I am 5 years in remission from Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia. Is it wise to be careful about only travelling to countries that have good haematology care because Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia is aggressive and if it comes back then treatment needs to be started as a matter of urgency. The other complications I had was that I need to have specific platelets from specific donors who have the same antibodies as me and I suffered from Differentiation Syndrome too. I have only travelled to Europe once in the last 5 years and I tend to holiday in the UK. What are people’s thoughts? I am lucky to be well so this is a small query compared with people who are currently going through treatment.
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Hi @Jobee, it’s lovely to see you back on the Forum, and congratulations on five years in remission!!
I don’t think this is a small query at all, and understandable that you’d want to think carefully about where you go and what would happen if you became unwell while away.
It might be worth asking your haematology team directly next time you’re in touch, including whether a letter summarising your diagnosis, treatment and your platelet requirements would be useful to carry with you. We do have some tips for travelling with blood cancer on our website, which includes other people’s experiences too.
Our Support Line is also there if you’d like to talk any of this through: 0808 2080 888 (option 1) or support@bloodcancer.org.uk.
Take care,
Ceri - Blood Cancer UK Support Services
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