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Holiday

SRDa1c7cb9
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My husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 BC in Nov 2022. He’s currently on third line of chemo, round 9 of 12 next week.
We have a holiday to Croatia booked for half term and I’m unsure if we should go. He has travel insurance and I’ve read here it’s ok to travel with a PICC line. He asked for a fit to travel note a few weeks ago which coincided with the scans after round six. He was originally told they would be removing the PICC line and to have a fantastic holiday. It seems the scans didn’t look good and they would be changing his chemo but he is now staying on the same chemo. The results aren’t as bad as first thought, no reduction but also nothing new but a stupidly high CEA. They had an MDT meeting last Friday and had been told to expect a call that day. Didn’t hear anything so on Tuesday he emailed the nurses to ask for an update. The caller basically read the notes, that it was now being considered as palliative and he would be expected for chemo next Wednesday. I know they deal with it everyday but that was the first time anyone has used palliative. 

Finding communication really poor which doesn’t help make decisions. If it’s going to be downhill from here is this the best time to get away? We have an 11 year old and found the only way through this is positivity. 

Is there anything we might not have thought of that would be a reason not to go? Sorry for the long message. 

  • Dear SRDa1c7cb9,

    Thank you for getting in touch and welcome to the Online Community. My name is Penelope and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line. Your question has been moved to the nurse section of the online community as it is a clinical query.

    I am sorry to hear that your husband did not hear back from the MDT as he had expected and was told that the treatment was being considered palliative. Since you posted your question, you may have had the opportunity to speak further to the clinical team. If not, we would suggest that another conversation about scan results may be helpful, with an opportunity to ask further questions that you and your husband may have.

    We can give general information about travel but for individual advice please speak to your husband’s specialist nurse or one of the medical team. They will be able to discuss the timing of the travel in relation to your husband’s chemotherapy. Travelling with a PICC line is possible but do talk to the hospital team about whether any PICC line care would be needed whilst he was away and how this could be managed. Sometimes family members can be taught to care for PICC lines so this may be an option.

    In some circumstances a cancer team may suggest a short delay in treatment around a holiday to minimise the risk of complications whilst away, such as risk of infection. This may depend on when your husband’s chemotherapy treatment is due in relation to your travel plans. You mentioned that positivity has been your approach so far and I can appreciate that getting away as a family is important. The cancer team will be best placed to advise about travel and if this would be the best time to get away.

    You may have already seen our information on travel including cancer and flying and taking medication abroad. The general advice is to check with the airline before travel to check what information they need about health conditions. This may be a doctor’s letter or a ‘fit-to fly’ certificate. You can also request special assistance at most airports if this would help.

    It would also be important to take the hospital 24 hour chemotherapy contact number and identify the nearest hospital or healthcare provider at your destination and the best way to contact them if necessary.

    I hope this information is helpful. If you would like to discuss things further about the recent scan results or further information about travel, then please do get in touch with us on the support line on the numbers below.

    To speak to the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm).

    Best wishes,

    Penelope

    Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

    Ref: PN/CC

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