Travel after rad/chemo BOT cancer treatment

umea
umea Member Posts: 4
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

My husbsnd starts Radiation/chemo treatment for stage IV squamous cell BOT GPV+ cancer. He is slated for 7 weeks daily radiation plus chemotherapy.  We normally spend our winters in the Dominican Republic. I would like to cancel but he is insistent that after the radiation ends that in a week or so he would be able to travel. Is this reasonable?  How long after treatment would travel be a reasonable option? He will have a PEG inserted but of course will try to avoid use until nuitrition/hydration issues become a factor. 

Comments

  • DanceSkater
    DanceSkater Member Posts: 62
    edited October 2017 #2
    Travel

    I had 35 rads with 8 weeks of Erbitux in the Spring of 2016.  I felt worse, for a while, AFTER the treatment was over.  I had a PEG at the time and ended up using it.  I would not have wanted to travel within the first few weeks BUT everone is different.  

    You don't mention what the travel would entail nor what type of medical facilities are available once you arrive.   That may make a difference in how others reply to your question.

    Best of luck to both of you.

    Jan

  • umea
    umea Member Posts: 4
    #3
    DanceSkater said:

    Travel

    I had 35 rads with 8 weeks of Erbitux in the Spring of 2016.  I felt worse, for a while, AFTER the treatment was over.  I had a PEG at the time and ended up using it.  I would not have wanted to travel within the first few weeks BUT everone is different.  

    You don't mention what the travel would entail nor what type of medical facilities are available once you arrive.   That may make a difference in how others reply to your question.

    Best of luck to both of you.

    Jan

    air travel

    Thanks for the response DanceSkater. The travel would be by air -- a flight of about 3 1/2 hours and I will be checking out medical fascilites, but the assumption is that they may be adequate for ordinary situations but not exceptional. I would be surprized if there were a dedicated cancer center in this area of the Dominican Republic (Puerto Plata area).

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 383 Member
    #4
    I think he will find that

    I think he will find that treatment comes with many side-effects that pose serious problems to health and comfort.  I think many of us go in standing tall and confident that we will weather the storm, and come out on our knees grateful to have survived and be done.

      I was scheduled to finish treatment in late December, and was very confident at the start that I would catch spring skiing in Aspen in March, and be touring Europe in April.  Instead I was just starting to be able to eat whole food in March, and was beginning to be comfortable about maybe visiting family in Aspen in April (I live in Colorado, it's a three hour drive to Aspen, my daughter lives in 'down-valley, poor folk' Aspen)).  I made to Aspen and was finally able to start normal physical activity by June, by September was regularly, but cautiously, doing things at the lower edge of my old normal.

    I've been told I am having a good recovery, mostly free of complications; visit here a few times and you'll read more than a few stories from people where that is not the case.  But, grim as that seems I am now 40 pounds lighter, and hit the rec center at least twice a week.  I missed skiing in '17, but I now intend to do what it takes to be able to do it into my 80s.  Last week my ENT visit confirmed once again that the tumor is gone.  I've made it thru Year One.  Trust me, the actual experience will change expectations.

  • soonermom
    soonermom Member Posts: 155
    edited October 2017 #5
    It depends

    Unless you have the option to cancel without finacial penalty I would be cautious about planning to be out of the country that soon.The truth is every treatment response and recovery is personal to that patient.  People simply do not all respond the same way to the meds or to the radiation.  It is impossible to predict.  I can only tell you my husband would not have been up to it.  For him the 2 weeks post treamtent were his roughest time.  My husband just rode his motorcycle to Canada so recovery did come for him, but not in the time frame you are describing.  Decisions like this are hard.  Just remember this can be a brutal treatment for many patients and recovery takes time.  We had our first trip to the ER during the post treatment recovery phase, not during treatment.  Plus, my husband was still exhausted at that point.  

  • Klingels
    Klingels Member Posts: 78
    #6
    I agree with the others

    Everyone is different. In our personal experience, there would have been no way. My husband couldn't even get out of bed for 7 weeks post treatment except for doctor visits. We are taking our first 3 day trip, a 3 hour drive, at 17 weeks post treatment.

  • SuzJ
    SuzJ Member Posts: 427 Member
    #7
    After treatment

    The three weeks after was the worst, the sore throat, the muco.. hacking up a lung (not litrally) Dont do it, go when he's feeling human

  • RobLee
    RobLee Member Posts: 269 Member
    edited October 2017 #8
    AnotherSurvivor said:

    I think he will find that

    I think he will find that treatment comes with many side-effects that pose serious problems to health and comfort.  I think many of us go in standing tall and confident that we will weather the storm, and come out on our knees grateful to have survived and be done.

      I was scheduled to finish treatment in late December, and was very confident at the start that I would catch spring skiing in Aspen in March, and be touring Europe in April.  Instead I was just starting to be able to eat whole food in March, and was beginning to be comfortable about maybe visiting family in Aspen in April (I live in Colorado, it's a three hour drive to Aspen, my daughter lives in 'down-valley, poor folk' Aspen)).  I made to Aspen and was finally able to start normal physical activity by June, by September was regularly, but cautiously, doing things at the lower edge of my old normal.

    I've been told I am having a good recovery, mostly free of complications; visit here a few times and you'll read more than a few stories from people where that is not the case.  But, grim as that seems I am now 40 pounds lighter, and hit the rec center at least twice a week.  I missed skiing in '17, but I now intend to do what it takes to be able to do it into my 80s.  Last week my ENT visit confirmed once again that the tumor is gone.  I've made it thru Year One.  Trust me, the actual experience will change expectations.

    Normal

    I think many of us go in standing tall and confident that we will weather the storm, and come out on our knees grateful to have survived and be done… Trust me, the actual experience will change expectations.

    Very well said! ... And true, we often do not recover as quickly as we would like. I just finished 39 Tx pelvic rad earlier this month and thought I could eat anything by now. Sadly, not so.

  • OKCnative
    OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
    #9
    I made it through the same

    I made it through the same treatment very well - no throwing up, no severe illness, no dry mouth, no loss of taste, no PEG tube, worked most of the time, etc...... That said, I'm 7 weeks out post treatment and I could not imagine going out of the country. For one, food can be a touchy subject. Two, fatigue is a real issue. Three your immune system is compromised so secondary illnesses are a very real concern and can be deadly. 

    I've found most peopl I talk to are still noticeably ill months after treatment ends.

    We cancelled all of our travel plans for 6 months post treatment and I'm very glad we did.

    At 7 weeks I eat pretty much what I want and work full time. But my experience is the exception and not 'the norm.' Even so, I wouldn't risk it right now out of the country. 

    Why go through all this hell and then be reckless with an out of country trip so soon? Just my two cents.

  • lorijeannj
    lorijeannj Member Posts: 56 Member
    #10
    Just my thoughts....

    Just my thoughts....

    If you were going somewhere in the states I would say go for it. 

    However, DR is not the states.  They just had a hurricane (or two).  I have gotten sick at one of the resorts in Punta Cana.  I, as a caretaker, would not feel comfortable taking my husband anywhere outside of the states, especially DR.  Their water isn't even potable.  It's not worth the risk. Rebook, go to Florida somewhere or even Hawaii.

    My husband has this week with chemo and eight more radiation treatments to go.  He is awesome.  I have had not one complaint (well, there have been some minor complaints) in the past 6 weeks.  He is one strong guy.

    We did cancel our trip to St Maarten this coming February 2018.  They got hit HARD with a hurricane and the island is not exactly up to par yet and problably wont be in February.  We have plenty of time ahead to plan a trip later in 2018.  American Airlines fully refunded our airfare due to my husbands sickness, not so much the hurricane.

     

    Just remember everyone is different.  Different cancers, different drugs, different everything.  My husband was diagnoed with BOT SCC / HPV+.  7 weeks radiation/ 3 weeks chemo (cisplatin) plus 5 molars removed.  PEG because his tongue was so swollen before treatment we needed a way to get food into him, swallowing wasnt exactly easy at the time.  Now he is trying to get the swallowing back, even before treatment ends.  He really wants to eat again, but even this will take time which we both understand. 

    I wish you both luck.  It will go by fast and I do hope without much incidence.  Take care.

     

  • Andy13460
    Andy13460 Member Posts: 115
    #11
    Travel after treatment go for it

    I would go for it it gives him something to fight for I didnt use a PEG never had one didnt want one, felt a bit lousy for 3 weeks after treatment but I would think the  Dominican Republic will make him feel a lot better. Im 18 weeks out now and can almost forget I ever had treatment. Im 57 and have run at least 6 miles every day for the last 8 weeks and walked the dog 4

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #12
    The stars say.....

    umea,

    Yes, be bold and plan for travel, but don’t forget the travel insurance.  There are a  lot of H&N members who at 1 week post wanted to be left alone.

    He may not like normal food are you ready for that?

    He may be in pain, are you ready for that?

    He may have no energy, are you ready for that?

    Reasonable jumped out the  window with your old husband, you are now dealing with fickled, and confused and a timeline which can be very slow.

    Good luck,

    Matt

  • Sprint Car Dude
    Sprint Car Dude Member Posts: 181
    edited October 2017 #13
    Well.

    There is a better than not chance he will be immuno-supressed at the end of treatment and for a month or so after treatment. Not mention eating and drinking is going to be a huge task in it's self. But hey, Go for it. Just have a medical plan in place incase he starts to crash and burn while out of the country. Enjoy.

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