And so it begins again!

And the portable oxygen is set!! Though not covered by insurance and quite the price tag ($150 rental for the week. Oof). But because she needs “continuous flow” that was our only option.

The thing is small, and weighs only 10 lbs any idea where to stick it on the scooter? My first thought is to just add a basket to the rental, which I think would be ok, but I’m not sure if the basket can handle 10+ pounds in it all day. Something I’ll have to ask them if no one has a better idea on where to stick this thing.

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This article gives a great step-by-step of pre-park opening procedure and routes when you have a breakfast reservation. You’ll have different goals and timing, but it will help you understand what the access points are.
https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/review-be-our-guest-breakfast-with-seven-dwarfs-mine-train-rope-drop-3818/

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Perfect! Exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks!!

Now that my mom has officially begun her treatments, she’s become way more fatigued than I anticipated, and even more confused about moderate tasks. So much so that her piloting an ecv is now something I have concerns about. Unless this phase magically evaporates in the next few days(yeah, right) I’m thinking a wheelchair(or using the transport chair I just bought) while in the parks is the better option. I’m just dreading her plowing through a crowd because she got confused about the controls or some kid darts out in front of her and she’s not fast enough on the brake.

So just how tiring are those things to push around? I’m fairly fit and my mom is 155lbs soaking wet, and I don’t expect us to really to be racing around and we’ll be taking a lot of breaks. The only true obstacle I’m imagining is the hills at AK (I don’t think there’s any other obvious hills anywhere).

What would be perfect is a chair that I can manually push around and has a small motor that kicks in for the hills. But apparently no one seems to offer that.

Sorry to hear about your Mum, I hope you manage a trip together, it will be a lovely memory for you both

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I’m willing to kicking in for that oxygen rental if it helps. Pm me your address and $50 coming your way!

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Hahah you are awesome and thank you so much for offering :hugs:, but I couldn’t ask ya to do that. Especially not with what you’re facing yourself. I was just rather verbally scratching my head on why insurance wouldn’t pick that up, but the cost isn’t that bad considering. Besides, the cost will be made up by me switching to a manual wheelchair anyway. :smile:

I think that losing the ecv will actually make it easier to get around. Those things are big and awkward. You will get pooped at points with the pushing, but the idea was to go slow anyway and soak in the atmosphere, and take frequent breaks. So pushing the wheelchair might keep you more on your mom’s pace. And it will keep you moving as a unit instead of you trying to walk with the scooter, which is hard.

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yeah, the more I think about it, the more advantages I’m seeing over the ecv in terms of control and even flexibility (like being able to ride the railroad in MK properly). If she was still a competent driver, I’d feel a bit better, but she’s not and I don’t. A manual chair will ease my stress, so I think that’s a major plus.

Juuuust not looking forward to AK as much now lol

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My sister got an EVC at DLR because she hurt her foot and needed crutches. We would have been much better off if we had gotten a wheel chair. She had trouble operating it and ran into countless people which in turn stressed her out, which in turn made her cranky and made the trip a bit unbearable. People don’t see EVCs and walk right in front of them, however I believe this is dramatically reduced for wheel chairs due to the fact that someone at eye level is pushing them and makes them more noticeable.

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Our first trip to WDW was right after my 16 yr old son had ACL surgery. We also had a 1 yr and 3yr old. We pushed a wheelchair and a double stroller all through the park. It really wasn’t that bad and much more flexible than an EVC. Main Street has a slope that you don’t notice until you push a wheelchair or heavier stroller through.
If possible try to get a wheelchair with a spot or hook to put the oxygen. We just a a simple wheelchair (actually picked it up from bell services at Riverside for free) and it did not have any sort of hook for our son’s crutches. He was really tired of just having to hold them all the time but needed them to transfer to rides.

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Damn. :cry:

Mom took a serious turn for the worse this past weekend. The chemo hit her so hard that on Saturday she began sleeping most of the day, stopped eating and drinking almost all together, and by Tuesday I ended up having to have her checked into the hospital because she could no longer walk without falling and needed 24hr monitoring. She still isn’t eating and still can’t walk on her own. This has lead to the likely conclusion that she will not be returning to her home. I’m supposed to have a meeting with a social worker tomorrow to determine next steps. It seems like Rehab and then Hospice is the likely progression. Her health continues to decline even though she’s being pumped full of fluids and antibotics. Her doctor says she won’t be able to handle another round of chemo in her current condition.

I’m hoping by me posting this the usual turn of events of “posted too soon, everything you expected is now wrong” happens, but it looks like she won’t be able to go come May.

I’m still not canceling anything yet because there is still 6 weeks until the trip and if she bounces back within 4, we’ll go… but with the current situation, I’ll be shocked if she makes it to May.

I’ve since come to terms with all this(for the most part), and so long as she’s not in pain, I’m ok. It’s just when I go home from the hospital and see the new suitcase I bought her for this trip sitting there, and then thinking about everything we had wanted to do on the trip, I lose it.

As always, I’m sorry to bring the forum down like this and I know this is long, but I needed a place to “vent”. Thanks for slogging through this in a place that is supposed to be a place to learn how to enjoy the Most Magical Place On Earth.

I’m so sorry. It’s heartbreaking when a loved one diminishes so quickly. I do hope she finds strength to rally, and if she doesn’t, that she feels little pain. I’m sure she knows you are there with her and love her.

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I am so sorry to hear this! Please keep us updated, and if you need a virtual hug or funny stories, or someone to cry with- we are here.

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I’m very sorry to hear this. I hope she improves!

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Man! I am so very sorry. I will continue to root for the two of you and hope for the rally that will get you two on your trip. Cancer really SUCKS!!!

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Many thoughts and prayers with you. I recently went through this with a family member- it is so difficult. My advice is to just try to soak up your time with her.

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My thoughts are with you, it is such a heart-breaking situation. The important thing is to enjoy the time you have left with your mother. Meanwhile, please do keep posting updates, there are many of us thinking of the two of you.

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There are no words that can remove the burden you’re feeling.

Nevertheless, please know that we care and are here for you. We’re glad you’re reaching out.

While we are all hopeful that your mom will, indeed, rally and make it back to the World, we understand that there’s heartache and heartbreak happening now. Please keep updating us, when you have the energy; I’m sure that you’re being fully sapped by the day-to-day.

You might consider, once the future becomes clear, in ways that it is not right now, that you keep one of your trips on the books, take a picture of your Mom with you, and include here in the trip that way as you celebrate her life and her love of things Disney. It may help, and it may not - but it’s an idea for the future.

Gratified to walk with you as much as we can.

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I am so sorry. I started off higher in the thread and when I got to this part, my heart is breaking for you. You have many positive thoughts and wishes being sent your way. You and your mom are lucky to have each other and I hope that love will help you to overcome whatever comes your way.

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