Would you sail with broken wrist?

[juliet]

I broke my wrist four days before we were to go on a Caribbean cruise last year.  Needed surgery but couldn't have it until about 10 days later.  We cancelled the cruise ; (   Had a soft cast on.  I'm right handed and my broken wrist was my left one.  Thinking of everything I had to do before and on the cruise itself would've been daunting to me as my husband is handicapped and can't help much.  But, if the doctor said you can go and you feel like you can handle it, go and have the best time!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I broke my left wrist in 2011 right before a cruise.

 

My doctor told me to stay home and not take any chances on falling again if the seas get rough and break something else or do more damage to my wrist.

 

Even at home I had to have my DH help me a lot.

[Husky61]

Personal choice, but I broke my wrist a few years ago and I personally would not go on a cruise.  Everyone is different, and even if my physician said it was ago to go, I wouldn't.  I was restricted enough at home so I wouldn't waste my money cruising with a broken wrist.

 

Just my opinion, everyone is different.😃

[ducklite]

My husband broke his collarbone and we still traveled cross country to an event.  We didn't know it at the time, but it wasn't healing properly and he found out he needed surgery a few days after we returned home.  It wasn't the best trip--he needed a lot of help from me and was in discomfort or even some pain, but he was still glad we had gone ahead with it.

We flew there and drove around a bit to see friends and attend the event.  All land based.  Not sure we would have moved ahead with a cruise until he was healed.

Edited June 23, 2019 by ducklite

[clo]

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/air-travel-broken-bones-105482.html

[MBP&O2/O]

My travel insurance states that I must inform them of any change to my health or starting  any medication, or any changes to any declared medication 

Any insurance will try to pick up on the slightest thing to stop them paying out, imho 😏

[ducklite]

1 hour ago, clo said:

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/air-travel-broken-bones-105482.html

Some good advice here.  We were rather amused as we were flying on first class tickets and they still insisted on pre-boarding us.  It actually worked out well to give him a little extra time to get comfortable. 

[SheriAZ]

I would if I could still do my hair and make up and dress myself.

[GeezerCouple]

37 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

My travel insurance states that I must inform them of any change to my health or starting  any medication, or any changes to any declared medication 

Any insurance will try to pick up on the slightest thing to stop them paying out, imho 😏

 

The insurance rules not only vary by policy, but they seem to vary even more dramatically from country to country.

In the USA, with most policies (all that we are familiar with, at the least), all that is necessary is that one is "fit to travel" on the day the insurance is started (assuming one has the right type of policy, which does not exclude pre-existing conditions) AND that no physician would determine that you could not travel when the time came to do so.

 

As we hear about rules/regulations elsewhere, we continue to be grateful that we have access to the types of policies we do have.  Both of us, at "a certain age" by now, do have a variety of little "things that have changed as we aged", etc....

 

GC

[clo]

1 hour ago, ducklite said:

Some good advice here.  We were rather amused as we were flying on first class tickets and they still insisted on pre-boarding us.  It actually worked out well to give him a little extra time to get comfortable. 

Before our last trip I had fallen HARD.  Xrays of back and hip nothing broken but walking through an airport was agony.  Bob asked for a wheel chair and the man came with a cart, took us to the gate, stayed with us and got us pre-boarding.  It helped tremendously.  The ship we were on had no elevators but the most I had to climb were three short flights.  I made it but slowly.  We've never had trip insurance but I'll be getting it going forward.  I should not have gone on that trip.

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, ducklite said:

Some good advice here.  We were rather amused as we were flying on first class tickets and they still insisted on pre-boarding us.  It actually worked out well to give him a little extra time to get comfortable. 

I was pre-boarded on a flight home from Paris (land trip) when I had a walking boot. I asked DW why they were doing that, and she said "look behind you everyone else is catching up to us."

[slidergirl]

If the MD says it is ok, then she needs to assess her own limitations and decide if it's worth it.  If someone volunteers to help her with "little things" like hair, she can always just sit and relax and drink that foo foo drink.  

 

Two anecdotes:  my current hotel manager just had surgery on her wrist this week.  She postponed it until this week so she could go on a long-reserved dive trip in Belize.  She had a stabilizer splint on it, not a cast.  She had two of them - one she kept dry and one she used in the water.  She tried to come into work this week post-surgery - she lasted a couple of hours each day and then went home.  

 

I shattered my left fibula and dislocated my left tibia at the ankle 11 years ago in Italy.  Surgery was definitely needed.  I didn't want my surgery done there, but have my ortho at home do it.  I asked how long I could go without surgery and was told 7 days.  I asked when they'd release me to fly home and was told 4 days.  They did the reduction of the dislocation, but didn't touch the fibula.  So, I spent my days in the hospital in Siena (a very nice, qualified hospital - espresso e cornetto at breakfast!) phoning back home to schedule my ortho, re-schedule my flights, etc.  The ortho in Siena put my lower leg in a plaster cast, but cut out a 1-inch piece all the way down the cast to allow it to expand/contract as I flew.  I had wheelchairs lined up everywhere for my travel home: taxi from Siena to Florence, flight from Florence to CDG, overnight at the Sheraton in CDG, flight from CDG to IAD, flight from IAD home.  All business/First.  Saw my ortho the next morning after I arrived home.  Surgery set for 2 days later. Now, I'm a very independent person and have a high tolerance for pain.  I only had 800mg ibuprofen as my pain med for that trip and I was fine (well, still hurting but tolerable).  When I got home, my ortho did have me on some sort of anti-coagulant injections I had to give myself in my stomach for a few days to combat possible clots from traveling, I guess.   

 

Long story short - your friend needs to assess her needs and abilities.   Oh, if she wants some fun, go and find a website that sells cute slings to keep her arm in (it helps keep some of the pressure of having that wrist hanging down - from another personal experience)!   I'd recommend the one I used, but is no longer in business.  See if she can get 2 splints like my boss did.  Or take a box of plastic wrap (aka cling film or Glad Wrap) and some first aid tape and wrap up the cast before bathing or even out at the pool.  

Edited June 23, 2019 by slidergirl

[hm9912]

Take the cruise!

 

Years ago when our daughter broke her ankle playing soccer she refused to leave for the ER until the game ended.

A broken bone in a cast is no big deal

Enjoy the cruise

 

Howard

[clo]

27 minutes ago, hm9912 said:

Take the cruise!

 

Years ago when our daughter broke her ankle playing soccer she refused to leave for the ER until the game ended.

A broken bone in a cast is no big deal

Enjoy the cruise

 

Howard

From what I've read it can be a problem on an airplane due to swelling.

[Nic6318]

Hi 

 

I agree with those that point out that while the DR. does say you can go, I personally wouldn't if it was an option. The main reason is that the trip is meant to be fun and would want to participate in any activity they chose. Even with the limited impairment of the wrist injury, it would be restrictive. I would wait till I could fully enjoy my trip.

 

I remember once when I had a significant injury while at a resort (no choice but to stay until my flight out). I would have to agree that it would seem like a nice environment to convalesce, but the reality is that my limited mobility affected my enjoyment. 

 

One thing that's is not clear in the original post. The way it is phrased sounds like if this person were cancelling it would be the whole group cancelling. If this were the case, then I might feel differently.

 

I also agree that if she does decide to go, she should verify with the insurance company about coverage while on the trip.

 

good luck

[zqvol]

16 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Listen to her doctor.

 

bu5 be aware some airlines won’t let you fly if you are in a cast.

What lines are those?

[GUT2407]

17 minutes ago, zqvol said:

What lines are those?

If you’d read a bit further you would have seen that I think it was QANTAS that wouldn’t let Mrs G fly.

[GUT2407]

1 minute ago, GUT2407 said:

If you’d read a bit further you would have seen that I think it was QANTAS that wouldn’t let Mrs G fly.

And if you read the article linked above it says some airlines won’t allow some casts, that may have been the issue, I know it was some years ago as she hasn’t been allowed fly for many years for other reasons.

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, Nic6318 said:

One thing that's is not clear in the original post. The way it is phrased sounds like if this person were cancelling it would be the whole group cancelling. If this were the case, then I might feel differently.

 

I also agree that if she does decide to go, she should verify with the insurance company about coverage while on the trip.

Another thing to check is if the ENTIRE group would have insurance coverage for just her injury.  

Unless all are traveling in the same room or they have "cancel for any reason" coverage, the cancellation insurance may only cover the injured party's cancellation, not friends/family in other rooms. 

[lenquixote66]

On 6/22/2019 at 7:39 PM, ccndfw said:

We are supposed to be leaving on a trip to Alaska next weekend, however, one of the people in our party fell and broke their wrist.  Initially, she was told she just needed a cast, however. Now she’s been told she needs surgery.  The soonest they can do it is during the week of our cruise, however, her doctor also told her she could wait a week and do it when she gets back.  She can’t decide what to do and is really torn because she was so looking forward to our trip.  We have insurance so canceling isn’t much of an issue... we would be out some $ for the insurance itself, but not too much. She’s in some pain, but she said it’s manageable, although, she has only been laying around the house and not really doing much.  I’m concerned that it won’t really start to heal correctly until after the surgery so perhaps it’s worth getting it done sooner.  Also concerned she won’t be able to have much fun if she starts hurting more.  Has anyone traveled with a broken bone?  And if so, what was your experience?

I fell and broke my wrist last October. My wrist was put in a cast for 7 weeks. Two days after the cast was removed I left for a 12 night cruise,a bad decision on my part.My wife had to carry everything.I could not use my hand    ForbanythingFor anything

[clo]

14 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I fell and broke my wrist last October. My wrist was put in a cast for 7 weeks. Two days after the cast was removed I left for a 12 night cruise,a bad decision on my part.My wife had to carry everything.I could not use my hand    ForbanythingFor anything

Xrays showed that my back/hip weren't broken but I was in a lot of pain the entire trip.

[suzyed]

I can't speak for anyone else, but if I could wait a week for the surgery I would go on the cruise.  

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

Another thing to check is if the ENTIRE group would have insurance coverage for just her injury.  

Unless all are traveling in the same room or they have "cancel for any reason" coverage, the cancellation insurance may only cover the injured party's cancellation, not friends/family in other rooms. 

 

Different policies have different terms, apparently.

 

Our policies always include other traveling companions - those traveling with us.  There is no need for everyone to be in the same room/cabin.  (Indeed, there is no need for this to be a cruise at all.  We could be in several rooms at a hotel, a vacation rental or camping out...)

In case of a "covered event" such as illness/injury, we wouldn't need to invoke the CFAR, which would only cover 75% of the cost.  We'd be covered at 100%.

 

GC

[brillohead]

52 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Different policies have different terms, apparently.

 

Our policies always include other traveling companions - those traveling with us.  There is no need for everyone to be in the same room/cabin.  (Indeed, there is no need for this to be a cruise at all.  We could be in several rooms at a hotel, a vacation rental or camping out...)

In case of a "covered event" such as illness/injury, we wouldn't need to invoke the CFAR, which would only cover 75% of the cost.  We'd be covered at 100%.

 

GC

Exactly the reason I said to check the coverage.  

I remember reading posts here when people were having to cancel cruises because of pregnancy during Zika outbreaks, in many cases only the immediate family of the pregnant female was included for cancellation, so if it was a family reunion cruise, the grandparents who were cruising and various brothers / sisters / nieces / nephews / aunts / uncles didn't have a "covered reason" for cancelling their cruise because they weren't the ones who were pregnant.  

I've also seen people complain that when a roommate has to cancel, it then requires the other person in their room to come up with the additional cost to pay the Single Supplement.

If your particular policy also includes everyone you are traveling with, then great.  But if your policy is only going to cover the injured person and their immediate family and/or people in their room, then that might be a factor in the decision to cancel.  

All policies have different rules, that's why it's important to read the contract for your specific policy to make sure everyone is covered the way you think they are.  

[bonsai3s]

19 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

I not only *thought* about this "really hard" (and I think I understand what your concerns are), but I took a 12 night cruise ss described above, with my dominant arm pretty much useless.  DH needed to help me dress, I needed help cutting meat, etc. I needed to get my hair washed at the salon, as well (and similarly at home for quite some time).  But those are actions that require *two* hands/arms.  For other one-handed needs, the non-dominant arm/hand sufficed quite well., albeit a bit awkwardly at times.

 

Does OP's travel companion have a spouse or someone else who could help her dress, for example?  (Dining staff can certainly help with cutting food; the salon can help with hair washing, etc.  It's dressing where one needs someone one feels *very* comfortable with...)

 

Now, back in college, back in the pre-historic days (or so it seems), I had a good friend who was in a major car accident, and had both arms badly shattered, so both were in substantial casts.  (She was the lucky one; the other 3 in the car that "party night" near Big Sur... they didn't need any casts...)  Anyway, yes, in that case, it didn't take long to "think" about why she was not living alone, but was living back with her parents for a few months,...  And no, it wasn't just needing to be fed that was a major problem...  

 

GC

 

Well said...

 

I understand...I was one of those hit by a drunk driver...head on....survived...retired...blessed...happy.