As I approached the final treatments, Charlie and I began talking about taking a vacation, something

What is it about sea air? I've always heard that sea air makes you sleepy, makes you hungry and can help restore your health. I found out just what sea air did for appetites, sleep and recuperation when I took my first cruise four years ago.
My husband, Charlie, and I boarded the Alaska-bound Star Princess, exhausted and elated, just three weeks after my last round of chemotherapy for breast cancer. We had been on a year-long crusade of surgery and chemotherapy and by all accounts, I was healthy once more.
From a physical perspective, I was coming off my most challenging year. There were days I was so completely drained advantage rent a car houston phone number by the chemo that I could not make it from my arm chair to my bed without collapsing on the floor for a nap. But it had also been my best year, because as a devout Christian, my cancer journey recharged my life's conversation with God. I was talking to God, asking what do I do now and thanking Him for each victory over my illness along the way.
As I approached the final treatments, Charlie and I began talking about taking a vacation, something we had rarely done. His military career saw us moving 19 times in 26 years. We already felt like we were traveling most of the time. Then, after the military, we followed a similar pattern with our ministry, teaching and preaching around the world.
The few times we had been near the ocean, it felt restful, so we went with that notion and ended up planning that "once-in-a-lifetime" cruise to Alaska. We traveled from the hot Dallas of August advantage rent a car houston phone number to the breathable air of Seattle, where we boarded Star Princess.
My husband was exhausted. He is the kind of man who never saw a problem he didn't want to fix, but the cancer was out of his hands. He cheerfully cared for me despite the burdens, doing his job and mine, never once complaining about how tired or troubled he might have been.
It seems all we did on that cruise was go to our room and sleep so we could build up the strength to lift our forks to our mouths again. Food never tasted so good. During treatment, it had tasted metallic to me but the briny air was bringing my taste buds back to life.
While I was sick, I wondered if the physical endurance I depended on as an on-the-move military wife, mother of two, grandmother of five and traveling minister would ever come back. Energy started to pump its way back into my system during that cruise.
I amazed myself as I was able to walk from the ship to the Skagway train station to take an incredible ride through the mountain pass. While I was too frail to participate, I was an enthusiastic advantage rent a car houston phone number and grateful spectator at the On Deck for the Cure 5K walk, benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the breast-cancer foundation.
We left the cruise, filled advantage rent a car houston phone number with plans, among them turning a cancer blog I had kept into a book, now published and available online—"Journey through the Storm: A Faith Walk through Cancer." Another decision was to take the same Alaska cruise the following year. A year of clean scans, I boarded stronger and healthier and able to do the breast cancer advantage rent a car houston phone number 5K myself!
Since then, we've been on two other cruises, and I am writing another book. I believe God gave me the strength to battle cancer and I thank Him every day for that. I may be missing body parts and I am not as strong advantage rent a car houston phone number as I used to be, but my attitude is great. I don't waste time anymore. I invest in things that will outlive me like my family and my books.
Mrs. Tucker I couldn t believe it when I saw your picture come across my Facebook feed for Princess Cruises. I knew Carrie and Christie from PYOC when we were all stationed at Yokota! Your story is very inspiring advantage rent a car houston phone number and I am so glad to hear you are doing well now. Bless you and your family.
My story isn t so amazing, but I too have breast cancer and only six more radiation treatments. I was lucky that I didn t have to do the chemo, only the radiation, and as I understand advantage rent a car houston phone number it, five years of a chem-type drug when radiation is complete. My husband and I are going on an Alaskan cruise tour September 16. This trip was planned becore the cancer was discovered. Traveling is how I like to celebrate my birthday and when it s the BIG 60 , I wanted something special. As a travel agent, I book a lot of cruises to Alaska, but have never taken one. We are very excited to be going, but dread packing all our winter advantage rent a car houston phone number clothes for the trip when it s 95 degrees here in Houston! I too will enjoy the naps and the crisp air on the Island Princess, right after our three day land tour in Fairbanks and Denali National advantage rent a car houston phone number Park.
What's your reason to cruise? Perhaps to celebrate a milestone occasion, to re-connect with friends and family, or to mark a special accomplishment? Our passengers regularly tell us inspiring stories about why they've cruised, and each week throughout 2012 we're going to share one of them. We hope their reasons will inspire your own!