Help...torn calf muscle...should I cancel cruise? :(

[sqerlygirl]

Can't believe this happened!

 

I was playing tag with my dd yesterday...felt and heard a pop in my calf...fell flat on my face and had to crawl into the house. Found out I have a grade 2 tear that requires me to be on crutches for up to 2 weeks and full recovery in 2 months. As of right now, I can't walk at all without the crutches. We sail out on the 14th so I am praying that I am MUCH better by then.

 

Does the ship have wheelchairs available for use and would it be really hard to get around on the ship? We have the dolphin swim booked and I guess I will miss that. I am up for the challenge though...whatever I can do, I will do :)

 

We have insurance so I may be able to cancel but I REALLY want to go! What would you do??? I can't decide.

 

Thanks so much!!

Charlene

[jaycee200]

Wow... that's a tough one!

 

As you already know, it is really up to what your doctor thinks, if your calf will be up for the challenge...

 

But, since you asked for opinions... I would still go if he gives you clearance! The crutches will be a hinderance, but not an impossibility (just be sure to get there early prior to the rush for shows and dinner seating, so you can take your time getting to your seat with crutches, etc). Everything will be a bit more challenging with the crutches and I'm not sure about the wheel chair, but from my own opinion, if I'm still limpin', I'm cruisin'! ;)

[Guest TropicOne]

I would not let the crutches stop me :)

[flutepilot]

Our first cruise was just a couple of months before my wife finally gave in and got a new knee. We had a blast anyway. Go and enjoy being pampered for a week.

 

Dan

[kimcruiser]

I have a similar issue and as long as my MD says I can go Im out of here! You can recuperate sitting in the sunshine! I do not know if Carnival has wheelchairs either. when my MIL was cruising with us we took her wheelchair. The crew were fabulous too with helping her.

[jayesouthworth]

I would go! At our dinner table on the Spirit last year, one of the ladies had gout in her foot and she was on crutches as well. That didn't stop her from having fun and enjoying the cruise. Unless I'm bedridden and puking my guts out, nothing will stop me from going. :D

[LEtue]

I guess my opinion is the opposite. I would cancel and re-book if it meant I would be on crutches or in a wheel chair!

 

Vacation time is too precious to spend it laying around - unless that is what you normally enjoy doing.

 

So, I guess the decision is a personal one depending on what you want out of your vacation.....

[firefly333]

There are usually extra wheelchairs which you have to pay a $25 deposit to use them. You get the $25 back when you return the wheelchair. You cant reserve one and cant say for sure they will have them.

[Kurbanfan]

I know I wouldn't be asking strangers on a message board........

[salty dingo]

Definitely go! The ship is friendly enough for the mobility-impaired, with elevators and everything.

 

If you have to cancel something, let it be the excursions where you have to walk a lot. Just go and get some relaxation at sea... it will be good for mending the muscle.

[SDPadreFan]

Carnival has shipboard wheelchairs, but it is a limited supply and also first come, first served. They cannot be taken off the ship so that could be an issue when you reach your port calls. There are a couple of companies that provide weekly rentals for the cruise lines so you could go that route and be able to take it off the ship in port.

 

Another option is to see if a friend or neighbor has one you could borrow. We did that when we took Holly's 83 yr. old mom. Our neighbors wife had one, but she had passed, so it was easy to borrow it for the week.

[chachi]

I would go. Hopefully you will be off the cruthes by then, but if not go have fun anyways.

[simkoreb]

When my MIL sailed with us (needed a wheelchair to get around) we called and we were told wheelchairs are for emergency only...not for anyone to borrow for the week. We had to provide our own. We found one for 30 dollars at the Salvation Army by our house, and it was well worth the money.

 

Do not expect them to give you one for the week, unless their policies have changed since I sailed.

[glrounds]

I know I'm a stranger :rolleyes:, but I'm so addicted to cruising I would definitely go, provided I was ambulatory on crutches at least. If you're driving to the port, I'd rent a chair in town somewhere, otherwise check with Carnival to rent theirs. I see wheelchairs all the time on Carnival ships and people on crutches as well. ;)

If you do go, write a long review about the ease with which you can or can't get around a cruise ship in a wheelchair or crutches. :D

[poptart]

My adult daughter needed a wheelchair on the Glory..since we were driving to the port and had plenty of room. We rented one here at home for $34 and took it with us. It was an excellent idea!

 

Now if you're really good with crutches or are able to bear some weight by the time you leave you may not need the wheelchair at all.

 

Good luck and heal fast!!

[Priscilla Cat]

I can relate to this one, although not a cruise vacation. Third degree hamstring pull a week before a land-based beach vacation, a 3-hour car ride away. The first few days after the injury were torture, the sitting for 3 hours down was a bit tough, but I doubled up on Aleve, iced it each night, and since the vacation was a vegetating one and I didn't have to walk much, I did pretty good. You'll be going on two weeks from date of injury and should be feeling considerably better, despite how you may not think so because I thought I'd never ever again move without pain those first few days. I never could negotiate the crutches very well so mostly used a cane instead for the first week, but by the second week, I could walk under my own power, albeit slowly.

[bplazo]

I know I wouldn't be asking strangers on a message board........

 

I am on these message boards all the time that I think I know everyone better than my husband. :)

 

You still have two weeks to your cruise. I would probably still go.

[Nunu]

If I planned on being active on the cruise (which it sounds like you are) there's no way I'd go just for the sake of being on a ship. But that's me. :cool:

[mbcruisers]

I wish you luck. WE came off a cruise last feb. The day we were leaving to go home i had terrible calf pain. Anyhow I was layed up for 5 months. I had 3 tears in my calf.I hope your dr will let you go. I know the pain i was in crutches didnt help me.Wheelchairs did. The dr told me because your moving on a cruise your using your muscles different all i did was get out of bed and lunged the wrong way. Good luck i hope you dont make it worse.

Can't believe this happened!

 

I was playing tag with my dd yesterday...felt and heard a pop in my calf...fell flat on my face and had to crawl into the house. Found out I have a grade 2 tear that requires me to be on crutches for up to 2 weeks and full recovery in 2 months. As of right now, I can't walk at all without the crutches. We sail out on the 14th so I am praying that I am MUCH better by then.

 

Does the ship have wheelchairs available for use and would it be really hard to get around on the ship? We have the dolphin swim booked and I guess I will miss that. I am up for the challenge though...whatever I can do, I will do :)

 

We have insurance so I may be able to cancel but I REALLY want to go! What would you do??? I can't decide.

 

Thanks so much!!

Charlene

[sandys57]

My husband and I cruised on the Inspiration last week. 3 weeks prior to cruising I suffered 3 tears in my left knee. Surgery is pending, waiting on swelling to decrease in my knee. The week before the cruise, I went from crutches to a knee brace, but still hobbling around. Orthopedic Dr gave his okay for me to go on the cruise, just to take it easy, wear my brace, and rest my knee as often as possible. 2 days at sea, of course, were no problem, as I was able to rest the knee a lot. We had booked sting ray excursion and nachi cocum beach day. I went on the catamaran, even got in the water with the sting rays, but only for a few minutes. Didn't get off the catamaran to snorkel. I didn't wear my brace that day and by that night was paying for it. The pain was bad. At Nachi Cocum was able to relax as the staff there wait on you hand and foot. All in all, I would have enjoyed the cruise more if I wasn't dealing with a hurt knee. However, I love to cruise and didn't want to miss out. Ask YOUR Dr what he thinks and go from there. I wish you a speedy recovery.

[cruise.freak]

I dislocated my knee and was in a immoblizer one week before our cruise. I could walk for the most part (could not bend my knee) but had crutches for when I was out of my leg brace ( which was mainly only to shower). We did not by insurance but had no choice but to go on the cruise. If I would have had insurance we would have canceled and rebooked. It really limits alot of what can be done with crutches. We paid alot of money (summer cruise) and while we had a alright time we didn't do hardly anything we would have like to have done.

[chloes_mom]

I tore my ACL in April, and while I couldn't walk on it for the first few days, it was much better after a week. I don't know about you, but I couldn't stand the crutches after 1 day. It hurt my arms so bad. If I were on crutches, and were able to cancel (check the fine print on your insurance), I would. There is a LOT of walking on the cruise and off (unless you do the driving tours). You could probably still do the dolphin swim, if you can stand on your leg. I would definitely look into buying or borrowing a wheelchair, if you have someone willing to push you. To me, if I'm in pain or miserable, it's not a vacation. If it hurts too bad, cancel and rebook when you feel better. Just my opinion.

[DaDivaMom]

As a runner I can tell you that the only thing that will really allow pulls/tears/strains in the three major calf muscles to heal is REST! The RICE method, rest, ice, compression and elevation. Did the Doc tell you if it was the major calf muscle on the back of your leg, the soleus deep in your leg or the tibeus anterior on the front? It actually sounds like an achillies tendon separation but I'm not a Doctor and haven't seen your injury. These are very easy to have a repeat injury if not allowed to heal completely.

 

I would look into renting a wheelchair or better yet a motorized scooter for the week. The swimming would be the most difficult activity that I would attempt. So many people don't take these injuries seriously but they can linger if not allowed to heal properly.

[skypilot52]

Ah, come on guys, last time I looked, drinking and casino games are a sit down kind of activity:D

 

Also, if you go ashore, you only have to make it to the end of the pier, because there are all kinds of transport vehicles you can get into!!!:)

 

Unless you are dead (and then you wouldnt be able to cancel anyway, right?!?)

there is no reason not to go and have as much fun as you possible can.

 

Who knows, maybe we will read about you in one of those "funniest things I have seen on a cruise"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cool::cool::cool:

 

You will be famous;)

[SMSACE6]

Yep, I went with a fractured rib. Ok, I was sore, but I would have been sore at home too. In fact the day at Playa Mia in Cozumel, I floated in the water, and that night was the first that I didnt wake up in pain. Torn calf muscle sounds worse though pain wise. What does your doctor say? I would have to be bound to a gurney to stop me from boarding a cruise ship though, but that is just me. Hope you get to go.:)