Bronchiectasis

[Elkeburr]

Can one go on holidays abroad with this condition. What could go wrong.

[teddyd]

Hi

I go abroad , you just need to get the correct travel insurance. I always speak to my Doctor before I go so I have all the correct medication and rescue medication .

[Hidden]

Hi there Elkeburr

Yes yes yes, you certainly can. I have had severe bronchiectasis since I was three years old. I am now about to turn 66. I have travelled all over the world and lived in the Middle East and US. I have just come back from a seven week holiday during which I floated down Guatamalan rivers, went in a gondola over the rain forest, did the beachy thing and visited strange cities. I am off on a cruise up the Amazon next year.So here is some advice which I hope helps.

Make sure that you are in control of your condition when you are at home as regards draining your lungs, your usual meds and recognising when you have an exacerbation coming on. You need to transfer this control to your holiday situation so that you can look after yourself if you catch a cold etc or have an exacerbation. This is very important because as you have probably found, there is very little knowledge about bronchiectasis amongst doctors and this is worse abroad. I have never had a problem as I have simply treated myself as I would at home.

Get your GP on your side. Tell them where you are planning to go and make sure that they give you enough of your usual meds and emergency antibiotics to take with you. My darling GPs happily wrote me fit to travel and fit to fly letters ( I had had pneumonia and an empyema last feb- april) and sent me off with a suitcase of meds

Choose your holiday carefully. A lot of this depends on how generally fit you are. I go on cruises because I don't have a husband to look after me and have the usual single person problems with hotels. On a ship I can socialise, I see so many places. I would not have the energy to do coach tours and my meds and nebuliser fit nicely into my cabin instead of having to constantly pack and unpack. I have done beachy holidays of course and visit friends who live abroad.

Don't push yourself to do activities which will take you out of your personal health comfort zone. The bravery zone is something else. Until recently I would have happily gone zip wiring but since the empyema I am reluctant to do anything which may split my pleural membrane again.

Get good insurance. Bronchiectasis is not usually a problem unless you have been hospitalised in the last six months. I have only ever had to pay a little premium with some of the cheaper companies and now my private health cover my existing conditions whilst on holiday.

Balance the activity with lots of rest.

Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy your holiday.

good luck

[velvet55 in reply to Hidden]

Hi SS

What a fantastic reply, and very reassuring.

Long may your fantastic adventures carry on.

I still go in search of the sun, but l will stick to seeing the Amazon on the telly...l am scared of English creepy and flying crawlies, let alone the gigantic things you get in the rainforest... I would be a nervous wreck !😂

My holiday wardrobe in a place like that would be one of those bee keeper outfits 😂 worn night and day !!😂😂

Velvet xx

[Hidden in reply to velvet55]

Well velvet, my holiday out fit for those areas IS a beekeepers outfit cos of the mozzies. I like to think that I look like Joanna Lumley! Ha Ha. The old timers tell me that the ship becomes covered in huge moths and little chipmonks come on board in great numbers as it progresses up the river. Can't wait but have to cross the yellow ever jab problem. Do hope the docs give me a certificatethat I can't have it. xx

[velvet55 in reply to Hidden]

Hi SS

I wouldn't look out of place then 😂

I wonder if l could get one with a designer logo on, hee hee, one must keep up appearances on a cruise 😂

Do you mean you can't have a yellow fever jab or you just don't want to ?

I had to have one years ago, l felt OK, but couldn't raise my arm above shoulder height for a couple of days.

I could cope with the moths and chipmonks, as long as l was in my suit 😂

xx

[Hidden in reply to velvet55]

Hi Velvet

I just don't fancy having it and I'm not sure if I can have it with my heart and lung probs plus all of the neds. Anyway I will find out.Your little hula logo would be very popular on the ship. It's full of the crazy individuals who matured in the sixties and like to be a bit silly.

[velvet55 in reply to Hidden]

Hi SS

Sounds just the place for me and Mr V the crazier the better 😂😂

xx

[mmzetor in reply to Hidden]

sounds like you had just had a lovely time on your holiday , did you see the program the cruise this week on board the regal princess what an amazing ship I knew they were big but didn't realise just how big till seeing that program ,

[Hidden in reply to mmzetor]

yes mmzetor, I did see it. What a beautiful new ship. It is going back to St Petersburg in June but only for 11 days so I shall be going there on P&Os good old Aurora on a classical music cruise. I was on Anthem of the Seas in August. She was launched last easter and is the second largest at sea. A fab ship. Only thing is, when we were busy on Oriana avoiding a storm off Florida on the cruise that I have just been on, Anthem was caught in it just off South Carolina. Part of her top deck collapsed and they did full lifeboat drill, but were ok. My daughter calls me Jonah because everywhere I go or every ship I sail on suffers a minidisaster after I depart.

I think The Cruise is hilarious and am recording it.

[Elkeburr in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much for your reply. I find your comments very encouraging and helpful.

[Billiejean_2 in reply to Elkeburr]

Elkeburr, a lot depends on how advanced or extensive your Bronchiectasis is and how much trouble you have with it at home. If it's not too bad then travelling should be no trouble at all as long as you have all your meds with you and your nebuliser if you need one. What's essential is a two week supply of whichever antibiotic works best for you, in case you get an infection while away. Some steroids would be a good idea too. Please do travel, holiday and do all the things you love, when you can.

[friendly]

i went to Egypt twelve months ago, took all my medication with me(keep them handy when you go through customs) never had to use all of them as i think the climate there did me good,so do not let Bronchi stop you living a life, i have had it now for all my 78 years, so enjoy your hols.

[Helenamay]

I have just come back from two weeks in Cuba, travelling around with two friends. They were very understanding that I couldn't drink as many mohitos, daiquiris and pina coladas as they could and it all went well. I am permanently on antibiotics for the Bronchiectasis. Please do go on holiday ......carpe diem.