Cruising after Chemo

[kgerkin]

Hi everyone. I've been reading these boards for many, many years but have only posted a few times. Love all of the information I can find here and have used many of the tips I've found here over the years. My husband, 15 year old daughter and I cruise every summer and have done so since my daughter was 4 years old. We have 10+ cruises on Carnival, 4 on RC and 2 on Celebrity.

 

This past January, my husband was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer which has spread to his lymph nodes and brain. He is undergoing palliative care and will take a mini break from chemo at the beginning of June. He has gone through radiation and chemo and we have no idea what lies ahead. Very tough for all of us, especially our 15 year old daughter.

 

When it came time to book our yearly cruise this year, I was very reluctant but my husband urged me to book the trip. He craved a sense of normalcy and planning the trip has helped. With dr's approval, and god willing, he will go on the cruise this year. We've booked a back to back, 4 day and 5 day out of New York.

 

I'm trying to gather all of the information that I can and was wondering if anyone had any information that you found helpful cruising post chemo. Of course his doctor will give us his list of precautions, but was wondering about the little things that the dr may not think of. The dr is encouraging us to go and my husband wants to go and just have "fun" and that's what I want too, but I also want to be careful and for him to be comfortable. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thank you for sharing.

Karen

[Ready 2 Go]

Hello Karen, I just wanted to wish you and your family all the best. Dealing with an illness truly does impact the entire family physically and psychologically. I think it's great your Dr is also recommending you take the trip. As you mentioned I am sure you will be provided with a list of do's and don'ts by your dr. I would also follow up directly with carnival to see about medication storage in the infirmary in case any of your husband's meds require refrigeration. Also, check to see about a wheelchair just in case fatigue takes over and he needs a little assistance. Have a great cruise and enjoy your time together.

 

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[KevInPitt]

Although I hope you get some valuable input here, you might also try posting in the Special Interest forum "Disabled Cruise Forum". It's the closest sub-forum I could recommend for your situation.

 

Here is a related thread that may be helpful reading:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1982207&highlight=chemo

 

Most recommend getting detailed guidance from your oncologist.

 

Although I cannot provide more direct advice, warmest wishes for a pleasurable cruise and as comfortable management of your husband's condition as possible.

[cruiserNC]

I have no valuable info to add other than my thoughts prayers are with your family.

 

 

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[kjunea]

Hi!

 

We cruised with my husband after his chemo 5 years ago. He would get tired easily and we weren't as active as he had been. We booked a balcony, so he could be outside and read. We took some extra precautions -- I bought Lysol wipes and wiped down most of the cabin/remote/door knobs, etc. He would wash his hands ALOT and didn't use the handrails in the stairwells. We also brought masks, that he would use in the theatre and the casino.

 

It was a great, relaxing get away. He didn't even get off at the ports much most of the time. We took our cruise after the chemo for the lymphoma (Stage 4B) and before the surgery on his other cancer (two types of thyroid cancers that he had at the same time!)

 

There is also a disability board on here that might help you! Many prayers!

[RuthlessBoss]

Hello Karen, I just wanted to wish you and your family all the best. Dealing with an illness truly does impact the entire family physically and psychologically. I think it's great your Dr is also recommending you take the trip. As you mentioned I am sure you will be provided with a list of do's and don'ts by your dr. I would also follow up directly with carnival to see about medication storage in the infirmary in case any of your husband's meds require refrigeration. Also, check to see about a wheelchair just in case fatigue takes over and he needs a little assistance. Have a great cruise and enjoy your time together.

 

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The only thing I'd differ with is the wheelchair. If possible bring or rent a scooter so he can remain a little more independent in case of weakness. Men don't like feeling dependent.

[redstapler7]

I don't have helpful info to add, but what a wonderful thing to do for not only him, but yourself and daughter as well!

 

I really hope you have an amazing cruise!

[WCAB]

We canceled a trip to Hawaii in September because my husband had been give a diagnosis of Metastatic Melanoma. It had spread pretty much throughout his entire body. He had radiation to the brain and infusion therapy for the rest of the cancer. The radiation knocked him for a loop but slowly he has regained his appetite and stamina to the point the doctor said " go ahead and go". We are no longer doing Hawaii. Too long a trip but will go out of New Orleans for a seven day trip. We leave Friday. It will not be as some of our past cruises, full of excursions and swimming but we are taking a couple of good books and looking forward to sea air, relaxing and some good meals. Hope you too, will find you can still enjoy a cruise even if it is a little subdued. Best of Luck.

[Ready 2 Go]

We canceled a trip to Hawaii in September because my husband had been give a diagnosis of Metastatic Melanoma. It had spread pretty much throughout his entire body. He had radiation to the brain and infusion therapy for the rest of the cancer. The radiation knocked him for a loop but slowly he has regained his appetite and stamina to the point the doctor said " go ahead and go". We are no longer doing Hawaii. Too long a trip but will go out of New Orleans for a seven day trip. We leave Friday. It will not be as some of our past cruises, full of excursions and swimming but we are taking a couple of good books and looking forward to sea air, relaxing and some good meals. Hope you too, will find you can still enjoy a cruise even if it is a little subdued. Best of Luck.

That's great WCAB! Enjoy your trip.

 

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[dulcimergirl]

So glad your still going! I'm recovering from chemo and gastric cancer, and I'm still going. My recommendation is call Special-needs-at-sea and rent a wheel chair if he doesn't have one. It will really help, usually I was good until about mid afternoon, then pooped, it really helped to be able to sit.

Hope you have a great trip, these memories will eventually be priceless.

[summersigh]

KGERKIN -

My husband has some health issues so I have a couple of suggestions that work for us : :)

 

Soft Soap makes an antibacterial liquid soap that we take on all of our cruises for hand washing in the cabin sink. It may not kill everything but for someone with immune issues it sure can't hurt.

 

If he can get around, even if slowly, and doesn't want to use a wheelchair or scooter aboard ship you can request wheelchair assistance from the cruise line for embarking and disembarking. We too book a balcony in case DH doesn't feel up to being out and about but the wheelchair assistance makes a world of difference in the quality of his trip. There's no way he could make it up the ramps to embark.

 

DH seldom gets off the ship in port anymore choosing to enjoy the view from the balcony or a shaded chair on the pool deck. Now and then, if we're in a new port, he'll get off since the ramps are short, set foot in the new country, and get back on joking that now he's "been there".

 

We book a cabin near the aft elevators since adjacent to them are the dining rooms, Sea View pool, and the Lido - again cutting down on the amount of walking he has to do.

 

We definitely make use of room service - especially for leisurely breakfasts.

 

I hope your cruise is everything you hope for. Prayers to you and yours.

[summersigh]

We canceled a trip to Hawaii in September because my husband had been give a diagnosis of Metastatic Melanoma. It had spread pretty much throughout his entire body. He had radiation to the brain and infusion therapy for the rest of the cancer. The radiation knocked him for a loop but slowly he has regained his appetite and stamina to the point the doctor said " go ahead and go". We are no longer doing Hawaii. Too long a trip but will go out of New Orleans for a seven day trip. We leave Friday. It will not be as some of our past cruises, full of excursions and swimming but we are taking a couple of good books and looking forward to sea air, relaxing and some good meals. Hope you too, will find you can still enjoy a cruise even if it is a little subdued. Best of Luck.

 

Don't forget you can order room service - we often do for lazy breakfasts and afternoon snacks :)

 

Wishing you and your husband beautiful memories and enjoyment.

[Gypsy2]

I have travelled with my mom post chemo. There are some hand sanitizer a on Amazon that kill more than the over the counter type. Like others the mask is important as well as the. Disposable gloves in case he needs to use hand rails or goes to the casino.

 

Mom had issues with the metal taste from flatware so we took disposable eating utensils. No buffet food since others are not as xpcareful as us.

 

Definitely did a more relaxed trip, did not push get, took naps and read a lot.

 

Enjoy your trip

[travel33]

unfortunately, don't have any recommendations for you, but wish you a wonderful and relaxing trip with your DH and DD. Hope all goes well, and my prayers are with you.

[dolphin2012]

My very first cruise was after eight surgeries and chemo for breast cancer. It is really about getting back to some kind of normal life that doesn't include drs and hospitals. We were also a camping family and we did that too that year. Just take things slower and relax. I am from Texas so we were used to the hot humid weather but that does affect you when you are on chemo. It tires a normal person out but with chemo the sun can be brutal. a balcony is so nice for the privacy and staying away from the crowds. The room service and movies in the room are fun too. If you need help don't be afraid to ask. Most people are really nice and don't mind. Best wishes for a wonderful cruise.

[summersigh]

We had an excursion booked in Belize but DH didn't feel up to going. I mentioned it to our room steward and he encouraged me to go because he would be nearby and if DH needed anything he'd be available by phone.

 

Yes, I went knowing that DH would have a nice, quiet day on the balcony or napping.

 

Our steward was also fine with working around DH's slow mornings. We arranged for him to come on in to service the room and DH would retire to the balcony to get out of his way. Worked well for everyone.

 

Needless to say, while keeping the auto gratuities in place, we certainly gave him an extra nice cash tip at the end of the cruise.

[dettlja]

I lost my dad to lung cancer a year ago. He lived for 3 years after his stage IV diagnosis and would have been sound for travel all but the last 3 months of his illness. If your husband has the energy, I say go for it. I wish I had those types of memories with my dad and I know for a 15 year old, it will be very important to have that type of experience to look back on, not just the illness.

Man, I got up to go potty in the middle of the night and now I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out. I miss my dad and I'm so sorry that you have to go through this experience. I wish the best for you and hope you have a great cruise.

Edited May 17, 2016 by dettlja

[kgerkin]

Thank you everyone for the responses and the great ideas. Many I had not thought about! I appreciate the kind words and prayers.

Karen

[bayoubabe516]

As a nurse who gives chemo as well as being a veteran cruiser.. My advice would be to avoid raw foods in the buffet, and actually I avoid the buffet myself because of all the people who don't know buffet etiquette. If he's off chemo and his white blood cell count is normal then his immune system should be able to fight infection. But I guess that he is somewhat deconditioned from treatment and getting a GI bug would make that worse. Good hand washing is the key. Best of luck in your struggle.

 

 

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[inco]

Aside from what your Dr. provides, it would be a good idea to contact onboard medical staff ahead of time to alert them to his condition and needs. Perhaps Carnival can intervene and set this up with the professionals at each end just to make sure everyone is aware of his needs and will know what to do.

I'm sure the change will be good for him and the excitement and planning will provide positive motivation.

We have friends whose daughter became diabetic just before their cruise with Disney and they did a fantastic job of totally looking after her, even down to meeting with the food staff for meals. Both the medical staff and the chef met her and the family when they boarded and it was a wonderful experience. I trust Carnival would do the same with the Special needs folks.

Enjoy and fingers crossed all goes well for you.

[grumpyjr88]

Before my mom passed, I won a free cruise from Carnival and I begged her to go with me. She decided not to and then when she couldn't travel anymore at all, she said she really regretted that decision. I wish I had just not accepted her answer at the time. :(

 

Have an amazing cruise. :)

[suzinva]

have leukemia and have been on oral chemotherapy for 15 years. I would definitely take some Lysol wipes (you can get travel size for port days). But, one thing I didn't see mentioned was sunscreen, hats and cover ups. Chemo can make your skin highly sensitive to the sun (burns, rashes, blisters, etc). This can last for months after treatment. Whatever your normal sunscreen level, double it. Put it on 15 -20 minutes before going outside, then reapply often, especially after swimming/sweating. Wear a hat, always. Wear a non-white shirt. And stay super-hydrated.

 

You'll have a wonderful time and I wish you all well :)

[summersigh]

Depending on how one's taste buds are working know that in the dining rooms you can order any entrée without the sauce and with or without the sides it comes with. My husband often ordered the entrée "naked" and got the baked potato as the side.

 

We're always polite when requesting and the dining room staff are always very pleasant in accommodating him. Their response is always something to the effect of "no problem" :)

 

By night 3 our waiters would ask if he had any questions about the sauces and point out entrees with a sauce he wouldn't like :D

[WetToes]

kgerkin - I too wish the best for your family.

My DH had also been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2014. He went through 2 rounds of chemo. He was about to start the 3rd, when we asked the doctor if we could squeeze a cruise in.

He said "do it". He gave us no precautions. We pretty much just played it by ear. We did book one sight seeing tour, by van. He was fine.

We enjoyed just relaxing and lounging around. I am so glad we went.

Maybe your daughter will make some friends at the teen clubs and fill some of her time with them in case she would get bored with a slower pace.

I do hope the 3 of you have a wonderful time. :)

[clearwaters]

Breast cancer survivor here. Sounds like you have received some excellent advice and tools you will need. Godspeed. You are not alone, people care. :)

Edited May 18, 2016 by clearwaters