vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

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mhf1986
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:30 pm
Location: near DC

vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby mhf1986 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 3:32 pm

At the risk of sounding like a Nike ad, JUST DO IT! DH and I are back from a week in Florida which included a day at Disney Springs, a day a Universal City Walk, and a day at Kennedy Space Center. Two hours via plane each way, driving around, staying in a hotel, eating out, shopping: all handled with planning and afternoon naps. We took extra stoma supplies, phone numbers, and over-the-counter medications. We stocked up on bottled water. We took breaks often.

Thinking about NYC for Christmas. I have even called our travel agent and placed a deposit for a cruise in April (with really good travel insurance). Then we will head to 2 college graduations in May. Travel has always been one of the greatest pleasures for us and by golly cancer is not taking it away!

So if you are worried about travel/whatever with a stoma or while on chemo, talk to your doctor, and then JUST DO IT. What is YOUR greatest pleasure? JUST DO IT!

M
Caregiver to DH, dx @ 50, mets to liver/lungs, MSS, wild
9/16 CEA 114, blockage, left hemi, perm. colostomy
11/16 port in, FOLFOX + Avastin
6/17 CEA 15, 5FU + A only due to neuropathy
11/17 CEA 38, CAPOX + A
1/18 CAPOX = hi bilirubin/bad hfs, back to FOLFOX + A
5/18 growth; Vectibex + 75% Irinotecan
7/18 CEA 23, shrinkage
10/18 CEA 28, growth of 2 liver tumors/shrinkage of few and lung nodes
11/18 Lonsurf, looking at spheres, proton, trials
11/19/18 Peace

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susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby susie0915 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:51 pm

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. My husband and I are planning a 3 week vacation in March to Florida. Going to Louisville to visit my son
next weekend. Went to New Jersey to see my other son in July. I take whatever I need for my daily bathroom routine and works out just fine.
I'm a daily enema user since last February and has given me the freedom to do whatever I please. Just need a private bathroom for about 30 minutes.
I never thought I would be able to do things like travel, golf, or participate in everyday life as before cancer with all my bathroom issues.
I hope you guys enjoy your cruise and New York City. I agree with you. Just do it.
58 yrs old Dx @ 55
5/15 DX T3N0MO
6/15 5 wks chemo/rad
7/15 sigmoidoscopy/only scar tissue left
8/15 PET scan NED
9/15 LAR
0/24 nodes
10/15 blockage. surgery,early ileo rev, c-diff inf :(
12/15 6 rds of xelox
5/16 CT lung scarring/inflammation
9/16 clear colonoscopy
4/17 C 4mm lung nod
10/17 pel/abd CT NED
11/17 CEA<.5
1/18 CT/Lung no change in 4mm nodule
5/18 CEA<.5, CT pel/abd/lung NED
11/18 CEA .6
5/19 CT NED, CEA <.5
10/19 Clear colonscopy
11/19 CEA <.5

cbsmith
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2015 11:45 am
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby cbsmith » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:14 pm

My wife and I are of the same kind, we travel as much as we can now. The only thing to keep in mind is, with stage 4, there aren’t any travel insurance companies that will cover you. It’s usually fine when traveling within the country but if you are out of the country or on a cruise if something happened it could run up costly really quickly, potentially well over $100k if you need to be airlifted anywhere.
06/14-DX with FAP as 36yo Male
07/14-total colectomy, rectum removal, permanent ileostomy
08/14-DX Stage IIIC, KRAS mutant, MSS
09/14-04/15 - 12 rounds of FOLFOX
07/15-CT showed para-aortic lymph node, onc thght inflammation
10/15-DX Stage IV, CT lymph node tripled in size, 1 small lung met
11/15-FOLFIRI + Avastin
06/16-lymph node is stable, now have a 2nd lung met
01/16-lymph node is stable, lung mets grown 2mm. Still on FOLFIRI + Avastin
11/17 - no chemo since. Lung growth minimal, lymph node is stable

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3817
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:25 pm

I'm glad you had a wonderful time! :)
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)

Andrea1976
Posts: 384
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 10:32 am

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby Andrea1976 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:44 pm

So happy to hear! I completely agree with you. I have been living in my suit case since my polyp. From the Caribbean, Florida, California, Europe etc... all with my kiddos:-) going to Caribbean and NYC next month... life is too short as we all know...

AussieAssCancer
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat May 21, 2016 10:16 am

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby AussieAssCancer » Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:15 pm

Wonderful to hear. My wife, our 3yo daughter and I are heading to Hawaii in two weeks (yesterday).

It has been a long time coming and marks 2yrs since my diagnosis (again, yesterday).

I was worried about travel after my reversal but fortunately I’ve been very fortunate in that respect.

Can’t wait to swim, surf, sunbathe and sip on cocktails for two whole weeks :D
Dx Oct '15 w/ Stage 3c RC/ CEA 8
Nov '15 - Jan '16: 3x FOLFOX and 5wks Chemoradiation w/ Xeloda
March '16: ULAR w/ temp ileostomy
Complete pathological response incl 0/12 nodes
May - Aug '16: 9x FOLFOX (dropped Oxaliplatin for final Rd due to neuropathy)
Clear CT scans in April ‘16 (NED), Dec ‘16, Aug ‘17, Feb ‘18, March ‘19, Feb ‘20
Feb '17: Ileostomy reversed
CEA Post Surgery: ALWAYS 2

Blog: kickingrectalcancerintheassblog
https://kickingrectalcancerintheassblog.wordpress.com/

mhf1986
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:30 pm
Location: near DC

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby mhf1986 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:21 pm

cbsmith wrote:My wife and I are of the same kind, we travel as much as we can now. The only thing to keep in mind is, with stage 4, there aren’t any travel insurance companies that will cover you. It’s usually fine when traveling within the country but if you are out of the country or on a cruise if something happened it could run up costly really quickly, potentially well over $100k if you need to be airlifted anywhere.


My travel agent found a company that will allow pre-existing conditions IF he is healthy enough to travel today and the trip is more than 21 days away. I fully disclosed everything to her. As we just returned from a trip, it was agreed he was healthy. So we have $500,000 in airlift coverage as well as cancellation and other coverage, but we are hoping to take this cruise around the Mediterranean in April.

M
Caregiver to DH, dx @ 50, mets to liver/lungs, MSS, wild
9/16 CEA 114, blockage, left hemi, perm. colostomy
11/16 port in, FOLFOX + Avastin
6/17 CEA 15, 5FU + A only due to neuropathy
11/17 CEA 38, CAPOX + A
1/18 CAPOX = hi bilirubin/bad hfs, back to FOLFOX + A
5/18 growth; Vectibex + 75% Irinotecan
7/18 CEA 23, shrinkage
10/18 CEA 28, growth of 2 liver tumors/shrinkage of few and lung nodes
11/18 Lonsurf, looking at spheres, proton, trials
11/19/18 Peace

Aqx99
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 7:28 am
Facebook Username: aqx99
Location: Pfafftown, NC

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby Aqx99 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 8:06 pm

I have a trip planned for the week after Christmas. My entire family is getting together at my parents' house in Texas. We haven't all been in the same place for over 7 years. I will get to meet a 4 year old nephew for the first time. I am really excited to be going.
Anne, 40
Stage IIIB Rectal Cancer
T3N1bM0
2/21/17 Dx, Age 39
2/21/17 CEA 0.9
3/23/17 - 5/2/17 Chemoradiation, 28 treatments
6/14/17 Robotic LAR w/temp loop ileostomy, ovaries & fallopian tubes removed, 2/21 lymph nodes positive
7/24/17 - 12/18/17 CapeOx, 6 Cycles
7/24/17 Dx w/ovarian cancer
9/6/17 CA 125 11.1
11/27/17 CEA 2.6
12/5/17 CT NED
12/13/17 CEA 2.9
1/11/18 CA 125 8.6
1/23/18 Reversal
3/21/18 CT enlarged thymus
4/6/18 PET NED
7/10/18 CT NED
7/11/18 CEA 2.6
9/18 Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy

monsterboy22
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:36 am
Facebook Username: Blue.panda

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby monsterboy22 » Sun Oct 15, 2017 11:06 am

I've been working all my life 24 hours a day 7 times a week and 30 days a month I really need a vacation. I guess I need it and It's worth it.

monsterboy22
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:36 am
Facebook Username: Blue.panda

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby monsterboy22 » Sun Oct 15, 2017 11:10 am

I know all of us here who are working full time can relate to this https://ponbee.com/collect-moments-not-things/ We work so hard to make our lives comfortable and get all the luxury but I guess it's time for us to experience life to the fullest. We need to enjoy life. see the beautiful creations of God and most of all collect all the good memories in life. I'm really excited now for my upcoming vacation with my family really miss the smell of the sun...... Wohoooo.

stu
Posts: 1614
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 5:46 pm

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby stu » Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:43 pm

For sure , where possible let the good times come . We took my mum on her first cruise this year . It went so well we had a second . Time is precious .
Monster boy you enjoy every minute .
Stu
supporter to my mum who lives a great life despite a difficult diagnosis
stage4 2009 significant spread to liver
2010 colon /liver resection
chemo following recurrence
73% of liver removed
enjoying life treatment free
2016 lung resection
Oct 2017 nice clear scan . Two lung nodules disappeared
Oct 2018. Another clear scan .

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby NHMike » Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:49 pm

We returned from a local vacation on Friday. We left on Wednesday of the previous week to stay in Boston (I had two hospital appointments in Boston while we were gone), and then stayed in Foxboro and we visited Providence RI and the MA coast from South Boston to Plymouth. It was nice to take a break. We had wanted to go to Burlington VT for a few days but the drive would have been a bit much for me. So we might do that before surgery.

I agree with others - go out and enjoy life. If you've been through the ringer with bloodwork, scans, doctors visits, second opinions, radiation, chemo, etc., you probably feel like you're under siege and a little time off may be really helpful in making you feel better.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

crazylife
Posts: 256
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 11:29 am

Re: vacation, travel, whatever...just do it!

Postby crazylife » Sun Oct 15, 2017 6:47 pm

Puerto Rico, Greece, Italy, Walt Disney world, lake George Maine, Vermont all since DH's diagnosis.

Plan to keep on going for as long as he is able :)
Wife to DH, 41 years old, diagnosed 11/15
Stage 4, Mod diff, 13/24 LN, 1 liver met
Colon/liver resection at MSK, 11/15
8mm lung met (not confirmed) and enlarged lymph nodes 1/16
12 rounds of folfox (9 with Oxi) 6/16
NED - July 2016
NED - October 2016
3 lung mets - March 2017
7 lung mets, May 2017
RFA to largest met, June 2017
Lung mets growing slowly, October 2017 (off treatment since June 2016)
Right lung surgery, November 2017
Left lung surgery, January 2018
NED - May 2018


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