First time flying with Nx Stage, tips? What about the pole??

[funnygarcia]

Hello!
My husband will be on his own, flying into Colorado, for a 2 week training session (science teacher).

He has supplies set up to be delivered, has arrangements to pick up the metal airline case from his center, and I have packed his other supplies (gauze, tape, syringes, warmer bags, heparin, etc).

Reading thru past posts on various tips and other Nx Stage user experiences.. the one thing I couldn't find..

How do you pack the pole for the dialysate bags?
Does security allow it for a carry on? or gate check while boarding?
Can he trust the airline to not mangle, lose or otherwise screw things up if it is "checked"?
Did you pack it in a duffel bag, not sure if it would fit? Or wrap it somehow?

How did you handle the trash? Carrying back a used sharps container?

 He will be staying on a college campus in a dorm, I'm picturing him sitting on a twin bed surrounded by boxes (two weeks of bagged fluid) in a teeny tiny room 

His dialysis nurse spazzed when he said he would not be doing labs for two weeks.
"I'm sure you could use someone's refrigerator"

uhh, sure... let me put my vials of blood next to someone's leftover Chinese food.
Yeah I bet my dorm mates will love that. 
Not to mention, let me lug my centrifuge, mailing kits, and ice packs to ship it too?
DUH! 

Anyway, any tips would be welcome. Thanks!
 

[swramsay]

NxStage is shipping a box of warmer bags for my 2 week trip. I need to bring the waste lines. I am thinking about mailing the saline ahead to the hotel because that's not something NxStage will mail. Never thought about the sharps although I use blunts. I'll probably just make sure they are curled up good after use and put into a plastic bag along with the used cartridge/saline.

I do labs once a month. Just did some and will so some after I return. Can't your husband do them before he goes?

I was told we can check the IV pole as is.

[Dan.Larrabee]

How do you pack the pole for the dialysate bags? ---- I was able to take the top off the pole and pack in a suitcase.

Does security allow it for a carry on? or gate check while boarding? ---- No, they made me check it.

Can he trust the airline to not mangle, lose or otherwise screw things up if it is "checked"? ---- No, plan for the worst. I would have slid my bed over to the closet and use the hangers to hand the bags on the closet rod.

Did you pack it in a duffel bag, not sure if it would fit? Or wrap it somehow? ---- Just placed it in my suitcase, it did fine.

How did you handle the trash? ---- Leave it for housekeeping in a black plastic bag. No problem for me.
Carrying back a used sharps container? ---- I got a small sharps container from the medicine mart. Works great in the suitecase.

[funnygarcia]

Looking at the pole. 

It's all one piece (well it does have four tiny screws on the top, a hexagon screw on the side, too fussy) and too long to fit into a suitcase.
I'm thinking bubble wrap. 

He had a recent change from monthly labs to every week.
Weekly is hemoglobin, phosphorus and potassium, we have no qualms skipping it and we think his neph would agree. He's very laid back , compared to the nurse. 

I like the creativity of using hangars for the bags. That's all cool McGuyver style hemo, perfect for a science teacher!