Vacation

charelaine · March 2010

OK, I have asked a lot of serious questions and thanks again for all the responses, but I have one not so serious question now that needs to be answered.

Before I knew about my recurrence, my husband and I paid for our family's first vacation ever! We are supposed to leave June 11 and return June 18. We were planning to drive to Florida and stay with his mom, hit the beach, and then... go to Universal Orlando for 2 days! My kids and I are super excited about ther opening of Harry Potter world.

Anyway, the drive will be 13 hours, and it is HOT in Florida in June. I start FOLFIRI + Avastin on Friday of this week. Is this trip doable?

I have 45 days before the start of my vacation to get a refund, so no backing out here pretty soon.

What do you think? I really, really want to go, but I want everyone to have fun and not get bogged down because I am sick.

PamPam2 · March 2010

Go
Hi Char. Why don't you delay starting your Chemo by a week, I don't think a week is that much to ask. That way you won't have any surprises from chemo side effects and be out of town. It hits everyone different, as you know, and at different times too. If it was me I would wait until after my vacation, go and have a good time, cause once you start the chemo back up, you might not feel the greatest. And yes, it is VERY hot there in June, you don't want to be stuck in your air conditioned room not feeling good, while the family has to visit the attractions without you. Just my two cents worth. I had delays when on chemo, and had to go a few times without due to side effects, so I don't think one week is a deal breaker.
If you go, have a great time, you deserve it and your family deserves it.
Pam

charelaine · March 2010

Thanks
Thanks for the quick reply! I start chemo THIS week, though-- on Good Friday. My vacation is in June. Still, maybe I can take a short break right before vacation so that I will feel better?

I like your answer. ; )

mom_2_3 · March 2010

Off week
Have you checked the calendar to determine if the week of vacation will be an "off" week for you from chemo? Some people tolerate chemo very well and even during a treatment week some would be fine to travel. I know I had no problems doing things on chemo weeks. I would plan, however, that you have an option to fly as opposed to drive to FL. It's a long drive and it will be good for you to have the option to meet your family down there and not spend all that time in a car if you're not feeling 100%.

Good luck with starting your chemo this week.

Amy

abrub · March 2010

Schedule an off week
I agree that you should try to schedule an extra week off from chemo before your vacation. We pushed my chemo out a week so I could go to a college event for my daughter.

Usually, people feel okay during the off week, so your vacation should be great. But plan to need more rest.

Get out there and enjoy life with your family! It's good for you, too!

You can also look into trip cancellation insurance, tho if it's been more than a week or 10 days since you paid, it may not cover canceling due to a pre-existing condition.

AnneCan · March 2010

Hi Charaine,
I have found I
Hi Charaine,

I have found I can't plan my chemo weeks too far in advance; I have been delayed a few times because of low neutrophils. I hope you get to have your vacation; I would talk to my onc about your situation + see what (s)he says.

geotina · March 2010

Vacation
Last October George had a conference in San Antonio. At first, I said no, you are on chemo, you have cancer, you should not be traveling. Well, at the onc appointment George brought it up and our onc looked at me and said, why not? We can adjust the chemo a little, no big deal. Onc said just because you are on chemo, your life does not stop, do the things you like to do and go, enjoy yourself. Well off to San Antonio we went. Since we are in Michigan, of course, we were flying not driving. The trip did George a world of good, business associates he has not seen in a year were all there, he got away from the cancer, and we extended the trip a few days to do a little sightseeing.

In April George has business in Phoenix so we will be off to Phoenix, staying in Scottsdale, and taking a few extra days. As far as chemo goes, we will just adjust it for the trip. As long as you feel up to a vacation, our onc is all in favor of it, he told us a long time ago don't make cancer your life, just make it a part of your life, don't dream about it, don't worry about it and don't live it. Let him do the worrying.

Thats all I got. Check with your onc, let him adjust things if you need to and go enjoy life, have a great time.

Tina

robinvan · March 2010

HARY POTTER WORLD!! I'm In!
Once you have been through a couple of rounds of chemo you will have a sense of how you are feeling. Based on that you can check your schedule and perhaps book a "chemo holiday" in the middle of it so as to have a little more time "Off chemo" before the trip.

If after your first couple of treatments you are feeling lousy... well then you may want to postpone the trip. We all respond differently to this stuff. You may find that you're coping well. Mt daughter was married a few years ago in the middle of my xeloda-irinotecan-Avastin program. I took an extra week off chemo and had a ball at the wedding!

Good luck on your chemo start-up. "Good Friday"???

Be well... Rob; in Vancouver

AnneCan · March 2010

geotina said:
Vacation
Last October George had a conference in San Antonio. At first, I said no, you are on chemo, you have cancer, you should not be traveling. Well, at the onc appointment George brought it up and our onc looked at me and said, why not? We can adjust the chemo a little, no big deal. Onc said just because you are on chemo, your life does not stop, do the things you like to do and go, enjoy yourself. Well off to San Antonio we went. Since we are in Michigan, of course, we were flying not driving. The trip did George a world of good, business associates he has not seen in a year were all there, he got away from the cancer, and we extended the trip a few days to do a little sightseeing.

In April George has business in Phoenix so we will be off to Phoenix, staying in Scottsdale, and taking a few extra days. As far as chemo goes, we will just adjust it for the trip. As long as you feel up to a vacation, our onc is all in favor of it, he told us a long time ago don't make cancer your life, just make it a part of your life, don't dream about it, don't worry about it and don't live it. Let him do the worrying.

Thats all I got. Check with your onc, let him adjust things if you need to and go enjoy life, have a great time.

Tina

Good advice, Tina; it is
Good advice, Tina; it is terrific that you are travelling during this process.

geotina · March 2010

AnneCan said:
Good advice, Tina; it is
Good advice, Tina; it is terrific that you are travelling during this process.

Thanks Anne
Of course the traveling costs us little to no dollars. George's company pays for his plane ticket and the hotel and I use his frequent flyer miles for my ticket. He always stays at a Marriott hotel so we get points for that also so any side trips, the hotel room is usually free. If there is any way to work the system, we do it so trips are really on the cheap. Last year we went to Vegas, 2 round trip tickets were $15.00 total and we got the free hotel, we had more fun planning that one on the cheap than anything.

Now if only I could find a way to get these medical co-pays on the cheap but little luck there, only thing I could get was a reduction in the amount if I set up a payment plan. They don't charge interest so payment plan is the way we went. We may be paying a few hundered a month on the payment plan but it gets paid.

Tina

Vacation

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