So, thank God, Dad was going to be okay. But, we were going to have to re-evaluate our vacation plans going forward.
We had lots of questions, and not a lot of answers, until he could be cleared and advised by doctors: would he even be allowed to go at all? Was he allowed to fly on a plane, or were we going to have to drive? (This would result in a 8 hour drive to the wedding, and a 20 hour drive from the wedding to Disney, which would significantly change our plans) Was being out on the open seas on the cruise going to be okay? Would the parks be too much for him? Would we need to get an ECV for him? Lots to think of, lots to consider, but we decided to keep our eyes forward, and keep planning as if nothing had changed. If a major shift would have to occur, we'd cross that bridge later.
Even though we didn't know what the results to all of those concerns would be, one thing we knew for sure was that a lot of the major rides would be off limits, due to Disney's recommendations and our own peace of mind. The one biggie that he wanted to do was Splash Mountain, which does have those warnings. But, to my Mom's chagrin, my sister the nurse, said he would probably be alright with that ride. He's been on it before, so he knows what to expect, and there isn't a lot of quick turns or scary moments. So, that may be his one pass. Everything else- Test Track, Space Mountain, Everest, etc - we are putting our foot down on.
Prior to this, even though we were outside the FP window, we had come up with our game plan for getting Fastpasses. With 5 adults and 1 infant, we had come up with a system of FPs and child swaps so intricate and complex that even the most seasoned Disney veteran would weep in awe. With Dad, the child swap really wasn't all that necessary, other than the bonus of doubling up on Fastpasses. Also, we really needed to save his FP for things he would actually be able to ride on, which means the rest of us would probably need to do the same as him. If he has a FP for Dumbo, but the rest of us have to wait in standby, there would really be no point. So, our FP game plan had to change a little.
Also, if you recall, my Dad's ONE request was Cooke's of Dublin. Fried fish and chips. Fried. Deep fried. My Dad's cardiologist and nutritionist made it pretty clear that his diet was going to change. At this point, we didn't know how much. But, fried fish and chips probably weren't going to be on the menu, unfortunately for him. So, we'd also need to focus on healthy options and meals. While we didn't have concrete plans for most of our meals yet, and we probably won't until we get there, it is still something to think about during the planning process- checking menus for appropriate items, knowing which eateries were okay and off-limits. It would add a wrinkle to our plans, but I will take that wrinkle any day over the alternative.
In the meantime, our planning had shifted to the cruise portion of our vacation. This was later in July, and our date for booking experiences was August 6th. So, we discussed some cruise possibilities. It is a 3-nighter, which I think we'll be okay with. We've done 7. We've done 4. 3 nights wouldn't be our preference, I don't think. But, we are experienced enough to know what we can do and can't do. While sitting in the lobby of the hospital, I logged on to our cruise's FB page, and was thrilled to see that the cruise was going to offer Palo brunch and a Pirate Night buffet. These aren't extremely common on 3-night cruises, and we weren't expecting to have them, especially the brunch, so that added a little more to think about.
None of us really care for Nassau all that much. However, there is a Hilton within walking distance of the ship you can get a day-pass for. There's a pool and a beach and hammocks and a great view of the ship for pictures, and it includes your meals and drinks and all that. Mom and Dad were planning to stay on the ship in Nassau anyway, so one thought was to let them have Noah that day, and Jess, Steve, and I could maybe go to the Hilton for a few hours. But, the way our cruise is set up, we go to Castaway Cay first and Nassau second. So, if we get our fill on enjoying fun in the sun in paradise, the Hilton may not be all that necessary. And, how can you top Castaway Cay? So, we put the Hilton plans on the back burner as a maybe yes, maybe no for now.
They also have a Princess gathering and a meet and greet with Anna and Elsa (and Olaf, I believe) on the ship to sign up for as well. This is something that would affect our WDW side of things, because we wouldn't have a need to do those character interactions on land, if we could do them at sea, and that would free up more time for other things to do. I know it's typically for girls, but I couldn't wait to see all the Princesses with the handsomest prince I know, my nephew Noah. Anyway, we hammered out a lot of the little things- dining times, show times, etc. and were more than ready for when August 6th came around. All we had to do was wait.
On Friday July 22, less than a full 8 days after my Dad had a massive cardiac arrest, with 99% blockage, he walked out of the hospital. Well, he didn't walk, because I don't think they let you walk anymore. He was wheeled out of the hospital. But anyway...he was released from ICU to an inpatient rehab, where he was supposed to be for 3-5 days. But, after a half day of rehab, they decided he was too much to handle and kicked his butt out. To celebrate, that Sunday, Jessie and the baby came up to visit. After nothing but fast food, take out, and hospital food, it was nice to sit down to a meal with family. I grilled some chicken and vegetables and prepared a healthy menu. I fixed a greek yogurt rather than mayonnaise based cole slaw, and everyone hated it. Lol. Healthy food is hard.
But, most of the afternoon was spent, as it usually is, planning for Disney. This time, it was less planning and more gushing over the wonderful times we've had in the past and the wonderful times yet to come. We talked about the rides we're excited for, the experiences we're excited for Noah to have, food we're excited to try. So many people think of Disney planning as stressful, and to some, I'm sure it can be. And, even for myself, it can be not as fun at times. But, most of the time, for us at least, it is joyful. It's this feeling of hope and anticipation and memories and love all at the same time.
As Jessie was leaving, she changed Noah for his trip home. After eating and playing all afternoon, he was naturally a little yucky. What happened next would once again change the course of our trip.
Yup. That's right. My sister's pregnant.
He really, reeeeeealllly loved it. To me, it has more of a Moderate feel than Deluxe, BUT for people like my folks who are spending less time at the parks and more time lazing the day away at the pool or browsing the shops at DTD, the location can't be beat. The proximity to the DTD bus stop, for access to a bus to the Swan and Dolphin made this one a definite contender.
That's how I roll.
-> 
There had been a 99% blockage. In fact, they had lost his pulse 2-4 times on the way to the hospital. Luckily, there were no other blockages that they found, and the stent procedure went as standard as possible. The cardiologist told us that the biggest issue was brain damage. Typically, for those that come through a cardiac arrest, brain damage is not uncommon. They were going to do a treatment to try to preserve brain function, but we were made aware he had an uphill battle.
