I have always enjoyed travel and once my husband retired in 2019, we were fortunate enough to visit many parts of this fascinating world. However, during Q4 2021 I felt a tugging feeling in my breast and within weeks was diagnosed with breast cancer initially, then stage 4 metastatic breast cancer shortly thereafter.
I have five children and three grandchildren and it was the most devastating news for me and my family. I wondered at that point what the future would hold but once it was clear which specific medications were required to control my cancer and with the approval of my oncologist, we started our travel plans again. I did not have any physical chemo/radiotherapy and my oral medication had to be taken three weeks on one week off and collected on a monthly basis plus infusions on a monthly or quarterly basis. This provided some but not onerous limitations to our plans. The Travel Industry itself has also improved in helping those with visible or invisible difficulties which helped my confidence to start travel in my new world.
Having decided to start travelling again we talked about many things; bucket lists, safety of destination, mode of transport and of course insurance just in case I ran into medical issues. I was shocked that despite having two robust travel insurance policies from global providers neither would cover anything related to my cancer which made me feel worthless. I did eventually find a couple of providers who were happy to insure me with an existing illness. Having run through a medical questionnaire with both again I was surprised with the cost of quotes for an initial trip but this was basically due to the fact that I had been recently diagnosed and didn’t have a history of cancer stability. At this point I felt terribly frustrated but remained calm as it was clear to me that once I could show stable cancer readings my premium would drop which it did. Eventually I chose to go with the amazing Fiona at Insurancewith whose team gave me the best quote with the greatest flexibility and very much looked at me as an individual and not a number.
Now what made me want to start my blog. Well, I have always loved travel and was known amongst my friends as ‘Judith’ in reference to Judith Chalmers the famous TV travel presenter. I have also always preferred warmer climates and enjoyed a healthy glow protected by excellent sun lotions and perhaps most importantly I found travel and holidays always improved my mental wellbeing. I will say upfront I feel very fortunate to have had few limitations on my cancer journey but I wanted to show everyone with whatever form of cancer that despite my Stage 4 cancer you can still fulfil many of your travel dreams.
Initially I must admit I was a little frightened to start travelling again confidence has built after every journey. I now prepare my holiday list with priorities namely medications, insurance documents and the normal travel basics. A camera, GoPro and of course an iPhone are essential to record these amazing memories as well. Since that dreadful end of 2021 I have been on a number of cruises, visited stunning resorts and had the most amazing safari all of which were part of my plans pre cancer. I have had to think carefully of which destinations are practical or not and not push myself too hard physically. I want to show others in my position that so much is still possible and the many benefits listed above truly outweigh the risks in most scenarios. It is imperative to always check your travel plans in advance with your oncologist.
Finally, as I have travelled across the globe and talked to individuals in the travel industry, they have been overwhelmingly supportive to help and promote travel for those with cancer whether it be medical accessibility, dietary requirements, mobility concerns or safety issues. I have also met a number of amazing individuals who have become lifelong friends, who support me alongside my family which is very special and means a lot to me. So, let’s get those holidays booked
