Immune suppressed going in Jan

[lookame]

I have Crohn’s disease and my treatment has me on immune suppressing drugs. I’m not extremely immune suppressed like those with cancer are but I do tend to catch colds that linger and change to bronchitis and sinus or ear infections. I’m curious what precautions I should take to help prevent catching everything? I was thinking about getting a fabric surgical mask for the plane rides. (I’m not typically one to santise everything or become a germ freak but when I notice someone sick-especially if they are throwing up, I keep my distance...)

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

I have Crohn’s disease and my treatment has me on immune suppressing drugs. I’m not extremely immune suppressed like those with cancer are but I do tend to catch colds that linger and change to bronchitis and sinus or ear infections. I’m curious what precautions I should take to help prevent catching everything? I was thinking about getting a fabric surgical mask for the plane rides. (I’m not typically one to santise everything or become a germ freak but when I notice someone sick-especially if they are throwing up, I keep my distance...)

I have IBD as well and love traveling in January to WDW. I suggest the surgical mask for the plane rides and also carrying sanitizer and using clorox or lysol wipes on things when you get to the hotel room.


Good luck!

 

[lookame]

I have IBD as well and love traveling in January to WDW. I suggest the surgical mask for the plane rides and also carrying sanitizer and using clorox or lysol wipes on things when you get to the hotel room.


Good luck!

Have you gotten sick while in Disney in Jan? This past June we went to NYC and rode the subway system around and thankfully avoided getting sick but one day my 12 yr old got pretty sick

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

Have you gotten sick while in Disney in Jan? This past June we went to NYC and rode the subway system around and thankfully avoided getting sick but one day my 12 yr old got pretty sick

No, I have not but I'm super OCD about making sure I don't get ill.

 

[gap2368]

1 avoid touching your face and if you have to wash your hands before you do.

2 wash your hads a lot ( hand snitzer and or soap and water) also use hand siniterzer after you get off rides

3 wipe things down that if you can ( tables/ chairs at QS) ride lap bars

4 for rides that have pre show ( RnR and ToT) try to stand in the back where it will be less crowded FOP every one stands on a number so you are not that croded in.

5 if someone is sick around you maybe put a mask put more room beetween you and the maybe sick person ( if you are going iwith other but them between you and the sick person.) but it is a good chance the person is not really sick ( they might have asthma allergee so there is just no way to know for sure)

6 if you are going with other try to be in the middel of the group so give you a buffer from other

hope some of thse help

 

[Mrsjvb]

I Am on immunosuppresive therapy for a different disease. I honestly do not take any over the top precautions. just the usual: avoid touching surfaces then touching the face/mouth. , wash hands frequently and well( no I do not use hand sanitizer as quite frankly its useless for many things)

with me its mostly things like cuts and bruises that forever to heal up, I don't necessarily catch an airborne illness any faster or any harder.

 

[arminnie]

When I could still walk the hardest thing for me to remember was to keep my hands off of as many railings as possible. Especially as the got less steady and needed to hold on more.

 

[lookame]

So I understand I can’t prevent getting sick, especially with some sort of nasty Norovirus or c diff, however if it’s possible to make it less likely to pick up something nasty I’d like to do it. On a normal basis I just go to a different room while the kids are sick (unless it’s a cold then I care for them knowing I’ll get it as well and I just pound water like crazy and sleep a little more if possible). I don’t do any extra hand sanitizing or masking but with this vacation if we (or I) catch a stomach virus on a day we have reserved for a park then...we’ll thats a lot of money. (We have all our park days reserved for the last 5 days of our trip). I think if I mask it’ll prevent me from touching my face I also found some hand sanitizer which was proved to kill the c diff spores (I take this with a degree of speculation) and some heavy duty Clorox wipes may also help...?

I do have a 4 yr old thumb sucker and a 12 yr old with eosinophils esophagitis who tends to have issues (especially if he doesn’t take his meds or properly hydrate)...so hoping well avoid something nasty this time

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Take wet ones wipes or Clorox wipes on the plane. Wipe down everything you touch. Use them in the hotel on light switches, door knobs, the remote.

On the plane, turn your overhead air vent on full blast. Studies have proven that the cabin air filters catch most of the germs from passengers, and opening the vent blows the clean air on you, pushing the germy air away from you.

Stay hydrated and well rested.

Don’t eat anything without washing your hands first.

And have fun! We went in Jan with my immune-deficient 9 month old and these precautions kept him well.

 

[mukorasirish]

Both my daughter and I are immune suppressed - I have been for 10years. (We both have RA and the meds are fairly similar to your meds.). She is only 18. We go to Disney 2 -3 Tims per year and have never had an issue. The one thing we absolutely do is bring wipes and wipe down the are rests and trays on the plane. Other than that we just bring germ gel and wash before eating.

Have fun!

 

[lookame]

Both my daughter and I are immune suppressed - I have been for 10years. (We both have RA and the meds are fairly similar to your meds.). She is only 18. We go to Disney 2 -3 Tims per year and have never had an issue. The one thing we absolutely do is bring wipes and wipe down the are rests and trays on the plane. Other than that we just bring germ gel and wash before eating.

Have fun!

My husband has been saying he doesn't believe we'll catch anything...that being said his immune system is a power horse lol. That being said it eases my anxiety that several immune suppressed people have been able to avoid getting sick.

 

[Haimia]

"1 avoid touching your face and if you have to wash your hands before you do." quoted by gap2368 above.

Best advice ever!! Never had any problems until last year's trip!

This being said after a twelve-day hospital stay last December, after returning from WDW three days prior!!! I also have RA with the similar drugs. Only had a parivirus type A (only thing found after multiple testing), but it kicked my immunosuppressive butt!

 

[lookame]

"1 avoid touching your face and if you have to wash your hands before you do." quoted by gap2368 above.

Best advice ever!! Never had any problems until last year's trip!

This being said after a twelve-day hospital stay last December, after returning from WDW three days prior!!! I also have RA with the similar drugs. Only had a parivirus type A (only thing found after multiple testing), but it kicked my immunosuppressive butt!

My infusion nurse came today and we discussed some precautions to take and she said wash hands and don’t touch the face. She also said when my kids come home from school have them wash their hands as well. We also discussed mrsa and c diff which aren’t really concerns unless in a hospital environment. Overall she said a lot of viruses can only be killed with soap and water so hand washing is key.

 

[Haimia]

Yup, just like gap2368 stated! That was probably my downfall last November leading to me being very ill in December. My PCP told me after I was discharged that 20 years ago, I would have probably not made it. My lungs collected fluid and the fluid then gelled because of RA and Sjorgens. A bronchoscopy was done to remove the fluid - only way to get rid of it!! :>(

 

[Smittolis]

Depending on your particular condition you may find that even being suppressed your immune system is pretty active against incoming infections. It will also depend on the type of medicine you are using and what protein inhibitor or T-cell mechanism it uses.

As above, most people will be more than fine. I'm immuno-Suppressed and I'm a school teacher and also coach 4 nights per week, so there is no way to avoid the contact of 100's / 1000's of people every week. Some basic precautions like being conscious of hand shaking, sneezing as well as proximity to people that are showing obvious signs of being sick etc... Rubbing eyes, touching your face etc... as some others have said.

Personally I have never been sick while being in Florida (touch wood!) and we go 1-3 times per year for 2 weeks at a time. The risk is always there of course, so one way of potentially mitigating it is to go at the end of your treatment cycle prior to getting your meds, this may make you the most uncomfortable but would potentially create a situation whereby your immune system is at its strongest, as opposed to going right after treatment. But again, this all depends on your medicine, your treatment intervals, whether it is stacked with other medicines such as Methotrexate etc...

I'm happy to discuss further in private message if you like, its an area of specialty for me based upon my various roles and education.

 

[Missyrose]

I've had Crohn's and been on immunosuppressive drugs for more than two decades. I don't really do much more than anyone would normally. I try to wash my hands more than using hand sanitizer. But I don't wear a mask on planes and I'm terrible at remembering to wipe down things in the resort room.

I've been on dozens of Disney trips (throughout the year) since my diagnosis and last month's trip was the first one where I got sick on the trip. Caught a cold that just would not quit and I ended up being sick for a couple of weeks after I returned home. But it never turned into anything serious or something I needed medication for. I wouldn't stress too much about it. The warnings with the drugs can be scary, but IRL, it's livable without over-the-top precautions.

My next trip is in late January/early February and I'm not worried.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Hey there. I have UC and am also immune-compromised due to meds.

So many great tips already, here are some additional things that came to mind:

Check with your physician and make sure you are up to date on vaccinations. Depending on your level of immunosuppression you might qualify for some early.

I know this isn’t always possible with IBD but I try to avoid the airplane bathroom because it is super germ-y

Make sure you are as well-rested as possible going into your trip.

 

[lookame]

Hey there. I have UC and am also immune-compromised due to meds.

So many great tips already, here are some additional things that came to mind:

Check with your physician and make sure you are up to date on vaccinations. Depending on your level of immunosuppression you might qualify for some early.

I know this isn’t always possible with IBD but I try to avoid the airplane bathroom because it is super germ-y

Make sure you are as well-rested as possible going into your trip.

When traveling I take immodium which helps make it so I don't need to use the bathroom often. I also have my daughter wear a pullup (she's 4) so she won't need to run to the bathroom (especially good last flight when she had to go during liftoff). I saw my pcp and he said I'm up to dat on my shots, including the pneumonia vaccine and tetnus. Jan I'll be due for my annual tb test. The only thing is I don't think I'll be super well rested before or during our trip. I have to wake up at 5:30 am the day before tocheck into our flights and then wake up on traveling day around 2:30 am. I did talk to my husband about getting zzzquill for the night before travel day (since we're planning on going to bed around 5 pm lol...not really 5 pm but much earlier than were used to).

Depending on your particular condition you may find that even being suppressed your immune system is pretty active against incoming infections. It will also depend on the type of medicine you are using and what protein inhibitor or T-cell mechanism it uses.

As above, most people will be more than fine. I'm immuno-Suppressed and I'm a school teacher and also coach 4 nights per week, so there is no way to avoid the contact of 100's / 1000's of people every week. Some basic precautions like being conscious of hand shaking, sneezing as well as proximity to people that are showing obvious signs of being sick etc... Rubbing eyes, touching your face etc... as some others have said.

Personally I have never been sick while being in Florida (touch wood!) and we go 1-3 times per year for 2 weeks at a time. The risk is always there of course, so one way of potentially mitigating it is to go at the end of your treatment cycle prior to getting your meds, this may make you the most uncomfortable but would potentially create a situation whereby your immune system is at its strongest, as opposed to going right after treatment. But again, this all depends on your medicine, your treatment intervals, whether it is stacked with other medicines such as Methotrexate etc...

I'm happy to discuss further in private message if you like, its an area of specialty for me based upon my various roles and education.

I'll send you a pm

 

[Oliviaxxx]

My mom had a double lung transplant and has a very low immune system. She wears her mask out all the time. She wore it on the plane and in the parks. She carries Clorox wipes and wiped down her armrest and her fold-down tray on the plane. In the hotel, we wiped down door knobs and counter surfaces. In the parks refrain from touching all the railings and things.

On your trip possibly avoid buffets. My mom's transplant team advised her that she should never eat at a buffet. They are germ-filled! Everyone touching the same serving utensil. People breathing and coughing on plates of food. Not good.

 

[lookame]

My mom had a double lung transplant and has a very low immune system. She wears her mask out all the time. She wore it on the plane and in the parks. She carries Clorox wipes and wiped down her armrest and her fold-down tray on the plane. In the hotel, we wiped down door knobs and counter surfaces. In the parks refrain from touching all the railings and things.

On your trip possibly avoid buffets. My mom's transplant team advised her that she should never eat at a buffet. They are germ-filled! Everyone touching the same serving utensil. People breathing and coughing on plates of food. Not good.

I was worried about the buffets. We have 1900 Park Fare, Crystal Palace, Akershus, and Cape May scheduled for the character experiences. I don't typically like buffets to begin with but figured Disney buffets may have better food...