Hi, my mom is about midway through her radiation and chemo treatments for stage 3/4 salivary gland cancer, following neck dissection. She is holding up pretty well, though the Peg tube is now her main way of eating. She has the second of three chemo treatments tomorrow, so we are praying she won't be much sicker than the last time when the nausea lasted almost a week.
My question is about travel in November. My family (me, husband, and 3 kids) are planning a trip to Disney in early Nov. and would love to invite my mom and dad to come along. Could anyone who'd been through the treatment tell me if this would be at all possible for her? I don't want to plan something she won't be up to doing, but I don't want to leave her out if she could enjoy being with us (at least enjoy getting away to a pretty resort with her grandchildren- I don't expect her to be up to hiking around the parks)

Can you eat 2 months after treatment, and how is the energy level by then? I know it's an individual thing, but any advice would be appreciated. You are such a wealth of information for those of us who are new to this reality.
Thanks, Marie's daughter

Hi,
I finished my radiation treatments in May, 2004 and flew cross-country to my son's wedding in August, roughly 2 months later. I didn't have chemo with the radiation so don't know if that prolongs the recovery time. I do know that it was a trying travel experience for me and I felt exhausted most of the time. Roughly a month later I flew to Los Vegas to the OCF gathering and felt much better, the travel not bothering me.

It sounds like your mom will finish her treatments in mid-August which would give her about 3 months of recovery time before travelling. As you have no doubt read on these boards, everyone's recovery experience is different. I'd suggest including your mom in your travel plans and buying travel insurance so that if she's not up to it in November, you'll be covered. Best, Sheldon

Hi,
It will be tough for your mom for the next month-6 weeks, then she should slowly start to get better. By November, she should be doing much better. She will probably still be tired and not have her full energy & strength back. If she can nap during the day for example, while others are out, that would work.

Saliva and mucus troubles my still be there. She can/will need to drink water constantly.

Food & eating may be troublesome. Travel with cans of ensure or boost and plan on hitting a grocery store to buy more if needed. By then she'll have an idea what she can eat - soups, eggs, yogurt, pancakes, quiche. A hotel with a small fridge might be handy.

And sharing a room with small kids would not be recommended if she is still fatigued! (I have 2 of my own)

I'd recommend refundable tickets, hotel, etc, because she may not feel up to it, or there may be complications, etc. but otherwise, a change of scenery and chance to see family sounds like good therapy to me!

Best of luck to her from a fellow survivor!
Michelle

I was just looking back at my calendar for three years ago. I finished tx of rad and chemo just about now, and traveled extensively from mid August through September and October. I still had the PEG but by then my mouth had healed well enough for me to eat, even if I could not taste much at first. I noted in mid October that I could finally taste sweet, which is the last to come back. At first,I had dressings on the neck burns and no hair, but I was so tired of being on a schedule that I was anxious to go, as I think your mom might be. Starting about a week after treatment, my energy increased exponentially. I suspect the idea of a vacation to look forward to will be very welcome for her. If she thinks it is a good idea, go for it! I was so glad to put an end to the whole being sick thing, that a change of scenery was just wonderful, and being out in the real world did a world of good for me, as it may well do for your mother.

Thank you all so much for the quick replies! I'm planning to do a 2 bedroom villa if they go so she can have her own separate quarters to rest and get away from the kids. The place I'm considering also has a full kitchen, so if there are still eating issues, we can accomodate those by buying our own supplies. I also found a direct 2 hour flight to Orlando so she won't have to deal with lay overs or waiting too long in crowded airports (or my children, since we're going on a different flight!) I talked to her about it yesterday, and she sounded pleased that we would want them to come. I think I'll plan it, making sure we have the ability to cancel if needed.
Thanks again for giving me your experiences. It is so helpful. I'm praying she will be well enough to enjoy getting away. It would definitely be a nice change of pace from daily treatments and sickness, and the weather in Nov. should be great in Orlando!
God bless,
Laura

Laura, I agree with the other posts that she will likely be ok with travel by November. I wanted to say that your idea of including her in your trip is a wonderful idea. It should give her something to look forward to.

Take care