How Low and Would You Still Go on Vacation

I'm on N-Plate and my platelets were down to 100,000 (I know high, but a 40K drop)

Now I am having my period and it is really heavy. Usually it doesn't get this heavy unless I'm below 30K.

I have a vacation planned next week starting Thursday to a horsefair. Thursday-Sunday. Lots of People, Lots of pushing. I will not be riding. But it would be my first vacation in 15 years.

I get my reading and N-Plate on Tuesday. So how low would you be comfortable with going at?

This is the first time I've had such a big drop on the N-Plate.

I have gone on vacation to the beach (9 hour drive) with counts in the 20's. I probably would have gone no matter what counts were, but I do respond to Prednisone if need be.

I went on a long weekend away.. Friday to Monday with a count of 1. I had a blood test on the Friday morning, got the result and carried on my journey by train to go away. I was on Nplate too and had an injection on the Friday but I knew it takes 4 or 5 days to work so I had a count of 1 with blood blisters visible on my lips and a constantly dripping nose the whole weekend.. LOL.

So I guess my answer is that I'd go away whatever my count.

I went on a trip to the Bahamas with my partner and my parents when I had a count in the 30s and was on about 40-50 mg of pred daily. I told my parents that they should know I was taking a med whose side effects were rage and hunger.
Erica

I went on a weekend away to a town w no phone reception w counts of 11k.

Apparently we all seem to not postpone vacations!!!

I am wondering the same thing - planning an overseas trip in 3 months, currently count of 22. I have been advised to consider upping my count before I go. Not sure what to try. If I go back on prednisolone my husband will leave me behind !!! :S
mj

Hi Tgurin 12, I have just got back from a 1 month trip to South America. Got a cbc 2 days before I left, results 40000. Took prednisone & Cyklokapron with me. Did not use any but it made my wife and myself relax so we could enjoy our holiday.


We went to Argentina,Uruguay,Chile and Peru. Also went way out to some remote areas, but always had cell phone coverage. Of course I don't know what difference having cell phone coverage made, apart from makig us feel better. Now booked to go to Fiji for 1 wk and Australia for 2 wks next month. So I say if you feel great, then GO, but tell your Haematologist first. I did.

I went about my life for many years, including international work trips and vacations with numbers from 20-40. Thing was, these numbers were stable and I knew I would not have troublesome/dangerous symptoms.

However, it was on a vacation when I apparently stopped responding to prednisone and my numbers bottomed out. Went to an emergency room and ended up getting IVIG. At least it was the end of the vacation....

Mark

Mark - what happened when you "bottomed out?" how did you know to go to the doctor?

meredithjane wrote: I am wondering the same thing - planning an overseas trip in 3 months, currently count of 22. I have been advised to consider upping my count before I go. Not sure what to try. If I go back on prednisolone my husband will leave me behind !!! :S
mj

I think it depends where you're going. I travelled from UK to Holland and Belgium with low counts because we have a sort of mutual health thing where we can get free health care in each others' countries. But I wouldn't travel to the USA because I couldn't get health insurance and the cost if I were to need treatment while there is just too high.

Hi Ann,
I agree about the reciprocal health care - unfortunately as it happens, we are visiting friends in the USA & Spain, & war memorials in France. I did manage to get travel insurance for my pre-existing condition - very relieved.
I will wave to you from Heathrow airport on our way home
mj

Hi KittieG

Actually I didn’t bottom out at that point, but it was the beginning of a 6 week crisis, during which my numbers bounced from zero to six – and which culminated in a splenectomy. I am now in remission with numbers around 300 and off prednisone for the first time in many years...

On the last day of that vacation, I awoke with about 5 or 6 mouth blood blisters. I had never had them before and knew that they were a sign of lower numbers. I wanted to drive home from upstate NY to Maryland, but my wife insisted we call the Dr. – which lead to an emergency room visit (platelets around 12 if I remember correctly) ….which lead to a 2 day visit and IVIG treatment. I left the hospital w numbers in the 60s and we drove home that Tues. By Friday my numbers were something like 2…and I started IVIG again for a week but it had no effect….

Mark

If you don't have scary symptoms and respond to treatment, travel shouldn't be a problem. I've made lengthy (up to 5 weeks) trips far from (my California) home (New Zealand, Central America, Eastern Canada, Alaska), with platelets in the 20K range. I always take extra prednisone with me in case I feel I need it, but I never have.