Traveling

david54
david54 Member Posts: 164 Member
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
Hello-I am brand new here. Thank you for any words of encouragement, advice you can provide.

My wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer in November 07. Mets to Liver and abdominal wall. She had FOLFOX and now is on FOLFIRI. She seems to be doing well although her last CT scan in January revealed "some" mets to her lung and more in her abdomen. Her CEA is down to 100 at this time. She is fiercely independant and fights her cancer like a mixed martial arts fighter, she amazes me!

My concern? She desperately wants to go to Italy for 2 weeks this summer. Her oncologist told her that if she stays the same as she is now, she should be okay and he would not be too concerned. Easy for him to say! I am scared that she could have some catastrophic medical event and we would be stranded in a foreign country. My insurance covers overseas medical care, we purchased flight insurance and will be with a group, but I will be watching her like a hawk and don’t know if I will be able to relax and get any rest.

I know this may be her last trip anywhere and I want to honor that. But to be honest, it has been really hard for me waiting for the “Other shoe to drop” and being in another country scares the crap out of me.

Thanks

Comments

  • slickwilly
    slickwilly Member Posts: 334 Member
    #2
    traveling
    David54. There is no doubt your wife is one brave woman. She is trying her best to get everything out of life that she can. And it seems that everyone that has delt with cancer can tell you that we are always waiting for the next bomb to drop on us. But we still have to live life and I can't imagine a greater gift to your wife than this trip. Myself and friends that are dealing with cancer have traveled . I packed up my drugs and medical records and went visiting friends by myself. A woman I know traveled across country and back in a motorhome while on chemo maintenance pills as it was her wish to visit friends. And I bet the most important part of this trip will be that your going along with her. If she thinks she can manage this trip then watch her like a hawk, but enjoy the look on her face. Make sure she gets rest so her CEA numbers stay down. And tell her how much you love her over and over. Slickwilly
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #3
    concur
    I concur with slickwilly.

    My mom knew she was in bad shape (cancer had moved to brain) and still insisted on seeing my daughter graduate from high school. This meant that my dad had to rent one of those tanker RVs (with cameras on the back), and bebop all the way from the DFW area of Texas to our home in Va Beach Va, stopping everywhere along the way when she got a whim :).

    My mom made that trip, my mom saw my daughter graduate, and it meant the most to all involved. I was blown away not only by mom's insistence on that trip, but on dad's determination to make it happen.

    Make it happen!

    Take care and enjoy,

    Joe
  • green50
    green50 Member Posts: 312
    #4
    soccerfreaks said:

    concur
    I concur with slickwilly.

    My mom knew she was in bad shape (cancer had moved to brain) and still insisted on seeing my daughter graduate from high school. This meant that my dad had to rent one of those tanker RVs (with cameras on the back), and bebop all the way from the DFW area of Texas to our home in Va Beach Va, stopping everywhere along the way when she got a whim :).

    My mom made that trip, my mom saw my daughter graduate, and it meant the most to all involved. I was blown away not only by mom's insistence on that trip, but on dad's determination to make it happen.

    Make it happen!

    Take care and enjoy,

    Joe

    Go on Vacation
    My husband and I was told by our cancer Dr. go and enjoy life while you can. Friends of ours paid us a vacation to California. We got our white blood cell shots to pick up our immune system and we had one of the best times of our lives. I never flown before but made myself get on that plane. I thank God a million times we did it. My husband passed away a year later. We had so much fun they took us to Lake Tahoe as well. I haven't had a vacation since but ya know what I am still on chemo and I am still going to take some three day weekend breaks. I will never have to wish I had went, I did go. And am so thankful I have those memories. Life is too short for anyone to sit and wish. Slickwilly and Joe are right, GO and you will be thankful you did.
    Prayers and Hugs to all as always
    Sandy
  • david54
    david54 Member Posts: 164 Member
    #5
    Thank you all so much for
    Thank you all so much for your support and feedback! It feels good to have people affirm what we want to do instead of second guessing us (and helps alleviate my stress!)

    Thank You!

    David

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