Travelling With Breast Cancer

[Irish Goofy]

Hi All

Sorry have not been on here in a while.In Jan my better half was diagonised with breast cancer.Been tough few months,she has had 3 operations of which the last was a full masectomy.She is due to start chemo next week for 8 sessions and doctors have said it should be no problem for us to go on hols as treatment will be finished by mid August at the latest.We have booked to go with the kids on Oct 20th for 17 days(booked it Sept 2010)and are doing cruise during our stay.She is living to go on these hols and i think it is the thought of going on them that is keeping her going.She is doing so so well.My question is has anybody had any experience with travelling after such an illeness or after having chemo.As i said doctors have advised us that it should be no problem and not to cancel but i was wondering if anybody had experiences.

 

[Mrs Stonfiesta]

havent had any expierience or know anyone that has travelled after cancer treament, but just wanted to say that i hope all goes well with the chemo and that things continue to improve, def a good idea to keep planning the holiday, a special treat to look forward to after all the treatment is done and dusted i am sure it will help her to have something else to aim for. hope you have a magical trip

 

[loobzuk]

I'm sorry that I have no information to answer your question but I wanted to wish your wife all the best for her treatment - I'm sure having a holiday to look forward to at the end of it all will help her. My sister had several holidays abroad (although not US) following her breast cancer treatment. The only thing I remember her saying is that she had to use specialist travel insurers.

 

[disneyholic family]

Yes my sister went on a huge holiday to Hawaii after very intensive cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery)
Knowing about the trip is what kept her going!!
She just focussed on Hawaii and nothing else mattered.
And yes she went and had a fabulous time.
She had to take it slow, but she did it and loved every minute

 

[scottish mum]

A very close friend of mine went on holiday after finishing her treatment for breast cancer. She went with her dh and 2 kids. They had a great holiday although it wasn't as hectic as previously as my friend wasn't up to that. The one thing my friend was told was to keep out of the sun as much as possible.

I hope you have a great time and that your wife's treatment goes well

 

[skelfbsfb]

Although my DW didnt have chemo she did have reconstruction and like your wife I think that the holiday was the one thing that she really looked forward too. We did however have to take out special insurance as no other companies would insure her and this was quite expensive. Hope all goes well for your wife.

 

[cherjp]

Going on holiday will give her something positive to focus on if the dark days of chemo are tough for her, so unless the docs tell you otherwise then go. My SIL had radiotheraphy as well as chemo and that was when the docs said stay out of the direct sun and wear total sunblock . If you take it easy and take each day as it comes hopefully if will be great for you all. Lots of luck and lots of pixie dust for your wife . xxx

 

[Daysleeper40]

Sorry to hear about your OH's diagnosis - my dad is recently diagnosed with terminal liver & kidney cancer so I can appreciate what you are going through.

The main thing I would suggest you sort out now is the insurance - if you already have insurance you will need to disclose your OH's diagnosis and current treatment. You may have to cancel and go with a specialist company and it is likely to be pricy - your current insurer will almost certainly exclude your OH's condition from the policy. Totally worth the money to get the specialist cover obviously but I think if you get that sorted then you can just look forward to the holiday and keep positive that you will be going and having a great time together.

 

[T16GEM]

No advice - just wanted to send best wishes to you and your DW and hope everything goes smoothly with her treatment

 

[Irish Goofy]

Thanks all for your best wishes....Travel insurance is something that i had not given much thought.Have been looking at a thread about insurance and pre existing conditions so it is something that i will have to sort out soon by the sounds of it.

We expect that we will have to take things at a much slower pace.Have been warned to not get too much sun but thats okay as we were never big fans of sitting sunbathing at the pool,thats why we love Disney so much,lots of other thing to do.

Does anybody think that we would have any issues with immigration.As other half will have very little hair etc.Would they stop her entering due to being ill etc.Maybe i am worrying for no reason but would hate her to get through all this to be stopped and told you can get in because you have been ill etc.As i say maybe i am just over thinking this end of it,too much going on in my head.

Once again thanks for the messages of support and any more advice or help would be great.

 

[crabbie1]

Ahh bless u both so chocked reading this. My aunt had b cancer and was determined to go on hrr holiday and she did and loved it. They will do all they can for your wife and just becsuse she looks ill they wont discriminate. I really admire your support and concerns. If your worried contact customs and boarder control in the US and explain your worries. Im sure they will be very helpfull. Your wife will b tired but grab her a wheel chair and you will still hv loads of fun with the added bonus of gdtting on quicker. Hope she gets well soon. Big hugs.

 

[Rachelx]

Unfortunately I have no information to answer your question but I just wanted to say I'm sorry you other half has to go through this. I wish you a magical holiday .. sounds like you both really deserve it!! I also wish her a smooth recovery.

 

[loobzuk]

if you google 'breast cancer and travel insurance' it brings up lots of specialist sites that will offer cover and lots of advice.

 

[Prose]

I can't speak to the insurance bit, but I can pass along a couple of general tips to make your trip more pleasant:

Be very careful of exposure to germs. Jan's immune system will still be weaker than normal. Wash hands often, carry Purell spray or squirt bottles. Try not to touch handrails, etc. if possible.

Use lots of sunscreen. I was told to avoid sun exposure for 12 months after treatment. If chemo has caused hair loss, don't forget a hat -- a sunburned scalp is no fun.

Get some really comfortable, supportive shoes. Chemo and the drugs you take after treatment can cause numbness and pain in hands and feet, so take good care of your feet.

Since you are flying some distance, ask the doctor about elastic sleeves to prevent swelling in your wife's arm on the surgery side during the flight. She may also want to get some stretching exercises she can do to prevent swelling (lymphedema)

Radiation can make you really tired, and the effects can linger for several weeks. As my radiation oncologist explained, it is killing off blood cells that help carry oxygen, so your wife may feel more winded, more easily tired, etc. A drop in my endurance was one of the main things I noticed after treatment. Take lots of breaks, relax and enjoy!

Otherwise, just take care of yourselves in general -- drink lots of water, eat healthy food, etc. and you should all be fine.

I know that cancer is scary, but chemo and radiation are not as bad as you are imagining. Please let Jan know that a breast cancer survivor on this side of the pond sends love and best wishes for an easy time.

 

[buzz for boys]

I just wanted to send you hugs and my best wishes.
You have had some wonderful advice already and I dont want to repeat it all but will say Suncream and anti Bac for you hands is a must!

As far as Imigration goes you will have no problems at all - really no need to worry. In fact If you speak to an official you will be fast tracked through the queue to minimise the wait time.

Travel Insurance is a minefield and most insurers will shy away from insuring you.However I can personally reccomend you try these two - who have given us insuarance at a reasonable rate (Not something you hear in same sentance often!)

www.travelbility.co.uk
www.Jdtravelinsurance.co.uk

Failing that www.insurecancer.co. uk will insure you but I have to say they give scary quotes!!

HTH if I can help anymore with travel Insurance feel free to pm me.
Have a fantastic trip x
Louise xxx

 

[llygoden]

So sorry to hear aobut your wife's condition.
I'd recommend that you speak to your wife's breast care nurse and look at the Macmillan and cancerUK websites for practical advice and for advice on appropriate travel insurance as you will need to make sure you're adequately covered for the States,
I hope you have fun planning your trip and have a great time,
best wishes,
Llygoden

 

[pinkgoddess76]

Hi, Sorry to hear about bad news. My mother travelled to USA while going through chemo for breast cancer, she found insurance with direct line but they have since stopped covering it i believe. She was very tired and needed plenty of rest, she found the heat a problem and was told to have total sunblock and cover up as much as possible, she also wore a sun hat which helped.

I have recently been trying to find insurance for my father to go which has kidney cancer and have only found one insurer which will cover him on treatment which was insurecancer.com but they are very expensive. Insurance will depend on the type/stage of cancer, treatment she has had, how long she has had it etc so for everyone it is different. There is a leaflet on macmillan cancer website with a list of specialist insurers but check the "normal" insurers too you may be surprised. Good luck