I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Traveling Tips and Stories => Topic started by: billybags on July 10, 2010, 06:40:41 AM
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We decided to have a few days holiday in the UK, my husband said he would take the cycler, I was a bit, well worried. The last time we went for a few days we took our own bags and did manual which was ok but we had to go back to the hotel at lunch time to do an exchange. Baxter's delivered the fluid bags to our hotel. I could not beleive the amount of stuff we had to take with us for 4 days. There were drain bags,cassettes, soaps,hand gels, paper towels every thing but the kitchen sink.We had the cycler in its own case and a case of cloths, any one would think we were going away for a month. When we arrived all the fluid was in the room, but no where to put the machine. It ended up on a ironing board, things you have to do. We put the machine in the middle and bags both sides and one in a drawer. Do you know what, it worked a treat, we had all day to do as we liked, so it was well worth the trouble of all the extra baggage. I would not be worried about taking it again. So people out there who need a break and are on a cycler, go do it. I forgot to say we also took the manual heater with us.
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Glad it all worked out for you. For the first time in May I took my cycler with me to Carmel when my son got married. I played the pity card, and for a few bucks they were happy to unpack and repack it for me so I didn't have to lift it.
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I traveled with my cycler 3 times before I had to give LB back (yes, I named my cycler LB, which stood for 'Little Bitch' and she was named that cuz she tended to be a little bitchy at times. *LOL* and yes, my cycler was female). All 3 times I was traveling between Prince Edward Island (which is on the east coast of Canada, in case you're not sure) to New York City. The first time, my brother and I drove, which I don't recommend, btw. We just threw everything in the back seat and the trunk of the car and went. So, everything, cycler, cycler sets, dineal, and all the little doodads that go along with it, were in the car somewhere. We got stopped at the border because we were in a rental car and my brother didn't know the license plate number. We had to go inside and fill out a form while they searched the car. We told them what they would find, and if they wanted to open any of the boxes, to go ahead, but don't use a knife to do so.
The other two times, my mom and I flew instead of driving, which is a hack of a lot faster. What we did then was pack up everything we'd need for the stay and sent that to the hotel via UPS a week before we left. It arrived 1 or 2 days before we did, so all we had to take with us was the cycler. A word of advice if you're going to try this. Call the hotel and make sure that they will accept packages for you before you arrive. Myself and a friend who lives there called a good many hotels that refused to accept packages. And before you ask why I didn't just ship them to her, the first time Mom and I went to visit, my friend was homeless and only had a P.O. box for her mail. She has an apartment in Newark now, but I don't need to send supplies ahead of my visits anymore. When flying the cycler in it's original case will fit under the seat, but after that first trip, Mom bought a rolling case for it, cuz it's heavy, but they wouldn't let us take the rolling case on the airplane and it had to be checked.