Travel Anxiety - anyone else?

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Robinf
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:36 am
Location: WA

Travel Anxiety - anyone else?

Postby Robinf » Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:24 am

I'm still working full time and my job requires occasional travel. I'm supposed to leave on a trip tomorrow, it should be an easy one, short plane flight, just 2 nights gone... No brainer, right?

The closer the trip gets, the more anxiety I have... What if something happens? I find myself getting very worked up about all the things that could happen, getting sick, pulmonary embolism (i am on blood thinners for a clot), fever (i think I'm getting sick - my husband is just getting over a horrid cold), chemo side fx, etc.

I know the likelihood of any of these things is low, but I'm anxious none the less.

Is this normal? Am I just a wuss? Has anyone else had any luck in dealing with unrealistic worries and anxieties? I cant medicate out of this one, I'm supposed to be at work.

I'm normally oretty strong, just cant seem to shake this. Any advice is welcome!
Dx stage 4 Sept 2014 (MSS, KRAS Mutant)
Resection with peri mets identified visually during surgery
Nothing visible on CT
12 rounds FOLFOX w/ Avastin Nov - Apr 2015
Still nothing visible on CTs
HIPEC May 2015
7/2015 - 5 new spots on CT, PET confirmed 3 mets
8/12/15-Begin 12 rounds FOLFIRI
10/21/15 Scan - peri mets stable, 1 liver stable and 1 growing
12/4/15 - RFA of liver met
2/24/16 - scan was stable/shrinking moving to Xeloda/Avastin

midlifemom
Posts: 1358
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:58 am
Location: NJ

Re: Travel Anxiety - anyone else?

Postby midlifemom » Mon Oct 26, 2015 6:10 am

I haven't had travel anxiety, but can relate just to the anxiety.
I tend to be a logical person, so can "logic" my way out of some of the anxiety.
For instance, why would I develop a blood clot just because I'm in a different city? Getting a fever is the same away as at home. Just bring Tylenol. And if it gets bad, folks will understand - they get sick too.
I don't know what you use for anxiety - xanax, ativan - but if the anxiety is bad, perhaps you can manage to take 1/2 or even 1/4 of a pill and it will be enough for the anxiety butt not so much to ruin your meeting performance.
Lastly, just think of how proud you will be of yourself when you make this trip - one less stress in life having proven to yourself you can do this.
Good luck!
Stage 3 cc - dx Jan '14 age 53, cea 2.9
t2n2m0, KRAS mutant, MSS
Folfox Feb - Aug '14
Nov '14 cea 27.7 -2 liver masses
Dec '14 left lobectomy and HAI
Jan '15 FUDR and FOLFIRI
Aug '15 fudr done, liver clear, add avastin for lungs. Cea 4.3
Feb '16 CEA rising
May '16 2 wk break then drop Iri for 6 weeks.
Jul '16 cancer grew, constricted main bile duct. Stent inserted. On break till jaundice clears. CEA climbing. Doing reduced Folfox. Allergic to Oxali.
Sep'16 chemo failed. Trial or hospice?

sjring
Posts: 181
Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:16 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: Travel Anxiety - anyone else?

Postby sjring » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:18 am

I was recently at a conference, and one of the conference organizers had an alergic reaction to what they ate the night before the event began. My point is anything can happen to anyone at any time. If your medical team thinks you are fit to travel, there's probably not a lot to worry about.

Some things that I do, "Just in case" because our circumstances are a bit different:
- I carry a list of all my medications and medical conditions with me. I separate the medications between "Take Regularly", "Chemo Therapy" and "Take only if Needed."
- I research ahead of time where the nearest cancer center is to where I am traveling.
- I let my lead medical provider know where I am traveling to and if they recommend a place to go in the event of an emergency.
- Carry all medications in carry-on luggage.

I'm taking two trips next week. One a short vacation with my daughter and another business related. Honestly I'm more concerned about some of the tight flight connections. But then my luggage has been to more exotic places than I have been.
50 YO Husband & father of 2 teenagers.
DX 9/9/13 Stage 4 cc (at age 48)
16 Rounds FOLFOX + Avastin (Oct-13 to May-14)
Maintenance chemo - Avastin & 5-FU infusions (Jun-14 to Jul-15)
Jul-15: Mets to lymph nodes, resuming FOLFOX
Sep-15: MRI showed stability, back to maintenance chemo.

User avatar
rwightman
Posts: 211
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:50 pm
Location: Southwest

Re: Travel Anxiety - anyone else?

Postby rwightman » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:53 am

Robin, I travel for work too and I can relate to the travel anxiety. I had to go to Chicago a few weeks ago for three days and I kept thinking "what if something happens". Once I got there I was fine, but I think it is totally normal to have anxiety when you are out of your comfort zone and don't know where the closest hospital is, who will take you, etc., if something should happen.

I am fine on the shorter trips (AZ to CA) as I know I can get home quickly. I take Ativan and it doesn't affect my brain at all - I can perform my work at 100% but it takes the edge off of some of the unrealistic thoughts in my head.
10/9/14 DX Age 50 - MSS
10/23/14 - Colon Resection - Stage II - 0/15 lympth nodes
12/30/14 - Stage IV - 1 liver met 2cc - Liver Resection - No lymph nodes and margins clear
3/10/15 - peri mets
3/15 - Folfox with Avastin - 7 tx
7/15 - HIPEC - 2 peri mets
10/14 - resection of abdominal met
11/12 - 5FU

User avatar
horizon
Posts: 1668
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:10 pm

Re: Travel Anxiety - anyone else?

Postby horizon » Mon Oct 26, 2015 10:56 am

I can relate. When I was going through treatment I didn't want to travel at all.
I'm just a dude who still can't believe he had a resection and went through chemo (currently 12 years NED). Is this real life?


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