acruisingpeach23

Hey all. I feel terrible for not updating. I got sick lol...I'm only laughing cause l..well you all know why...and then a new boss who has taken control of my life.

A lot of late nights (like tonight).

I swear one of these days i will update this review :)

I also have a follow up with the Pulmonologist on tuesday to see my pet scan.

Oh yeah can I just mention how expensive it is to have medical problems :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

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Hey everyone!!! I'm still here :)

Ok so let's go back to the review.

so Saturday night after we ate at Ocean Blue, we checked out the cigar bar. It is on deck 8 with seating inside and outside.

I heard a lot of complaints about how small it was....and I actually agree. The cigar bar seating was very limited.

When we did sit there, however, we had awesome conversations with people from all over the place.

We then walked around the ship to get a feel for what was aboard and to get ourselves familiar with the ship.

For some reason the first night I never can stay awake very late so we called it a night.

Sunday-- June 8th, sea day.

When I woke up I really wanted to check out the buffett. I went to grab my mom and sister and we headed upstairs.

I was starvings. Mmmmm the smell of bacon and sausage and plain old grease really made me hungry.

Of course I couldn't eat any of it so I settled on fresh fruit and boiled eggs (I didn't eat the yolk).

Everyone else ate eggs, bacon, sausage, pastries, potatoes, and drank coffee.

I had to drink water :rolleyes:

After breakfast we decided to go to the shops. In the perfume/cosmetic shop they were doing a free testing with one of the spa machines and we decided us girls wanted to try it.

We signed up and went back to the room.

My boyfriend wanted to go to the gym so so I decided to take a nap.

I slept alot on this vacation. I think my body was just in shock that I wasn't eating and I literally needed all the rest I could get.

After my nap I decided to look up the menu for LA Cucina and oh my it looked so good. Of course I wanted the lobster fettuccine and of course I couldn't eat it. LOL

I also found out we had reservations at the ice bar. I thought wow this should be cold and boring lol since I couldn't drink either.

Ok my lunch break is over. I'll be back to finish up sunday and start Monday in a little while :)

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I just want you all to know your prayers, well wishes, positive vibes, virtual hugs and kisses, and more worked :D

I got my results and it was negative!!!

Ahhhh :D :D :D

I do have to watch them now. The Pulmonologist will follow up with me in 4 weeks to show me the PET and to discuss options for future tests if needed.

Can everyone on this thread come on a cruise with me so I can hug you all!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL even though I don't know you personally, I can tell you are all genuine with your words.

I will try to respond individually to everyone and maybe

ACTUALLY review my CRUISE!!!

I'm so relieved!!! Eeekkk (happy eek)

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I was able to go to my pet scan today. Actually I'm here right now.

I have to sit in a room by myself for an hour because I'm radioactive.

I already cried about 5 times.

I also was told anything bad will light up so I know the whole time I'm under the scanner I will be thinking if I am lighting up like a Christmas tree.

I think this feeling is worse than the feeling I had about the gallbladder surgery.

I know I haven't responded to everyone but I have read all your posts and if I could hug you through my phone I would.

All of your words have kept me going.

I didn't even google like so many have suggested.:D

I will update later :)

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Well now I may not be able to get it done tomorrow.

Since my insurance already gave authorization to one facility for the 25th they are refusing another one for tomorrow.

The two doctors offices are trying to get this resolved but it's almost 3 so I'm pretty sure it's not happening.

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Thank you everyone :)

So I sorta got an answer.

My Pulmonologist said my lungs are perfect. No nodules and my breathing capacity is at 100%.

So he isn't even sure what the surgeon saw that would have been a cause for concern to begin with.

But....

The results from the CT scan were that I have two abnormally large lymph nodes in my mediastinum.

Could be nothing, could be an infection, could be lung cancer, or lymphoma.

I am right back to where I started. Except now I know (as of today) that my lungs are perfect.

The doctor said my heart rate was over 100 due to me panicking so he ordered an emergency PET scan for me. I am going this Wednesday instead of waiting until the 25th.

I am a little annoyed that the surgeon didn't tell me that it wasn't my lungs and that it is my lymph nodes.

I wouldn't have been mad if he told me he made a mistake about the lung nodules but the fact that he ordered a PET scan because of my lymph nodes and failed to tell me that makes me a little annoyed.

I kinda figured that something else was going on when the surgeon told me I needed a PET scan.

Good news: my lungs are ok, I have a somewhat better understanding of what's going on, my pet scan was pushed up, and I like this new doctor. Oh and he also showed me my xrays.

Bad news: I still do not know if I am healthy or unhealthy or if I need a biopsy. The biopsy sounds really scary. Because it's the mediastinum, (which by the way im not a genius and learned today that the mediastinum is located near your heart...I think anyway), and therefore would require an incision at the base of your neck. Ughh too many anxious thoughts running through my mind.

He told me to un- pause my life but I can't do that.....

I will know *hopefully* weds what the pet results are.

Until then please keep those well wishes coming. :)

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Hi everyone. Sorry for not updating..I have been all caught up with work and this cloud that's hanging over me.

Today I go to the Pulmonologist and I am going to demand an answer.

I don't even care if it's a bad answer, I just want something other than "well I don't know. Take this test and that test..."

On another note I really want to book another cruise and because of this I feel like my life is on pause.

well ill come back and update with what the DR has to say..If he/she says anything at all :rolleyes:

Have a good Monday!

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The overwhelming responses I have received here have been so touching, inspiring, encouraging, and more!

I actually teared up (ok fine I cried) reading all of everyone's words!!

Whether you have been through a scare, an illness, or dropped in to be supportive I am just truly appreciative!

I will eventually respond to everyone individually but I do want everyone to know I have read all of your words!!!

Hugs and kisses to you all!

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Just wanted to tell you that I am thinking of you and wishing you sanity while you wait for your testing and results. I also agree that if the Dr. thought that it was something truly serious, they wouldn't wait weeks to do further testing.

Heaven forbid it is something serious, I want you to know that I am a 27 year cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia 2 weeks before my 16th birthday. My 43rd birthday is next month! They thought that I probably wouldn't be able to have children because of the chemotherapy, but I have a beautiful 7 year old daughter. :D

Sending hugs, strength, love, and sanity.

I am so happy for you that you are here healthy and have a beautiful 7 year old daughter.

Thank you so much for sharing your story, strength, and words of encouragement. :):):)

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Removed

I emailed you :) and thank you for sharing this. Not only for me but for anyone else who may be going through this or something similar!

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If you look at the number of "hits" this thread has, you will see how many people care about you. Chin up. I go here when I need a pep talk. Hope it helps you. Best wishes. http://positivepause.com/

Thank you so much. I will definitely take your suggestion and visit that website! :)

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{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}

Thank you :)

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I love all of your well wishes so much.

This is the whole story.

When I went for my gallbladder surgery, before I was sedated they took a chest xray.

Right before I was put under anesthesia I was told they found a small shadow on my lung. It was so close to me going under that I actually woke up crying from the surgery about my lung. The recovery nurse thought I was dreaming.

Anywho dr told me not to worry. Then I go to my follow up and am told I need a ct scan and once again not to worry

I went to the ct scan last Wednesday and found out Thursday I now need a PET scan to determine if it's cancer or not.

Apparently it's to small to biopsy.

After speaking to a member of my family who is in the medical field and looking at Google I have come to two conclusions.

1 - I am fine and this is all overkill since alot of people have small nodules on their lungs

2- the Dr already knows it's cancer and wants to see if it has spread.

And since I think at this point you all know how much of an anxious person I am, I have decided the worst.

Both of my parents have suggested I speak to a Pulmonologist and an oncologist before I subject myself to more radiation.

To be honest I can't take the not knowing.

I'm 28 no kids not married and what I think is a lot of life left for me to live.

I never have a cold more than once a year if that. The past 4 weeks have truly been hard.

It actually doesn't even seem like this is real life.

I have been writing my cruise review on paper though. It keeps my mind occupied and so does work.

My pet scan isn't until the 25th but I have the specialists next week.

I have my fingers crossed.

If anyone has advice or just words of wisdom I would appreciate it.

I just feel like there is no gray area. It's like either cancer (one extreme) or nothing. :(

Again I appreciate all your well wishes. It warms my heart that even strangers on the Internet can care.

This is why I love blogging. I'm an open person about things/experiances I go or have gone through because I feel like there are probably others out there.

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I hope all is well with you. Are you going to CMC or Presby?

Lake norman up in mooresville

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Thank you all for the support. I know this is suppose to be about cruising a d I trying to keep positive thoughts but my results came back this morning and now. I'm have to go for a pt scan.

I don't know what's going on with me but I'm scared. Of course Google has me freaking out.

If don't ever get to finish this review I just want to say it was the best cruise ever.

:(

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Hey all. I haven't forgotten. Some more medical issues have come up :/ ya know when they find one thing they find other issues.

I have to go for a CT scan tomorrow :(

So I've been freaking out about this for a few days now.

A girl who gets a cold once a year is now falling apart. :/

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I hope you have a super easy day at work tomorrow. It is really, really super rainy tonight. Best to stay in and dry!

 

I am glad that you are doing a bit better! :)

 

p.s. Where do you live in Charlotte? We are having torrential rain in Mint Hill.

I live up by northlake mall. I work in uptown though and got caught in that rain storm around 7 driving home! My job is usually a desk job but I have awesome co-workers who have been taking really good care of me in case I need to move around :)

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I love you my fellow cruisers for all of your well wishes and positive thoughts. I decide 2 days home from work was enough for me ...I can't stand daytime TV lol

I sort of kind of put myself together and returned to work on Weds. I also volunteered to work tomorrow to save some PTO.

I am still hurting but catching up at work has been keeping my mind off of it.

Tomorrow is looking like a really rainy day here in charlotte so I am confident I will actually finish this review that has taken me a year and a day to write.

I do notice I do not have alot of energy so I think that's a part of it. :(

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Saturday Night--

4pm came and left and the ship was still docked. I wondered if we were having some technical issues.

I finally decided that I needed a little nap. There was no point in staying awake for embarkation since at this point it was already 5 and we haven't heard anything.

I also called guest services and they had no idea as to why we haven't left yet but assured me everything was fine.

Our dinner reservations were at 730 so I though an hour and a half nap and an hour to get ready would work.

Before I knew it, we were headed to Ocean Blue. We requested to sit outside so we can have dinner on the waterfront.

We still had not left yet! I asked the waitress if she knew what the hold up was and she said we were missing 56 guests. I'm assuming that either NCL booked the traveling arrangements or the guests were really important like the entertainment or the captain (lol) because I'm pretty sure if I were 5 1/2 hours late, the ship would not wait for me! :)

Ah time to place our order.

I decided to go last since I had all these restrictions.

After everyone ordered it was my turn.

I told the waitress I had a list of things I couldn't eat.

She looked more than happy to help me. Well once I started rattling off my list of "can't haves", her face turned from smiley and happy to concerned and worried. She smiled at me and said I will be right back.

About 5 minutes later the maitre'D showed up and asked me to tell him exactly what I couldn't eat. I smiled and told him the same exact thing I told the waitress. He said of course, no problem.

Another few minutes passed and now the CHEF was at my table LOL. He again asked me what I couldn't eat and then really thought about it and said what would you like me to make you.

I was in a good humor because I can imagine what these people were thinking LOL so I told him to make me what he wanted to. Beggars can't be chosers.

At this point we had left port and we were laughing and having a great time. The waitress became my new best friend and made sure all of my needs were taken care of.

The food came out and everything looked delicious.

The chef actually prepared me boiled grouper with steamed vegetables. Lots of salt though. I actually found this a common theme amongst my meals all week. It was delicious salt and all LOL

Desert I had the sorbet trio. Omg the best strawberry and coconut sorbet I ever had. I'm not sure what the third flavor was but it was bitter and not my favorite. I ate it anyway :rolleyes:

After dinner we decided to walk around the ship. The chandelier was so beautiful.

I also walked alot after eating because it helped soothe my stomach.

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My daughter, who is 24 weeks pregnant, ended up in the emergency room yesterday as she was in so much pain in her stomach and lower back. Baby is fine, but she is full of gall stones and has to be on a bland diet until her son is born. She was told compared to that, labor should be a breeze.

 

Enjoying your adventure! Take care, hope you feel better. Jan

I don't have children yet but someone told me they rather go through child birth again then have another attack!!:eek:

Makes me hopeful I can handle child birth LOL.

I hope she is ok. Must be stressful to be pregnant and have a gallbladder attack.

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Thanks for the trolley info!

And...how are you feeling today??!!

Your welcome.

I'm hurting alot more than I thought. Stayed home from work today and may stay home tomorrow. I'm not sure who told me this was an easy surgery but if this is what they call easy I'm scared for a more intense one. :)

Thank goodness for pain medicine ;)

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We always stay at the Miami Hilton Downtown. Gorgeous views from the windows. If you are lucky enough to get one of the corner Jr Suites, you can see the cruise ships, the downtown skyline, and all the way over the bay to South Beach. We have never taken the "trolley" but I think what the OP is talking about is the free elevated train that runs in a loop around the downtown. If memory serves it is a block or two down the street. Ask the concierge by the check in desk. Go left from the hotel entry and you will pass the Miami Heat stadium, the music venue and then Bayside Wharf/Shopping. It is an easy few block walk.

 

"Behind" the Hilton is perhaps where the OP stayed. The Mariott and some other hotels are back there. There is a shopping mall/ restaurants attached to those hotels and they back up to the harbor with some restaurants with outdoor dining. We always walk over there for dinner. If you take the elevator up to the "Ballroom Floor" at the Hilton, look for signs for the "Skywalk". It is a meandering route, a portion taking you outside and then back inside into a parking garage where you'll see signs at the elevators directing you where to get off for the skywalk into the Mariott/shops etc. I think it is quicker, and keeps you mostly inside if it's hot.

There is a red trolley. We only took it on the way back from Bayside and it dropped me off right in front of the Hilton.

If you google Miami trolley it should pop up. Also I'm pretty sure if you asked the receptionist at the hotel they can give you directions to the stop.

The Marriott Biscayne Bay is behind the Hilton and I remember when we were dropped off in front of the hilton how beautiful it looked :)

I may look into it next time

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Rooms are ready!

It was 1pm when they announced the rooms were ready.

We headed towards the elevators with so much excitement. My bf and I had room 13176. I remember thinking to myself "hmm isn't 13 an unlucky number on a ship. I hope this isn't some sort of sign that my gallbladder will misbehave."

We got up to deck 13 and the first thing I noticed was that the kids club was on this floor (it actually was on deck 12 but I think this is another entrance) and thought oh boy here we go.

Any who we found our room which was literally right by the elevator, which I love by the way, opened the door and was blown away.

I loved this room! If my memory serves me correctly it has been the biggest room I have had to date.

We always have balcony rooms but I felt this room was so spacious.

The balcony itself was teeny tiny but that was fine with me :)

It had ample storage, a hair dryer, a shower with a door, a nice big couch, and a comfortable bed.

My mom was next door in 13178 and was also happy with the room.

I started to unpack our carry on luggage when I started to feel like I was losing my mind.

How do you turn on the lights??

After about 25 minutes of searching and searching, my boyfriend finally figures out the whole light thing.

By the door there is a metal slot. You have to insert your door key and leave it in the metal slot in order for the lights and TV to stay on . Once you take it out everything shuts off.

We unpack and I decide to start going through the menus for all the specialty restaurants. I really have to sit down and decide what I can eat and what I can't eat.

Tonight we are going to Ocean Blue. What am I going to eat?

My sister just graduated from culinary school and my boyfriend is fairly familiar with different recipes.

It's amazing to me how little I know about food. They had lobster risotto on the menu and I picked that. My sister said nope risotto is usually made with cream.

Ok how about a fish dish? Almost every dish had some sort of cream and or butter.

Then there was grouper. My bf said to ask when we get there if they can just boil grouper for me without any flavorings.

Oh Yummmm (I thought sarcastically, boiled grouper:rolleyes:)

Ok now what about desert? No, not that or that. How about this? Nope, wait what is sorbet? Sorbet has cream or is that sherbert?

A quick Google and YES I can have sorbet. Sorbet is nothing but fruit and ice with some added sugar.

Woo hoo I'm eating sorbet for desert!

Never been so excited to eat something other than chocolate for desert!

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Saturday June 7th --woo hoo cruise time.

We decided to meet at 11am in the lobby of the hotel.

I woke up excited and scared. I still was not one hundred percent sure that I wouldn't get airlifted off this cruise or wind up needing emergency surgery on an island.

**please note what I did was a RISK and I would never suggest it to anyone but with the DR standing firm that I would be ok on the cruise I decided to go**

We met in the lobby and hopped into a cab.

To the port of Miami we go!

Wowwww that ship is huge.

I think the most exciting moment of the cruise is pulling into the port and having it right in front of you.

We got out and tipped the porter. The guy helping us left our luggage on the curb which I refused to leave until I saw the bags on the cart. He assured me it would arrive but I told him until I physically saw the bags on the cart, I would not leave.

After a few minutes of watching him he decided to put our bags safely on the cart.

I thanked him and we were on our way to Terminal B.

If I remember correctly there were two terminals for this ship.

We got on line and everything went really smoothly.

We were group 7 but I honestly do not remember waiting long.

Ok here goes nothing. Hey gallbladder let's be friends for the next 7 days. I think we both need this vacation. "Ok deal" (lol)

We stepped up onto the ship and I was in AWE...this ship was so beautiful.

The floor we stepped onto was floor 7 and I notice O'Sheenhans. We decided this would be a great place to plop our booties and our baggies until the rooms were ready.

I did take pictures of the menu. Actually I think this is the only place I took photos of the menu.

My sister got the chicken pot pie and the artichoke dip. My mother got a hamburger I believe, my boyfriend got the fish and chips and the chicken tenders. I asked for a salad with turkey and a grilled chicken sandwhich. I told the waiter no butter, oil, etc and he said sure no problem.

We'll the sandwich came and the bread had butter on it. Ok no biggie I'll just soak up the butter with my napkin and not eat the bread or the French fried.

The waiter noticed what I was doing came right over and took my meal away. He proceeded to apologize and bought me a new sandwhich with no butter. :)

The only complaint I heard about the food was that the artichoke dip was watery. Eh at least you can eat it I said. LOL

Ok the rooms are ready!!!

I shall be back

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I was on this cruise and there was this pack of teenagers walking around the ship thinking they owned the whole place. My first run in with them was on the elevator. They were stomping up and down and pretending to beat up one of their friends. I actually almost went off on them. I'm 28 so I remember what it's like to be a teenager and it wasn't at all like that

Then on firework night there were a group of teenage boys and girls way to close for comfort in the hot tub.

My mom would have never allowed me to be in a hot tub with boys....YUCK!

Tons of little kids on this ship wondering alone also.

I mean it didn't ruin my vacation but it did make for a conversation or two. :)

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