Prelude
This trip was the result of wanting to take my mother-in-law on a trip. Her name is Diana Strauss, she is 86, living in Florida. Due to some mobility issues, she does not like to fly or take long drives. However, she loves to take cruises. Therefore we found the Princess Cruise to the Panama Canal from Ft Lauderdale to be the perfect trip.
My wife, Sandy, and I planned this trip about a year out and included my wife’s sister, Amy. Amy is a retired school teacher and loves to travel with her mother. This would allow us to have two rooms that are connected. One for my wife and I and the other one for Amy and Diana.
Myth mother and Diana loved to travel together in the past and have done many trips, including cruises together. Diana, invited my mom and dad to join us and they accepted. This led to my mother (Hazel) to invite my siblings (Sue and Steve) to join us with their spouses. Neither spouse could make it, so my mother offered to pay for the trip for my siblings to encourage them to go. She wanted a family vacation with all her kids.
At a family gathering over the summer, by mothers sister (Irene) heard about the trip and decided to join us. This expanded family vacation was starting to shape up as a big adventure.
Seven months before the trip, Diana was diagnoses with Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer. She was given 1-6 months to live. She moved from Florida to live out her days with us in Chicago. Amy also moved to Chicago to live with us to help care for Diana. We had a wonderful 5 months with her before she passed away. Knowing about the trip, Diana insisted that we still go. She covered the costs of Sandy and Amy as a Thank You for taking care of her.
Three months before the trip, my father, developed diabetic pressure wounds on his feet that became infected. After a bout with hospitalization and rehabilitation, his Dr. forbade him from travel for 4 months until the wounds healed completely. This caused my parents to drop from the trip as well. (We all had travel insurance for such occasions)
We are now a group of 6. Amy, Sandy, Sue, Steve, Irene and myself. Let the adventure begin!
