My wife almost died...That's why we cruise every year!

[Kathie44]

I'm so glad this thread has surfaced again. I was looking through some of the previous posts and realized I hadn't updated as to whether I was going on the June Med. cruise.

My friend from choir, who originally said she would go with me, is not able to go. My SIL wants to wait for financial reasons and also because her son-in-law is in Iraq (please pray for his safety) till next year and her daughter and 3 grandchildren need her more than ever.

After I came back from the wonderful Jan. cruise, I rejoined my bereavement group and met some new members who had also lost their husbands. One of them, Joy, perked right up when I mentioned that DH and I had done 8 cruises in 6 years and said she had her DH had loved cruising, too. After hearing what the itinerary was, she asked if she could go with me if my other friend couldn't. I was thrilled to say YES! Ironically, although Joy and I had never met, I found out that my sons and her son have known each other since they were kids at the swim club we went to 20+ yrs ago. (I KNEW her name sounded familiar, lol) My youngest son keeps in touch with hers and calls him to sub in his volleyball league. My nephew and niece play indoor soccer with Joy's son and daughter. After hearing that info, her kids were not as freaked out about her going on a cruise with a "stranger", lol.

We are all set to go and her renewed passport arrived 2 weeks ago. We fly into Barcelona June 2 and board the Summit on the 3rd for a 12 night Classical Med. cruise.

Recently a cousin of mine and her daughter also booked this cruise. I don't see this cousin often so this willl be even more fun.

Cusyl and all of you who have lost loved ones--my heart goes out to you. I have put you on my prayer list and also those who have survived life-threatening illnesses to cruise again together.

This is almost like an on-line bereavement group. My local group has been a lifeline for me. I LIVE for Tuesdays, lol. I am in my 4th 6-week series and plan to go whenever I can. I recommend a group like that for anyone who has lost a loved one. I wish I had thought to find a group 35 yrs. ago when my mother died.

((((HUGS)))) to all of you.

Kathie

[read52]

We cruise for the same reason. Four years ago, my husband had viral encephilitis and then a year later he had prostate cancer. In 2007, we won 2 airline tickets. Although he had some neuological problems, we decided to try cruising. We have been on four in the last 2 years and have two planned for this year. We love it because if he gets tired we can go to our cabin and rest or get room service. There is always a doctor available. He is disabled (because of seizures) so we go when I am free. I am a teacher so I have a lot of time off. I plan on retiring in 5 years.

[No Sea Legs]

Because a few years back, as my mother was dying of lung cancer, she looked at me and said "Why did I save the good china and crystal for 'someday'," and she made me promise to use china, crystal and silver daily; and to take trips and see the world and meet people, and quit worrying about saving money for 'someday'.

[angiedora]

Reading these posts really touched me. My mother passed away Thanksgiving 07 after a 5 year battle with cancer. She was only 55. She had wanted to go on a cruise with all of her children but we just didn't get the chance. There wasn't enough money, time, etc. Then she was too sick. We let other things get in the way. There are many things I regret. Not taking my Mom on a cruise while she was in good health is among them.

My husband and two children and I will be taking our first cruise in May. I know it will be bittersweet. I know my Mom would want her children to make as many cherished family memories as we can.

[Happy2cruise]

For the past few years we have been fortunate to cruise twice a year. Being the conservative one, I always tried to talk my husband into only one cruise per year so we could save, save, save. He always told me we are in a position where we can cruise twice a year so why put if off because you never know tomorrow if we'll be able to do it or what will happen. Words I now live by.

 

We are (or should I say were) both in excellent health until suddenly in January I had a bleed in a brain blood vessel and suffered what they call a blood stroke which affected my entire left side. Thankfully thru the efforts of wonderful doctors, nurses and physical therapists I am well on the road to recovery. Thru this I learned an important lesson that nothing is guaranteed so be thankful for each day because you never, never know.

 

We cancelled our March 2009 cruise but have since booked another one for the fall and I will never ever question my husband's attitude about living each day to the fullest!!

[ger_77]

Happy2cruise, I'm glad to hear you have recuperated so that you can continue to enjoy a) life and b) cruising. We just don't know what the days ahead will bring, and sometimes that's a good thing. It does, however, make us grateful for the time we have and reminds us to make the most of it.

 

We just lost another dear friend at age 66; he wasn't ill, he had an aneurism burst in his brain. One day he was there, the next he was just a memory. His loss has firmed our resolve to make sure we stop and smell the roses - especially the far away roses - before we are unable to. Enjoy your next cruise.

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[Sheffie]

3 weeks ago my DH was 10 feet up on a ladder when it twisted and he fell off it onto the concrete floor of our barn. Thank God he was in a corner and his head did not hit the floor. He had his cell phone on him and was able to call for help; otherwise, I wouldn't have been home for hours. He probably would not have made it due to the trama and the below freezing temperatures. After surgery and 4 days of rehab, he is home and is doing very well. We had to cancel the cruise we were to start today. We are both sad about not going, but are sooooo glad that the circumstances were not worse. We are looking at booking a make-up cruise this summer. We both enjoy our vacations together so much!

 

As has been said in so many ways on this thread, we don't know what life will deal us. Savor it all!

[Happy2cruise]

Happy2cruise, I'm glad to hear you have recuperated so that you can continue to enjoy a) life and b) cruising. We just don't know what the days ahead will bring, and sometimes that's a good thing. It does, however, make us grateful for the time we have and reminds us to make the most of it.

 

We just lost another dear friend at age 66; he wasn't ill, he had an aneurism burst in his brain. One day he was there, the next he was just a memory. His loss has firmed our resolve to make sure we stop and smell the roses - especially the far away roses - before we are unable to. Enjoy your next cruise.

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

 

ger 77, thanks for the well wishes.....I appreciate it so much. Sorry to hear about your friend. Life is so precious but we so often take it for granted that tomorrow will come.

 

Sheffie, glad to hear your husband is on the road to recovery and you are looking forward to another cruise soon. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks and now doing outpatient occupational and physical therapy and have seen so many other patients worse off than I was and now every day I'm thankful I not only survived but that I am able to recover from it so I know how you and your husband feel.

 

Happy cruising!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JLK22]

All of these posts have truely been an inspiration to read - Thank you for sharing all of your experiences!

 

I am about to go on my first cruise in May with my 9 year old son (YEAH!!) It was a very spontanious decision. On one hand I have been crazy excited about the cruise. All I can think about is my son's face and reactions to all the things he will experience. However, there has been a part of me that has questioned my decision to spend the money (and my ex husband gave me a bit of a hard time about taking our son out of school for 5 days) I have told myself all of the things that have been recounted on this thread...life is too short and you need to live for today not tomorrow....but there was a part of me that thought I was just rationalizing to make myself feel better :)

 

So I just wanted to thank you all for reminding me what a GREAT choice this trip was/will be!! Happy Cruising to ALL!!!!

[vjmatty]

Before we discovered cruising we had a great number of life's troubles to endure. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, DH was deployed in 2005, his ex took him to court for custody in 2006, and then in 2007 I had to bring my father back to the US to live with us due to his mind deteriorating from Alzheimer's.

 

I learned a lot from these experiences, most importantly in 2004 when I was diagnosed. Even though they tell you that BC has a 96% survival rate, you still go for about a day or two thinking you are going to die. I mean, in the movies or TV everyone with cancer dies, except Samantha on SATC but that storyline hadn't started yet until I was well into treatment.

 

Anyway, I remember trying to decide what I wanted to accomplish or experience now that death might be imminent..... I could not think of a single thing. At first this troubled me, did I have no goals at all? Then a friend pointed out to me that this was a good thing, meaning I was at peace and happy with my life's accomplishments thus far.

 

From that time on, I no longer feared death. I didn't (and still don't) want to die, but if it happens prematurely I am satisfied with the time I've had here. I can't express what a relief that feeling is, and I have a better understanding of why many older people feel they are "ready" to go.

 

Since we spent the first 4 years of our marriage never taking a single vacation, my outlook has changed a little and I felt we didn't play enough in life. We've been making up for it.... since April 2007 when all the tragedies ceased, we have been taking quite a few cruises per year, coming up on number 10 on the first of April. Life has been happier since.

[cruisernewbie1]

I agree with the many posters here - this is a very moving thread and many posts have brought tears to my eyes.

 

I will be going on my first cruise in 63 days! My fiance and I will be on the ship as well as 9 members of our families, and we will be getting married in Key West. Both of us are over 40, and feel like we are making up time in a sense. We want to make the best use of every day and minute we have, because as many people have said here, nothing is guaranteed. My father died suddenly two years ago at the age of 65 which really brought that home to me.

 

My fiance and I have had several conversations on this same topic, and we are already getting ready to book another cruise in 2010! :)

[Iluvmypuggle]

I spent quite some time today reading this thread from beginning to end and I am so glad I did. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories as they are so inspiring.

 

I think of myself as a pretty positive person, but sometimes any one of us, including me, needs a reminder to stop and "smell the roses". And I'm going to take that reminder with me this week as I go about my daily life and plan for all the happy events coming up in the next 2 months.

 

Thanks again and I wish all of you a happy & healthy future.

 

**Oh and to the poster who called this thread, Chicken Soup for the Cruiser's Soul (I think that's what they called it), thanks for the laugh.

[zoogrl01]

When I was growing up, we didn't have alot of money, but we took a vacation every summer. Those are some of my best memories. Now my husband and I take 3 or 4 big vacations and lots of weekend vacations with our two kids every year. I never hesitate to take them out of school. Travelling the world is an education within itself. Luckily both are good students and have no issues, but I doubt it would change my thinking either way. There is nothing like quality time together experiencing new things.

[laurie1534]

This makes me so glad to have just booked our cruise.. Its a surprise for our family, our youngest daughter is graduating high school and our oldest daughter is a sophmore at college. They are both great kids, never caused us an ounce of trouble.. They both have worked hard and I felt even though the economy is not the best that the timing was right for us to take a nice family vacation. You can't get those years back after they are gone. This thread has reassured me that I did make the right decision. I totally agree that you don't know what tomorrow holds so enjoy today and my motto is "You Only Live Once"...

 

Can't wait to tell them Easter weekend that we are going on a Cruise.. :D

[muggybo]

After a bout with cancer, and 18 years on the job without taking a vacation, I finally convinced my workaholic husband to go on a cruise this year. Two days before we were to leave home, my DH had an accident at work and got his hand caught in a hopper....they had to amputate a finger. When I told the doctor we were scheduled to leave for a cruise in 2 days, he bandaged his finger up so I wouldn't have to do anything to it till we returned and told us to go and enjoy our trip! So we did! We are already planning our second cruise next year. I agree with ALL of you in saying life's too short!

 

BTW, we sailed on NCL's Pearl, and the staff there went out of their way to assist us, albeit, helping DH carry his utensils in the Buffet ,to pouring coffee or making him a soft serve ice cream cone! Our next cruise will also be with NCL!!

[lvcruzers]

Glad to hear you avoided disaster!

I belong to a group of volunteers that the police & fire departments call out when a tragedy happens. Usually someone has died. We are called to help the family members at the worst moment of their life. I have seen so much that I don't ever want to take one moment of my time with my loved ones for granted. Many times I see people that were going to go..., or booked their first ever vacation, I didn't want that to be me. Every day I wake up grateful that I am breathing in & out. I want to make the most of the blessings I have. And what better way then to go out on the deck of a cruise ship & say "Thank-you".

T*

[manmtnmike]

Hi everyone!

 

Just wanted to bring this back to life!

 

Anyone else have a heart-felt reason for cruising every year?

 

Doing a B2B on the Carnival Destiny Jan 21 and 25....Can't wait!! Our first cruise where we stay on while we watch others leave.

 

Mike

[DocJohnB]

we cruised because it was a nice relaxing vacation.

 

In the fall of 2007 my DW was diagnosed with a terminal illness (amyloidosis). She underwent a year of chemotherapy and I underwent a year of hell thinking that was it. Fortunately the chemo put her into a remission and we are so grateful to our God for that.

 

Until 2007 most of our cruises were to the Caribbean, but at long as she is in remission and up to it, we are going to cruise to those places we only thought of in the past. This fall we will see a bit of Europe during a transatlantic and we are looking forward to perhaps either a Baltic or Mediterranean cruise next year.

 

Cruising is still a nice relaxing vacation, but now it is a lot more . . . it is time together enjoying life. And as others have said, life looks different once you have dealt with death on a personal level.

[Snowbuddy]

DH & I have had no close calls or scares, thank God, but we still enjoy cruising every chance we get. This October will be our 6th cruise in 10 yrs, plus a few landlubber visits to Vegas, the Smoky Mountains and Orlando. Neither of us really got to vacation as children, so promised each other when we got married that we would do what we could to have this time together. We are looking forward to exposing our DD to her first breath of salty sea air this year, and figure it's in her blood, so this will just be the first of many family cruises, God willing.

 

One thing that put it into perspective for us was our experience w/ a young honeymooning couple we met while on our 1-yr anniversary cruise. Due to complications from surgery, Mindy ended up on life-support, and Kenny had to make the choice to remove her, and ended up burying his lovely young bride just weeks before what should have been their first anniversary.

 

Time is too short, life is too precious...

[Mrs.C05]

I have enjoyed reading this thread! I'm so sorry to hear of everyone's losses, it's just sad to hear. My husband and I cruise because we enjoy the memories of them, including the one's with my family we take. I'll be checking back with this thread to keep reading.

[manmtnmike]

I have enjoyed reading this thread! I'm so sorry to hear of everyone's losses, it's just sad to hear. My husband and I cruise because we enjoy the memories of them, including the one's with my family we take. I'll be checking back with this thread to keep reading.

 

You've got it right! We've just celebrated our 29th ...

 

Cruising IS celebrating what really deserves celebrating!!

 

Mike

[Leafpeeper]

I told my children to remember to focus on the important things in life because happiness has nothing to do with what we own. Happiness is all about life experiences.

 

All the STUFF we accumulate over years is soon forgotten--just like those presents we can't remember we got last year.

 

In the end, the memories last FOREVER--even the smallest most insignificant event can be what you never forget about a vacation. I still remember my DD when she was about 6 swimming in a pool wearing her sunglasses pretending she was a super model. Now she is 32 and mother of twins. So many memories of vacations spent and no memories of work.

Edited July 13, 2009 by Leafpeeper

[azrayne]

IMO the most important lessons we give our children are the ones of opening the world to them. Showing them different areas of our countries, learning about new cultures, seeing history come alive for them.

 

My boys are 19 and 18 and I have been fortunate enough to take them on great vacations that they still talk about today. One of our biggest trips was to Hawaii in Feb 2001. We were supposed to go to Orlando for DisneyWorld, but we watched the movie Pearl Harbor and said they thought it would be cool to go there someday. They were given the option, DisneyWorld or Hawaii. Hawaii won. Just last night my older son and I were talking about a place we went to in Hawaii that had a rope hanging from a tree, that swung out over the ocean on the side of the road.

 

We've been back east to see NYC and to DC to explore history. All memorable trips.

 

Last year my older son graduated HS and we took our 1st cruise along with his best friends and their families. The neatest feeling was seeing his eyes get wide, and the huge grin break out as we walked out on the Lido deck by the pool and hear him say...... "This is so cool!"

 

The boys have both learned confidence in finding there way in cities unknown to them and experienced different lives. I've been lucky!

[Boozebabe]

Mike I'll be on that Destiny Jan 21 cruise with 'ya and 5 of my "girlfriends".

 

I cruise and take other vacations because life is too short to sit at home. Since I came to this reality in the 80's when both of my parents passed away before they were 60, I have travelled to great extent. As close as I can figure, I have taken approximately 65 vacations. 38 times to Las Vegas-- 12 cruises--and about 15 other various trips.

 

My advice is , If you can do it , GO. Even if its only a camping trip in a tent, it creates great memories that dont get created sitting in a LazyBoy watching TV.

[manmtnmike]

Mike I'll be on that Destiny Jan 21 cruise with 'ya and 5 of my "girlfriends".

 

I cruise and take other vacations because life is too short to sit at home. Since I came to this reality in the 80's when both of my parents passed away before they were 60, I have travelled to great extent. As close as I can figure, I have taken approximately 65 vacations. 38 times to Las Vegas-- 12 cruises--and about 15 other various trips.

 

My advice is , If you can do it , GO. Even if its only a camping trip in a tent, it creates great memories that dont get created sitting in a LazyBoy watching TV.

 

Great news!! Make sure we get together...check out the roll call we're trying to get started for the Destiny Jan 21.

 

Mike