Cruising with a Cancer Patient

[beantownbaby9]

Hi Everyone
we are going to book our DCL cruise TODAY for Aug 25th NYC to Bahamas/WDW. We are so beyond thrilled to take our 4 yr old son, but also, sadly, this will likely be our last vacation as a family. We are bringing my parents, and my mom has Stg 4 Lung Cancer. With everyone's experience, what are some things we should think about or plan in advance for mom's comfort, safety, etc and what accommodations/help should we be asking of WDW/DCL to help us make this the best trip for her? Thanks!

 

[wen-tom]

I can't help with your questions but felt wrong skipping by this one without saying welcome to the Disboards.. and I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom

I hope DCL can help you to make this a very special trip. I'm sure the memories that you all make together will be very special anyway

 

[Aurora's Mommy]

Here is a similar thread from not long ago:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2916714

She also posted a trip report when they got back.

We will be on the same trip. You should visit our cruise meet thread.

 

[GetGlowing]

Consider purchasing independent trip insurance TODAY that includes a pre-existing condition waiver. That way if any health issues arise and you would have to cancel or change your cruise (for a covered reason, like illness of a traveler), you'd have some coverage. I use Travelex TravelSelect. There are others. The Travelex has higher coverage limits than the DCL offered insurance on many line items. But you should compare them or any travel insurance to make sure they fit your unique needs. Be sure to read the fine print!

And have a lovely cruise. Best wishes for your mom.

 

[DesertGal]

I'm sorry to hear about your Mom. My Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in June of 2008 and passed away shortly after. Hooray for you on taking one last trip together.

Is your Mom on Oxygen? Make sure to arrange for plenty of tanks and have them delivered to the ship. Also she can park a scooter in the hallway and take it to the table and they will place it by the door. It will be beastly hot at WDW in August plus rain showers so plan in advance for the heat. A scooter is a must.

Have fun and enjoy those moments with your Mom. You will be so thankful!!

Hugs

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[carpenta]

Having met one of the ship's doctor on the Magic a couple of years ago we were impressed. My wife is an M.D. and we ended up sharing a meal with him and his lovely wife. He was well accredited in Internal Medicine and a graduate from a highly regarded U.S. med school. I state those facts that they may give you some solace that if you need help for your mom than there seems to be good medical help on board. I hope your mom is comfortable and has a great time.

 

[beantownbaby9]

I can't help with your questions but felt wrong skipping by this one without saying welcome to the Disboards.. and I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom

Thank you so much!

She also posted a trip report when they got back.

We will be on the same trip. You should visit our cruise meet thread.

So glad to hear that Nana's trip went well. I shared a lot of that with my mom today and we are going to take some tips on the swelling and do what we can to mitigate that. I joined the FB group and posted on DIS as well for the meet up

Consider purchasing independent trip insurance TODAY that includes a pre-existing condition waiver. That way if any health issues arise and you would have to cancel or change your cruise (for a covered reason, like illness of a traveler), you'd have some coverage. I use Travelex TravelSelect. There are others. The Travelex has higher coverage limits than the DCL offered insurance on many line items. But you should compare them or any travel insurance to make sure they fit your unique needs. Be sure to read the fine print!

And have a lovely cruise. Best wishes for your mom.

THANK YOU! I found out yesterday that DCL's policy wouldn't cover her so we've been investigating options, via InsureMyTrip. I will check the ones you mentioned. We need medical transport and group cancellation, and of course, pre existing clause.

I'm sorry to hear about your Mom. My Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in June of 2008 and passed away shortly after. Hooray for you on taking one last trip together.

Is your Mom on Oxygen? Make sure to arrange for plenty of tanks and have them delivered to the ship. Also she can park a scooter in the hallway and take it to the table and they will place it by the door. It will be beastly hot at WDW in August plus rain showers so plan in advance for the heat. A scooter is a must.

Have fun and enjoy those moments with your Mom. You will be so thankful!!

Hugs

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I'm sorry about your mom as well. No O2 yet, but maybe we should ask the doc for some JIC? We are considering a scooter but as of now she wants a walker with the seat thingy. Def scooter at WDW

Having met one of the ship's doctor on the Magic a couple of years ago we were impressed. My wife is an M.D. and we ended up sharing a meal with him and his lovely wife. He was well accredited in Internal Medicine and a graduate from a highly regarded U.S. med school. I state those facts that they may give you some solace that if you need help for your mom than there seems to be good medical help on board. I hope your mom is comfortable and has a great time.

That is so comforting to hear. She'll be so glad to hear this as well

 

[DCLfanfromNYC]

My dad went with us on a Disney Wonder cruise in Feb 2009. He had lymphoma. We rented a scooter to help him get around the ship easier. It was waiting for us at the port. He and my mom were in an accessible room so he had no issues with bathrooms, etc. the crew were amazing. They helped get him on and off the ship and on and off the CC tram. We had him in the a sand wheelchair on CC. He had a great time and we have great memories and pictures. He passed away in May of that year. So glad we did this trip with him and my mom had one last vacation with him. Best wishes and make lasting memories.

 

[disneyholic family]

My dad went with us on a Disney Wonder cruise in Feb 2009. He had lymphoma. We rented a scooter to help him get around the ship easier. It was waiting for us at the port. He and my mom were in an accessible room so he had no issues with bathrooms, etc. the crew were amazing. They helped get him on and off the ship and on and off the CC tram. We had him in the a sand wheelchair on CC. He had a great time and we have great memories and pictures. He passed away in May of that year. So glad we did this trip with him and my mom had one last vacation with him. Best wishes and make lasting memories.

i was thinking of renting a wheelchair for the cruise - my mom/sister don't need it, but i thought i'd have it just in case..
i wonder how difficult it is to push a wheelchair around the carpeted floor...hmmm....

 

[Purdue Mouse]

Hi Everyone
we are going to book our DCL cruise TODAY for Aug 25th NYC to Bahamas/WDW. We are so beyond thrilled to take our 4 yr old son, but also, sadly, this will likely be our last vacation as a family. We are bringing my parents, and my mom has Stg 4 Lung Cancer. With everyone's experience, what are some things we should think about or plan in advance for mom's comfort, safety, etc and what accommodations/help should we be asking of WDW/DCL to help us make this the best trip for her? Thanks!

What a wonderful way to celebrate as a family. I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom's condition . She may not be up for excursions but the onboard experience can be arranged. You can book some spa and salon appointments if she is willing. Even if you can arrange some time to sit on the heated deck chairs by the Rainforest area - she would enjoy the beautiful views in a serene area.

When my brother took his wife to Disney world when she was dying of ovarian cancer, he had an "emergency pain control kit" prescribed to help manage her pain. It consisted of narcotic patches or ointment of some kind. I'm sorry, I don't know much about it but maybe your Mom's oncologist can advise you.

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

If your mom has had any kind of treatments in the past few years, keep in mond that she could be extremely sensitive to the sun, so a shopping trip for a big floppy hat and some lightweight long-sleeved shirts and pants is in order!

Enjoy your trip!

Laurie

 

[beantownbaby9]

If your mom has had any kind of treatments in the past few years, keep in mond that she could be extremely sensitive to the sun, so a shopping trip for a big floppy hat and some lightweight long-sleeved shirts and pants is in order!

Enjoy your trip!

Laurie

YES! we are totally getting her a big hat. I asked her about a rash guard and others and she wants to stick with cotton. I found a company that makes SPF 50+ clothes, need to convince my dad to do that for her. She's getting radiation again next week for 10 days and her 3rd chemo round will be Aug 6th.

What a wonderful way to celebrate as a family. I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom's condition . She may not be up for excursions but the onboard experience can be arranged. You can book some spa and salon appointments if she is willing. Even if you can arrange some time to sit on the heated deck chairs by the Rainforest area - she would enjoy the beautiful views in a serene area.

When my brother took his wife to Disney world when she was dying of ovarian cancer, he had an "emergency pain control kit" prescribed to help manage her pain. It consisted of narcotic patches or ointment of some kind. I'm sorry, I don't know much about it but maybe your Mom's oncologist can advise you.

I have a feeling we will be traveling with a mobile pharmacy in her suitcase. Pain and water retention kits. What is the rainforest area?

My dad went with us on a Disney Wonder cruise in Feb 2009. He had lymphoma. We rented a scooter to help him get around the ship easier. It was waiting for us at the port. He and my mom were in an accessible room so he had no issues with bathrooms, etc. the crew were amazing. They helped get him on and off the ship and on and off the CC tram. We had him in the a sand wheelchair on CC. He had a great time and we have great memories and pictures. He passed away in May of that year. So glad we did this trip with him and my mom had one last vacation with him. Best wishes and make lasting memories.

I am so sorry about your dad, and glad you got some memories like we are about to get. As of last night, she said she doesn't want a scooter on board, just at WDW, but we shall see how she feels closer to the date. Glad to hear the crew was amazing and accommodating

 

[lbgraves]

When shopping for travel insurance, be sure to tell them that your mom has stage 4 cancer. When I was shopping for my MIL I found that most companies will not include cancer as a PE condition. You have to specifically ask for it. Travelguard was the only one I found with a policy at the time. Also, you need to get the same travel insurance for the rest of your family cruising. Companies consider cancer the same way when you need to cancel for a non-traveling family member and will not include it with the PE condition waiver.

I hope that your family has a wonderful cruise and you are able to enjoy the lasting memories from it.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Remember Medicare will not cover anyone outside of the U.S. so you will need to rely on travel insurance for any medical coverage as well. We purchased a plan for my mom when we took her on the 4 night cruise to CC and Nassau.

I would suggest visiting the DISabilities Board and the Coping and Compassion Board here on the DIS where you will find many folks who can give you some good advice, too. Best wishes to you all...

 

[sandypandy]

We'll be on that cruise too and travelling with my DH, our 2 girls and my parents - my Dad has stage 4 prostate cancer so this is a special trip for us too. We were going to cruise last summer but he was having chemo at the time. Fortunately he is keeping very well at the moment and you'd have no idea there was anything wrong with him if you saw him. I'm also worried about how he'll do with a full day at WDW. He just gets so tired and gets aches in his legs but there is absolutely NO way he'll consider a scooter! Saying that, our youngest is 5 so she'll only keep going so long too!

I'm sure you'll all have an amazing time - I certainly think this trip has really given him a purpose. He worked in travel all his life so has taken great pleasure in planning everything!

No advise to give really, but just wish you all a fabulous time and we'll see you there!!!

 

[beantownbaby9]

Sandy, we should meet up given how special and similar our ircumstances are

 

[AlexandNessa]

So sorry to hear of this. We will be on this cruise as well. We just lost DMIL to lung cancer in March of this year. We did not get to cruise with her prior to her passing; however, I know she could not walk long distances, so a scooter, wheel chair may be good to have on hand, just in case. Also agree about finding a nice floppy hat (MIL always wore one, as she was sensitive to the sun).

Is your mom on oxygen or does she have a feeding tube? My poor MIL had sooo many complications from radiation therapy. I hope your mom has fared better in that department and is able to enjoy her cruise.

 

[MartDM]

I was also going to suggest that you read Laura's pre and post cruise posts as there was a lot of good advice from the posters and to be learned from her experience.

I'm very sorry about your Mom...lost my Dad to lung cancer so I can relate. I hope you all have a tremendous and very memorable trip!

 

[Clotho]

I don't have ay advice, but I wanted to pop in and cheer you guys on for your trip! My MIL died of pancreatic cancer less than 3 months after she was diagnosed and was never well enough to take a last vacation with us as we had hoped. My husband just finished chemo for testicular cancer and is in remission, and our upcoming cruise to Alaska on Disney is our celebratory trip. Isn't it amazing how the Magic of Disney can mean so much to everyone in times like these? Blessings to you and your family as you share this special time together.

 

[mdvlprof]

i was thinking of renting a wheelchair for the cruise - my mom/sister don't need it, but i thought i'd have it just in case..
i wonder how difficult it is to push a wheelchair around the carpeted floor...hmmm....

Wheelchairs with small wheels can be hard to push on carpets and spots where carpet is joined to other surfaces. Ones with the regular-sized bigger wheels are much easier.