As I mentioned in one of my previous columns, my husband and I like to travel, and we have continued to do so, at different levels, despite my multiple myeloma diagnosis.

As you can imagine, travel was easier when I was in remission. However, we nevertheless traveled when I relapsed and started treatment with Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) in the fall of 2014. I just took extra precautions when we went to Hawaii a couple of months later.

I am still on medication and I still go places. In March, we took a wonderful trip to Iceland. It was kind of a spring break for us.

Although you may consider Iceland to be on the far end of the other side of the spectrum compared to Hawaii, there were similarities in the experiences I had traveling to the two destinations. Of course, there were also major differences, which I’m going to share below.

As before, my most important items to pack were my passport, trip information, travel insurance phone numbers in case of a medical emergency, and my medications. I put the blister pack of Revlimid, the low-dose aspirin, and dexamethasone in my carry-on so that I didn’t have to skip any treatments in case my luggage was lost. (I did run out of low-dose aspirin in Iceland and was surprised to find that the low-dose tablets there are only 75 mg, not 81 mg).

I try to observe the weight lifting restrictions I’ve been put on since my multiple myeloma diagnosis (I’m not supposed to lift more than 10 to 20 pounds). However, my suitcase once again ended up weighing about 35 pounds. It is on wheels, but it is awkward to take it anywhere without actually lifting it, or needing help with it. I obviously still need to work on packing more lightly.

We once again were lucky to catch a direct flight, which we very much appreciate because it cuts down on the amount of time spent in airports and sitting in a plane. We took an aisle and a middle seat so that it would be easier to get up and move around if need be to prevent blood clots, or to use the plane’s bathrooms.

For our stay in Reykjavik, we booked a hotel that would make it easy for me to rest in case I got sick, which is always a concern of mine. Being on a high-dose of Revlimid (25 mg) makes me immuno­com­promised towards the end of the 21-day treatment cycle. I tend to catch colds more easily during that time; in fact, I had several of them over the winter. Sometimes I have gastrointestinal problems, too.

I was so hoping to be able to travel without getting sick and, fortunately, everything went well. I have to admit that I am a little jumpy about avoiding infections. Once we actually got up and changed tables in a restaurant because someone next to us appeared to be really sick and was coughing and sneezing a lot. The person might have thought we were being rude, but I know that I have to look after myself.

We planned on doing a lot of walking during this trip. Because I have neuropathy in my feet, I bought a pair of light-weight hikers with a Goretex exterior. The shoes were so comfortable that I was able to walk five miles on some days, which is a lot for me. We also took hiking poles along so that we could comfortably walk on ice, but we did not need them. The weather was mild when we were there; it reminded me of coastal Vancouver’s winter weather.

We got a bus pass from the hotel to use while exploring Reykjavik, which was really helpful because there were times when I felt I just could not walk another step.

I found that any aches and pains I had from doing a lot of walking were really soothed by soaking in the geothermal hot springs pool we went to see, and in the hotel’s spa pool. I still sometimes have problems that way in the areas of my back where there were fractures from my multiple myeloma.

Just as in Hawaii, the food in Iceland is in line with a healthy diet, but in a different way. There is lots of fish, fresh vegetables grown in greenhouses, and great bread, made of different grains such as rye and spelt. They also make a thick, flavored yogurt called skyr ^[1], which is very tasty. This was inspiring for us as we try to eat very healthy food at home as well.

Given the title of my column, I have to mention that we took a nighttime boat ride out on the harbor in search of northern lights. Unfortunately, we did not see them because it was cloudy that night. However, we were lucky to see them from the plane on the way there, at 35,000 feet altitude. As this happened to be on my 65th birthday, I felt really sort of blessed by the heavens!

All in all, we had a wonderful time in Iceland. I am particularly grateful that my multiple myeloma and my treatments did not significantly impact my experience. It gives me hope that I will be able to continue traveling despite my myeloma.

Have you had some good travels lately, and how did you cope with your health issues at that time?

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The quotation for this month is from by Halldór Kiljan Laxness (1902 – 1998), an Icelandic author and Nobel laureate, who said: "His mother taught him to sing. And when he had grown up and had listened to the world's song, he felt that there could be no greater happiness than to return to her song. In her song dwelt the most precious and most incomprehensible dreams of mankind."