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I am having my 4th round of chemo and had plans prior to finding out about my ca to be with family in California.
Friends are telling me that I should not board a plane 6 days after my chemo treatment. My doc, gave me the okay. I would like to hear some other thoughts about traveling by plane.
I am guessing that your friends are worried about your being exposed to so many people in a closed environment. Lots of germy folks in the airport, too. Have your white cells fallen to a point that you had to have shots of Neupogen or Neulasta? If not, then your infection fighting ability might not be compromised.
I would listen to my doctor, use hand sanitizer a lot, and try not to sit next to a snot nosed toddler. And have a great time!
I went on a trip to Barbados and went snorkeling shortly after finishing chemo and had a great time.
Go be with your family - it's the best medicine!
If you're doc says it's okay and you feel up to it, go for it!!! I went to the Bahamas after my 7th of 8 chemos and did fine - spent a little more time in a hammock than some others in our group but still snorkelled and swam and had a blast. Enjoy!!!
I just saw you are from Layfette Hill and 55; I'm from nearby Lansdale and 52. At what hospital are you receiving treatment?
Geesh, excuse my spelling - I knew something wasn't right when I spelled out Lafayette Hill. LOL
i have been on chemo non stop since may 2007, and i have not let chemo affect my travel. i go out of town as often as i can, and last year alone, i flew 6 times to vegas, 2 times to tunica and once to laughlin. monthly we go on weekend trips to belterra, a casino in indiana, and this month alone, i will be gone on 3 trips, a total of13 days. so enjoy your life, a happy mind is healthy for your body.
I have been going thru chemotherapy since Nov 2008 and recently took 2 vacations (1 was a cruise to Alaska). However I must say that in both vacations I had to pretty much stay on the porch and not run like I always had. My doc gave me an extended drug break each time so I would have the energy. So instead of having chemo every 3 weeks, I waited 6 weeks. My only problem was going thru the "maze line" at the airports as they don't label one "fatigued only" Ha Ha. I had wonderful times with family so no regrets but I cannot be without chemo and gained swelling in my abdomen "all of a sudden" because of the lag between treatments. I am trying to bunker down now to let the Doxil do its thing and hopeful for this water to go away on its own or will have it removed needle-wise in a month if not. I did try ONCE to drive 5hrs to my home town for a visit @ Easter and stay over the weekend and drive back and it was on chemo day 3; it was so exhausting I would not do again on day 3 but would do after a week. While you are there your body will be coming back up with more energy so you will be fine. At the airport I would just "take the chair" and don't fight the standing in lines after walking a mile in them. Enjoy!
If your doctor okays it, then go!!! I'm with everyone else, the things we do that we enjoy are so important to our mental, emotional, and psychological health that the minor physical strain the put on our bodies seems like it would be MORE than made up for! Enjoy :)
Your friends mean well, but I would listen to your doctor as well. He knows what your white blood count is and that is the key to your susceptability to germs. I flew about a month ago (during chemo) and took precautions. I wore a mask the entire time I was on the airplane. I also wiped down all the hard surfaces around me with antiseptic wipes. Wipe down the tray, arms, and seat belt buckle. I'm flying again on July 3 and plan on the same routine. Good luck and have fun!
If your doctor says it's okay and your blood counts agree, then I guess I'd go. It also depends on which chemo you are on because some are on worse on the immune system than others. There are 3 different phases - onset, nadir (the lowest point) and recovery - and it stretches from 7-28 days following treatment. Maybe you can time it so you go right after treatment and before the low point.
Remember that an airplane is always loaded with germs, so be extra careful and wash those hands! And watch out for relatives too - they often mean well, but keep them on the other side of the room if they are sick! I hope you do go and have a wonderful time.
I went to Hawaii between my 3rd & 4th chemo. My doctor gave me the ok and also gave me a shot of neulasta right before I left. I also asked him for a copy of my records to take with me in case anything happened while I was away.
I had a great time for the first couple days and then got a fever. Called my doc and he said to go to the ER to get my blood counts tested. I did that and they couldn't find anything but wanted to keep me overnight just to make sure I didn't have an infection. I had them call my doc and he agreed so I ended up spending 2 nights in the hospital on IV antibiotics, even though they never found any evidence of infection other than the fever.
Based on my experience I would say this: GO ON YOUR TRIP, but be prepared. Get copies of your diagnosis, chemo regimen etc from your doctor to take with you just in case -- that was very helpful for the ER doc in Hawaii. Be prepared for the possibility that you could get sick while you're away, but don't let it stop you from doing what you want!
Enjoy your trip.
Bev
If your doctor says go, go!
I love the idea about taking a copy of your records. I'd also call the airport to see if they can help get you through security faster and on the plane faster. That way you won't be standing in line with people coughing on you.
I was in a similar situation: My doctor OK'd my travel plans (flying Seattle to England) but a lot of friends and family said I was crazy to go. It was an important spiritual event, and I was feeling good, so for me it was worth the risk. I tend to be indecisive, but for this trip I had a strong gut feeling that said "go!"
I traveled with friends the whole way and didn't hesitate to play the "cancer/chemo card" to avoid standing in lines, etc. I was so glad I went. Aside from fatigue, I didn't have any problems. I took all the common sense precautions for infection, and my husband made me promise to wear a mask on the plane, which was the worst part - which is to say, not bad at all. After I got back, a few people thought I'd gone on a business trip. I had to laugh - there was no way I would have gone for work. For me, the trip was part of my treatment, another form of healing. Having said all that, you do have to be careful.
I had a conversation once with a wise friend about making decisions. He said that a good decision is one that's aligned with your values, with what's important to you. I try to make my treatment decisions that way too, so that I won't have regrets later. So many things can happen, and no one can predict the future. Of course something could happen on your trip. But something could happen if you stayed home too.
Best wishes.
If your doctor says ok, then hey why not?
I have completed 4 rounds already and went to Nashville for a week for Fanfest , and various other places and had no issues, im going to see a rock concert on saturday my WBC is VERY good, Im on neurlasta, and im having truly no side effects, if you didnt see my bald head you probally would not know I had cancer, But go have fun.....my docotr says only this TAKE your precautions...hand santizer, sunblock and keep a cap on my head....
Hello,
I was planning to go on business trips (it involved flying) while on chemo and my doctor said o.k . (Generally though he said so it was good to avoid the 1st week but this was when he was considering that I could go without Neulasta or the equivalent so I needed to be close in case of infection). In the end I did not go until I finished treatment. However I went on holiday at Easter and it invloved a 7 hr drive each way and even did a lot of the driving. Had it been a family or fun event I believe I would have gone on a fllight too. One month after chemo I went on to consecutive trips (3 hrs and 1 hr by plane each for a business trip and the wedding of my niece).So, go, take precautions (a mask on the plane, wipes etc), allow for time to rest and enjoy yourself.
I traveled between every IV/IP treatment. I usually waited till I felt good, about four days after the chemo. If my counts were low I was careful,,if somebody was coughing in the airport I avoided them like plague. If there had been a flu breakout I would not have gone without antivirals.
I used hand sanitizer constantly, didn't touch railings on escalators, just santized about ten times on every trip. The doc said the worst germs on airplanes were on the backs of the seats,,people coming from bathroom holding on as they lurched down the aisle. So I got wipes and wiped down my seat, tray, arm rests.
ANd he said to sit on the window,,I hate the window but I did it.
Now I don't use so much santizer and don't wipe down as I am on maintenance and my counts are fine. I travel the day after chemo because the steroid makes me sort of overenergetic and it works well.
The trouble I had was drinking enough water,,that makes you have to go to bathroom and I hate that. BUt I do it.
I love traveling so it was important and we live in two places so I have a backup doc here just in case. Will have a secondary place to get chemo up here if it works out and then I can go for two or three weeks.
Masks on airplanes have become like second nature for me, as is using hand sanitizer and being careful about surfaces other people touch. I use a paper towel to open the door when I leave a public restroom.
I've been on chemo almost non-stop for over two and a half years, and I have tried to time my trips so they are not be on the seventh day after chemo, which is usually my nadir. With my doctor's encouragement, I took a three-week "break" from chemo a year ago so I could go on a National Geographic expedition to the inner passage of southeast Alaska, where I hiked and kayaked and didn't mention my cancer until the last night of the trip, when another woman, complimented on her cute short hair style, explained her hair was growing in, and so I told the group that my hair was newly grown as well.
Within the last month I went to a gathering of friends in Savannah and then flew to Glasgow, Scotland for some meetings (volunteer work). It was so "normalizing" and exhilarating. I was exhausted, however, when I got back. Yet I have no regrets about pushing myself to take those trips.
I've been on chemo for 12 out of the past 18 months and have never postponed or cancelled a trip. Have made at least 12 trips in the last year and a half, mostly to Atlanta, California, one to Denver, and one to Las Vegas. Am in California now, and will be going to Toronto in August. Use common sense, stay away from anyone who is coughing or sneezing and especially if your doctor says "go" then go.
PS
Play your cancer card when traveling. If you are tired, get a wheel chair {I cried the first time I did it} and you go to the front of security line and avoid germs.
Tell the flight attendant. THey always comment on my hats and I tip them and say "chemo" and they are so kind,,bring water, ask if I need anything.
I tell the gate agent when checking in as I always get upgrades and hubby doesn't {he flies less} and almost invariably they upgrade him to be next to me. I usually tell them how wonderful he has been and they respond.
Don't feel guilty,,I am impressed by how PEOPLE WANT TO HELP. THey want to be kind. It makes them feel better.
Trust in your fellow humans,,they will surprise and help you when yoyu least expect it.
We are trying to decide if we should fly to London 2 weeks after my last treatment. The flight is nonstop and I know I wont be a ball of energy, but I never thought of asking my doctor what he thought before we finalized our flights etc. So thank you all, I will now call my physician and see what he thinks. I have been blessed in that my bounce back time and how I feel has improved each treatment. I have had four carbo/gemcitabine so far. After day 7 of this treatment I was able to work out for 10 minutes and walk the dog for a mile, which was a big switch from the first two.So I don't know what's going on , but I am pleased.
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