built up just enough to go at it again, but I prayed and prayed ( I told everyone I even talked to my Dad at the same time, lost him in '75) for two days and when we saw the Dr yesterday, I waited til he had checked everything out and then I told him I thought Mom needed a break from the chemo. I said, she can't take anymore right now and needs a break to get some strength until at least the first of next year. He agreed, so that is where we are.
We will start treatments up again in January and do what she can and when she starts getting weak, then I feel I will ask for another break and so forth and so on. That will be our life until the disease finally wins. I just did not see why she should die from the cure before the disease actually got her. But is was oh so hard to do.
Thank ya'll for your thoughts, prayer and pixie/moose dust. Now we will really start looking forward to the cruise in December which according to my countdown is only 104 days until we leave!!!

 

[DaveH]

Ok, an update on our continuing saga.
Well, my groupie friends, I made the hardest decision I have ever had to make yesterday. Each of the last four chemo treatments have made Mom weaker and weaker and she has been such a trouper getting through it to go through it again and again. She is really bad this time and was ready to suffer and take the shots and get built up just enough to go at it again, but I prayed and prayed ( I told everyone I even talked to my Dad at the same time, lost him in '75) for two days and when we saw the Dr yesterday, I waited til he had checked everything out and then I told him I thought Mom needed a break from the chemo. I said, she can't take anymore right now and needs a break to get some strength until at least the first of next year. He agreed, so that is where we are.
We will start treatments up again in January and do what she can and when she starts getting weak, then I feel I will ask for another break and so forth and so on. That will be our life until the disease finally wins. I just did not see why she should die from the cure before the disease actually got her. But is was oh so hard to do.
Thank ya'll for your thoughts, prayer and pixie/moose dust. Now we will really start looking forward to the cruise in December which according to my countdown is only 104 days until we leave!!!

This is so hard. We will keep you all in our prayers.

 

[Granny]

Just adding my continuing prayers for all Groupies and their families to help them through these challenging times.

 

[Nicoal13]

Prayers for all the groupies and their families. So many rough times for you all.

Hospice is wonderful. My best friend worked in hospice for many years and I've always admired her for it, what a tough job to do, but what a wonderful thing they do and try to make it easier on all involved.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm sorry to read about so many sad times in families. I keep you all in my prayers.

Bobbi

 

[Anna114]

Dave I am so sorry for what you are going through. I did in-home hospice for my mother, last year. It was the best thing for her! While we knew she was dying (she was in a bit of denial) I know that it made the end for her as good as it could be. My father, who we also lost last year (3 months earlier) it was a better option for him to be in the hospital. It's so different for each patient. Good luck and praying for you and your family.