Travelling

[Chef50]

It has always been on our bucket list to visit my friend in Australia. I have er,pr positive breast cancer that metastized to my pleural lining. I am on IBrance and letrozole I believe for ever. Can I ever go and how? i have to have bloodwork every month in order to get my iBrance.

[Claireperth]

hi I live in Perth Western Australia and was on the same two drugs. You could Google breast oncologists in the capital city in Australia (where you will be staying the longest) and phone them and ask if they can look after you during your stay. Alternatively your own oncologist might know someone here already. Good luck on your sunny vacation 🌸

[Chef50 in reply to Claireperth]

Thank you Claireperth

[Best521]

My oncologist approved my international travel with the following caveats, bring good masks to wear N95, KN95, bring Paxlovid, pack test kits and buy the best Travel Insurance policy money can buy. He approved of the hospitals where I will be. I am also on Ibrance & Letrozole. He had me stop Ibrance 3 to 5 days before I leave. I will be off Ibrance for 14 days, 7 of the days were my off week anyway. I will continue taking the Letrozole while I am away. He said “You have to live your life”. Leave tomorrow for the Middle East ✈️

[Chef50 in reply to Best521]

Thank you and enjoy your trip

[USIrishcolleen]

I believe that the hormone blocker is the main thing to continue uninterrupted. If Ibrance is discontinued for a short period, I do not believe it will be too bad for your treatment. “I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on t.v.,” so please verify this with your doctor.

Enjoy your trip!

Best.

Colleen

[wendle3007]

I guess it depends how long you are planning to be away. As Colleen said, pausing Ibrance for a few weeks should not be a problem. Research travel insurance and tell them everything so they can't wriggle out of paying. Then assess your risks and see what you can do to mitigate them. We went to Greece last year (and will be going again this year). I felt my biggest risks were having my Ibrance stolen and getting mosquito bites causing lymphedema. I split my pills between the safe in the room and the main hotel safe and I wore insect repellent 24/7. No problems!

You've got to live your life so do whatever makes you happy 😊

[Beryl71 in reply to wendle3007]

I have lymphoedema but have always carried antibiotics when travelling just in case of a bite. Mind you in many countries you can get these over the counter, not like in the UK. X

[Bettybuckets]

Yes do it! I am currently in a 7week trip to New Zealand (from USA) and loving every single minute of it. You will never be as well as you are right now! You are lucky to be on a portable oral therapy right now…. Average time on Ibrance is 2.5 years in the studies so and one day will not be in it. I am on my 3rd line in 3 years…. Like Nike says- Just Do It!

This is me in black suit this morning- so grateful to be swimming with old friends on Waiheke island at 930 am before having to leave on the ferry.

Last swim on Waiheke

[Chef50]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I agree that we should live our best life

[Beryl71]

Surely you can get it for longer! I started on monthly but told them it was curtailing my life so I'm now getting it three months, gradually got it stretched out. I said it had got to work for me or I wasn't getting the quality of life they'd promised me. If you're fairly stable what can happen in a couple of months? I went away twice last year just paid a lot for travel insurance. Good luck. X

[Chef50 in reply to Beryl71]

I get letrozole for three months but not iBrance because it depends on my wbc count. My onc and I will discuss it. We are thinking of a fall trip after the harvest is done.

[Beryl71 in reply to Chef50]

So is your white count often low? Because if not there's no reason not to give more. X

[Shelly1009]

I went to the Amazon jungle and the Galapagos in the fall on IV chemo. My oncologist not only approved the trip but encouraged me to go. I left 5 days after infusion and pushed out my next infusion by one week to accommodate our schedule. I packed lots of drugs! Go!!!

[valentinecalico in reply to Shelly1009]

So fascinating to hear of your trip - I too visited the Amazon and Galapagos in 2019 before covid and before my MBC diagnosis. I hadn't even considered it would be possible now. You are an inspiration!! Aren't they both wonderful places? Galapagos was my #1 bucket list trip and I loved it like I thought I would - but also loved the Amazon!

[love2golfwell]

I also think you should do this trip. I have been on those same treatments for 2 1/2 years. I get bloodwork done every 3 months. You could ask your doctor if she/he would be willing to do that. Also, Claireperth had a great idea about finding a doctor in the area of Australia you would be in if you need any care during your trip. If you are feeling well, now is the time to go. I had Alaska on my bucket list for years and we finally went last summer. I told my husband I wanted to go while I was feeling good and could really enjoy the trip. It was the trip of a lifetime for me and I felt great. I truly believe that spending time in a new environment, away from the usual routine can do wonders for our health. I hope you do this trip and have an absolutely wonderful time. Sending hugs.

[Chef50 in reply to love2golfwell]

Thank you for the words of encouragement.

[NShaft]

We live in our RV so travel often. We have also traveled internationally. I get my labs done at a local lab. My onc sends me the orders that I take with me. My visit with my onc is done virtually. I try to time our trips between scans. Please don't let this ďisease stop you from living your life!

[Tolife_18]

Ladies, you’re such an inspiration!

May you be able to follow your passion for a long time!

[NPmary]

I am certain you can. How long have you been on lbrance - you should be able toincrease the interval of time between blood draws.

[Chef50 in reply to NPmary]

I have been on IBrance since October 2022. Just finished 5 rounds.

[NPmary in reply to Chef50]

Have you had ANC so low that you have to extend the time off of lbrance? Ask your doc when she expects to increase the time between lab draws - if she has no plan, ask why not. If you are doing well, without progression and without concerning labs you should be able to decrease lab and doc visits to every 3 to 6 months - l think that is a really great advantage of lbrance - keeping people at a certain level of wellness and normalcy until unfortunately resistance to the med and progression of cancer might/will occur. Never be afraid to get a second opinion and to switch docs if its in Your best interest. I wish you the very best. Ibrance kept me progression free for 5 years and many others even longer than that. Take care. 🌺

[Chef50 in reply to NPmary]

Thank you. After my first month I went from 125 to 100 with IBrance because of low wbc count. Now my wbc count is ok. Now I am scheduled to have scans every three months. I was wondering how others have handled the iBrance when they travel. I get monthly blood work before he prescribes the next month of iBrance. we plan to travel in the fall after harvest and if we are going to Australia we want to make it worth our while and visit for at least a couple of months

[kokopelli2017 in reply to Chef50]

well then, it's great that all the women who replied shared so many great ideas on how to get around the ibrance issue. sounds like most talk to their oncs and explain they are planning to travel and you work out the details together. good luck with all and take that trip to Australia. no time like the present. you will always be on some kind of treatment. don't let it stand in your way. 💛

[valentinecalico]

Thank you for asking this question Chef50 as it's inspiring to read all the comments. I used to travel a lot before my MBC diagnosis. Covid kept me grounded - now I feel I could travel but am afraid, mostly due to perceived insurance issues. For example, last time I went on a cruise I broke my elbow and it cost thousands for treatment, thankfully covered by insurance. But with bone mets, I imagine it would be considered a pre existing condition and not be covered. But I want to live my life, as everyone says. Funnily enough, I have good friends in Australia too, and they want us to visit....one is in Melbourne and the other up off the Great Barrier Reef!!!

[Norma1959 in reply to valentinecalico]

I was worried my travel insurance wouldn’t cover preexisting conditions . So I would not travel outside the EU . I have cover in EU as I’m an Irish citizen and have an EHIC card . I have just changed my private medical insurance to VHI and once that has overseas cover of greater than €65 k . You can take out their travel insurance and that covers preexisting conditions . The only caveat is that you have to be younger than 80 and you have not been given a terminal diagnosis .

The cost was € 230 for my husband and me covered worldwide. So I’m off to Boston to visit my sister . So excited 😆

[Best521 in reply to Norma1959]

Enjoy Boston! So happy to hear you can make the trip. I just returned from the Middle East with no issues. I stayed masked indoors, except to eat in restaurants, and when in large crowds. Wore my mask on two very long, ten hour plus flights, except to eat. Never had to break into my Covid test kits once. My prescription of Paxlovid has not been used. It was nerve wracking to be out in restaurants and large crowds every day and night, but it was so worth it. Felt almost normal again. Starting to plan my next trip.

[Chamisa]

My oncologist told me the point of all these treatments is to be able “to live your life” so travel is my passion and she has encouraged me to go. She said they’d work my treatment schedule around my travel. She just said to buy travel insurance so that if I had to cancel a trip, she’d write a note or whatever they required for me to get a refund.

[bubblystream]

yes you can go! Just be back in 1 month for your blood work. 😊

[stardust1965]

I traveled from the U.K. to New Zealand in February 2020 to visit family while on Ibrance and Letrozole. I carried an extra months supply of drugs and had my bloods done at a local hospital with the forms for the tests I needed. I sent an email to my oncologist with the results and I was good to go. Easy peesy! Enjoy traveling while you can. I didn’t manage to squeeze in a three week trip to NZ before starting iv chemo a couple of weeks ago which makes me sad. You won’t regret it if you travel now!

[Chef50 in reply to stardust1965]

Thank you stardust. That is great information. I appreciate all the responses from each and every one that took the time to reply. Thank you all. Let the trip planning begin

[Hotlantaphatz]

Hey Chef50! Hang in there! I too have Mets to pleural cavity and liver. I took ibrance and faslodex injections monthly. Due to complications my onc changed me to Affinitor (not good, pains and dehydration etc) now I am on Xeloda/Capecitabine. Chemotherapy. After several rounds there has been no progression! Stable! I feel good for the first time in two years. I know each experience with cancer is different. But hold on! Stay strong 💪🏽!