Forums Closed
|
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
|
|
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
|
 |
|
08-04-2006, 11:49 AM
|
#1
|
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Metairie, Louisiana
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 1,596
|
Question about kids\' multiple surgeries - kind of long
This is a 2-part question for the parents out there who have had kids go through many surgeries. (I know there are a few of you.)
My 4 year old DS has scoliosis and just got out of the hospital after a surgery to lengthen the growing rod that he has in his back. It was supposed to be a simple procedure, but it did not go as planned. When the doctor made the adjustment on the lower part of the rod something happened with the top part's placement. When they looked at his post-op x-ray, he noticed the top screw looked like it had moved slightly. Since that screw is so close to his spinal cord (and he didn't want to risk paralysis) they took him back to the operating room and had to remove the entire rod until he could get the right equipment ordered to make sure it stays where it should. So here are my questions:
First, how have your kids handled being in the hospital so many times? Do they remember them all? This is David's 3rd time.
Second, how do you handle it? I did okay with the first 2 because I know they were helping him. But after this last one when they took out the rod that was helping, I feel like he went through the first 2 for nothing.
We are waiting for his follow up on Tuesday August 8 to see how soon he needs to back and have the rod put back in.
Any pixies you can spare for my little guy are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for listening. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 12:01 PM
|
#2
|
Community Rank: Explorer 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Near a Tower of Terror at the moment...
Posts: 13,884
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] on the way!
We haven't had the multiple surgeries, but my now 10yo has spent several night hooked up to stomach pumps, IVs, CT scans, etc. She did have her tonsils/adenoids out. Yes, she does remember every bit, but I think that's part of who she is (she remembers what she ate for breakfast the day we brought youngest DD home from the hospital and she was 2 1/2! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/jawdrop.gif[/img]) She's a trooper, but the last time, the tube going down into her stomach finally made her cry. It was heart-wrenching. I tend to put my brain in what DH calls "commander in chief" mode so that I keep it together and I can focus on DD getting better. I get angry/frustrated when something is unnecessarily done or the docs stand there with no answers, but I'm a "what's next" person...try not to dwell on what's happened and keep a focus on what's next. It's also important for me to remember that medicine is not God, and there are mistakes and mysteries, not just miracles and as long as we are all on the same page and making forward progress in the scheme of things, it will be OK.
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 01:02 PM
|
#3
|
Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ohio Football Hall Of Fame
Posts: 42,304
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 01:22 PM
|
#4
|
Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Southampton, U.K.
Posts: 8,125
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 01:58 PM
|
#5
|
Community Rank: Adventurer 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Northeast, USA
Posts: 673
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 02:42 PM
|
#6
|
Community Rank: Legend 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Dreaming of the Future
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 24,867
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
No advice but i'm sending some [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] to help get you through!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
Sponsored links
 | | PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World
It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book!
Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95. |
|
|
08-04-2006, 02:59 PM
|
#7
|
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
|
Re: Question about kids\' multiple surgeries - kind of long
Many pixies coming your (and David's) way! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
Those first two surgeries were not wasted. Think of all the time he has spent with is spine getting lined up since that first one. And even if the second didn't work out as planned....it may be that it was what caught the defect in the upper part of the rod...not what caused it. That's thinking positive.
My sister had several surgeries as a little girl. The only thing that she really remembers is the beeping noise of the monitors. It made it really hard for her to watch The Six Million Dollar Man years later because of the beeping in the opening credits of the show.
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 03:00 PM
|
#8
|
Community Rank: Adventurer
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Massachusetts/ near Boston
Posts: 738
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] My DD was just a baby and doesn't remember any of it!! That is a good thing. I on the other hand remember all too well. I do remember trying to stay positive, a little denial (okay a lot of denial) and a feeling of being on auto-pilot. The waiting is the worst.
Good luck!! I hope your DS is feeling better soon. Try to stay positive [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 03:08 PM
|
#9
|
Community Rank: Trailblazer 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Chicago Illinois
Posts: 5,421
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
Sorry I don't have any advice, but wanted to send tons of pixies your way. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 03:13 PM
|
#10
|
Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Northern New England
Posts: 12,249
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
If your son's surgeries are at a Children's hospital, they will likely have child life workers who assist the chidlren in understanding the surgeries, coping with them and also keeping occupied while in the hospital. If not talk to social services about a referral to help you and him through this difficult time.
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 03:19 PM
|
#11
|
Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Indiana , USA
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 26,527
|
Re: Question about kids\' multiple surgeries - kind of long
Hi Kim,
My older DD Samantha has had 25 surgeries, and spent a total of about 5 years in hospitals all over the country. (in spurts of anywhere between 5 days and 9 months)
She also had scoliosis (caused by a spinal cord injury), and had the rods, had them revised, had them removed, had them replaced, revised, revised, removed, replaced (she kept having severe problems with them actually coming unattached and causing wounds) If I had the rods to do all over again, I'd still do it.
7. Try to make it fun. If he's going to be in hospital for longer than 2 or 3 days, put up christmas lights (makes it cheerful for the staff too), put up a poster of his favorite Disney character, bring a pillow case from home. Also and this may be the most important thing: Make FRIENDS with the staff. Bring donuts in the AM, order a pizza for them, bring them flowers just for the heck of it. Thank them for anything and everything, and make sure they know you appreciate their care of your son. They will be more tempted to check on him and spend time and be friendly if they know how much you appreciate them. This will make him happier, and not scared of them. (we still keep in touch with some of DD's original nurses - 16 years later)
But, your ? is not about that, it's about handling it. Samantha was 6 when she was injured. She remembers being in the hospital, but not every detail. She took it all in stride, and looks back on it with fondness (weird kid).
She has a stuffed Wrinkles dog that my dad gave her years before her injury, and she has taken him to every hospitilazation. Her surgeons used to actually take him with her into surgery, and then set him just outside and give him to her immediately after wards. That helped, a familiar "friend".
Other things that helped:
1. We made sure that she knew she was there for the Dr.s to help her, and the nurses were there to take care of her. We NEVER made her feel as if she had to have us there to be okay.
2. Likewise, we made sure she knew she had the right to ask questions, to say she wanted to wait for a "stick" until mom or dad could be there, and that if there were a nurse or aide that she just didn't like, she could (nicely) ask that that person not take care of her.
3. We never hid anything from her. She knew at 6 what all her meds were, what they did, what her surgeries were, etc. It's her that had to live through all this, it just wouldn't be fair to suddenly one day say "Hey, you're having surgery tomorrow".
4. Our DD's friends, cousins, and siblings came to the hospital to visit. We made sure there were things at the bedside for them all to play with like Uno cards, barbies, play-doh, beads for stringing, etc.
5. We never acted like anything she was going through was a big deal. She has told me since that she thought everyone had all this stuff, since we didn't sit around and cry and say things like "Why us, why our baby?" My more often question was "Why not us?" - what makes me or my daughter so special that I think we should be spared pain and heartache over someone else. OH, I cried and screamed, but I did that when she wasn't around.
6. YOU need to take a break from the hospital sometimes. It gets too stressful after a while if you never just go out and enjoy yourself, and your DS will pick up on it. My DSis and her now DH used to come to the hospital every week or two from out of state, just so that DH and I could go out to a movie, sleep at home, and actually take a shower in our own bath.
Sorry my answer is so long, but I tried to cover it all. If you have any other questions, just PM me.
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 03:23 PM
|
#12
|
Community Rank: Jetsetter 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Alabama
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 2,284
|
Re: Question about kids\' multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
Danielle
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 04:31 PM
|
#13
|
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Northern NV
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 12,516
|
Re: Question about kids\' multiple surgeries - kind of long
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 09:45 PM
|
#14
|
|
Living Seas wannabe
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
|
Re: Question about kids\' multiple surgeries - kind of long
Lots of [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] for DS and you!
|
|
|
|
|
08-04-2006, 09:50 PM
|
#15
|
|
Batman's Gal/Mickey's Pal
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Owensboro, KY USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 95,254
|
Re: Question about multiple surgeries - kind of long
Stefanie has had 30+ surgeries (so many we've quit counting). She does remember some of them and vows now she will never have any more. Now that she is older we have had to be very open with her about what is going to happen and why she has to have the surgery. As far as it goes for the Mom, at for me, it never gets any easier to allow them to wheel her away.
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
Sponsored links
| | PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World
It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book!
Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95. |
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
