Tag: PoPo

Parent Trap: 1st Disney Cruise

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So Mommy & Daddy never thought they would fall into the “trap” of Disney, but sure enough, they have!  Mommy’s colleagues have raved about Disney cruise and now, I’ve given them an excuse to book the cruise.

Back in September, before GongGong and PoPo left to go back to Taiwan, we all took our first Disney cruise.  It was a three-night cruise which stopped at Bahamas and Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).

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Several things surprised Mommy & Daddy about me during this trip:

1.  Most surprising is that I actually LOVED the Disney characters, even though I didn’t know the characters.  They all looked so friendly and nice.  I wasn’t afraid to go up to them and hug them or pose with them.

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2.  I could also sit through the one-hour Disney show without getting fussy or irritated.  It’s too bad I fell asleep before the first night’s “Golden Mickey” show —  they had an “Under the Sea” theme with bubbles that were released from the ceiling.

3.  I don’t like American-style food.  It took a lot of effort to get me to eat American food, but one day for lunch, we found some sushi and miso soup and I ate that like I hadn’t eaten in days.  One dining room called Animator’s Palace was amazing — there were huge plasma TVs on every wall with interactive characters from “Finding Nemo.”  This was right up my alley and I loved every minute of it until I feel asleep which was exactly 10 minutes into dinner service.

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4.  I did SO much better on the airplane ride this time.  Granted, it was to only a 2-hour flight to Florida and it was a direct flight, but it was even an improvement from the Chicago trip.  I actually fell asleep during the return trip which made Mommy & Daddy’s life easier.

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There was also a “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme night.  We were all given bandanas to look like pirates.  The same night, there was a firework display.

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Daddy caught a glimpse of these cute Japanese girls  and GongGong couldn’t resist taking a photo with them on the cruise who really got into the pirate spirit:

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I also loved going to Nemo’s Reef, a sprinkler area (and mosquito breeding ground) for little kids — how did they know I “Finding Nemo” is my favorite movie?

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Here’s all of us posing with our Mickey Mouse ice cream bars.  Note to readers:  They don’t taste as good as they look, but the waiter was nice enough to bring sprinkles fo rme to dip them in.

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Here I am checking out the automatic hand washer at the Oceaneer’s Club in the cruise.  I was too young to join the the fun by myself, but Mommy & Daddy did bring me by to check things out:

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The bathrooms in each room was designed with us kids in mind.  See me in the tub on the cruise:

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Here I am on the veranda.  We had adjoining rooms with GongGong an PoPo and not only did our rooms connect, but our decks connected too.

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Here we are in the Bahamas, including a trip to Atlantis.  This time the trip to Atlantis was a bit disappointing.  There were far fewer sea life than when Mommy & Daddy went about 5 years ago.  It also was not as clean as they remembered (or perhaps they were just spoiled by the cleanliness of Disney).

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Here we are in Castaway Cay.  Thanks to GongGong and PoPo for taking care of me while Mommy & Daddy snorkeled to check our the “ruins” of a Mickey ship.

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We had a great time and are already thinking about where to go on our next Disney cruise!  Maybe Alaska?

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Impromptu Doctor’s Visit: I’ve Got Lyme Disease

My nanny noticed rash in my left arm pit about 1 week ago and brought it to PoPo’s attention which was brought to Mommy’s attention.  Mommy then pulled out something that may be a splinter or a leg of the tick from my arm pit.  Since then, Mommy has been keeping an eye on the rash and it has expanded to over the midline of my chest and back.  So, last night after inspecting me during bath time, Mommy decided to call Kaiser which landed me with an appointment today.

As things turned out, Dr. Lu and Dr. Naftanel (Mommy’s colleague and dermatologist) agree that I have erythema migrans, one of the first signs of Lyme Disease.  Both said my rash, the classic “bull’s eye” or “target,” is pretty impressive in terms of how fast it spread.

Mommy asked me to pose to show my rash:

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Pretty impressive, huh?  Here’s what the CDC had to say about my rash:

Early localized stage (3-30 days post-tick bite)

Erythema migrans (EM) or “bull’s-eye” rash

  •  Rash occurs in approximately 70-80% of infected persons1 and begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3-30 days (average is about 7 days).
  • Rash gradually expands over a period of several days, and can reach up to 12 inches (30 cm) across. Parts of the rash may clear as it enlarges, resulting in a “bull’s-eye” appearance.
  • Rash usually feels warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful.
  • EM lesions may appear on any area of the body.

    • Luckily, there is treatment to be taken three times per day for the next TWENTY-ONE days!

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    Hopefully, I won’t have any of the residual chronic problems of arthritis, carditis and facial palsy.

    For those who may not know too much about Lyme Disease, here are some quick facts:

    –  What causes Lyme disease?

    Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrellia burgdoreri, which normally lives in mice, squirrels, and other small animals. It is transmitted to humans primarily by the bite of the tiny deer tick. Although deer do not become infected, they are important in transporting ticks and maintaining tick populations.

    – Is Lyme disease prevalent throughout the United States?

    No. Although the disease has been reported in almost every state, it is far more prevalent in the Northeast and in the northern Midwest, specifically Michigan and Illinois.

     
    – When am I most likely to be exposed?
    More new cases of Lyme disease are reported in June and July than the rest of the year combined.

     

    – Can my pets get Lyme disease?
    Yes, they can and they should be protected. They can also be carriers of infected ticks. They cannot, however, pass the disease directly on to you. A routine tick check after working or playing outdoors is your best prevention against getting Lyme disease.

     

    – How I know if I have Lyme disease?
    Fever, headache, and skin rash are all typical symptoms of the disease. According to the CDC, almost 70 percent of Lyme disease patients exhibited a characteristic skin rash called erthema migrans. It is a circular rash that occurs between three and 30 days after the bite of the tick, at the site of the bite. If the disease is left untreated, several other symptoms begin to exhibit themselves. These may include loss of muscle tone on one or both
    sides of the face, severe headaches, shooting pains that interfere with sleep, and joint pain. Often these symptoms will go away without any treatment at all. However, after several months many patients will begin
    to suffer from arthritis and severe joint pain and swelling. Migraine headaches may also be present, as well as problems with concentration and short-term memory.


    – Is there help?
    Fortunately, yes. In most cases, antibiotics administered for two to three weeks after diagnosis are effective in combating the disease. Early detection and treatment will most often stop the symptoms. The bad news is that a small percentage of patients with symptoms maycontinue to fight the disease for months or even years after treatment with antibiotics. There is no known medical reason why patients continue to exhibit symptoms.

    – How can I avoid getting Lyme disease?
    The best prevention is to reduce your exposure to ticks and be vigilant about checking yourself after being in and around woods, brushy areas, meadows, and even lawns. Ticks commonly hide in shady, moist leaf litter, on taller vegetation, and on old stone walls, especially near the edge of woodlands where white-footed mice and deer (the tick’s primary hosts) are common.
    • Wear light-colored clothing to spot ticks easily. Tuck pant legs into your socks when working in high risk areas.
    • Always do a full body “tick check” when leaving high-risk areas and at the end of the day.
    • Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails.

    • If you find a tick, remove it using a pair of tweezers. Grasp the head or mouthparts where they enter the skin, rather than the body, to pull the tick out.
    • Seek treatment early if you believe you’ve been exposed. The majority of early Lyme disease cases are treated and cured successfully.