I went to Hawaii and here is what you need to know if you are on PD

[lunadatura]

I found out at the last minute that Baxter changed their policy. I your destination is anywhere other than Oahu you have to pay for shipping to an "outer" island. For me this meant I would have had to pay 550 dollars to have two weeks worth of PD supplies shipped to my vacation home in Kona on the big island. Fortunately I have a back up hemo access so i had to hustle and get all the medical tests and info that the center would need to schedule me - fortunately they were willing to accomodate me last minute but I almost did not make my vacation in paradise. Hemo is free via insurance by PD was gonna cost me as much as my plane ticket from seattle!!

[eroomk]

This is very helpful information.  How did you find the center and staff you had to use?  How much advanced planning did you need to do and what type of tests did the center require?  I know I am asking many questions, but we were discussing vacations and how limited we are now that my husband is on dialysis. 

[lunadatura]

Liberty Dialysis is one of two major players in hawaii - they have a web site. My insurance refferred me to them but it helped in my case to contact them directly. Their center in Kona was brand new and the staff were great. Hawaii is awesome - you and your hubby should go and swim with the turtles.

[Brightsky69]

I don't think I'd be able to even go to Hawaii. I live in VA and do a mid day exchange. How the heck would I do a mid day exchange while trying to fly across the country and across an ocean?

[Jie]

Baxter changed the rule in last November. The patients not only need to pay for shipping for international and HI and AK, it also requires 60 days of advanced order. It is a bad rule. We should fight against it.

[eroomk]

Lunadatura thank you for the information.  That was helpful.  I can see where the distance for some would not make Hawaii possible, but for us it is a flight that would take approximately 8 hours door to door.

I am really disappointed to hear that Baxter is shifting costs to the recipient after all the money they making.  It's business for them.  I am not convinced they see the people on the other end who are buried with medical expenses...

My husband can go to Hawaii, but he cannot swim because he has a catheter and he goes through this elaborate process taping it down in order to take a simple shower.  It's a pain for him. 

[lunadatura]

I have a PD catherter in my belly and I swam in the ocean every day - its the only place where it is relatively safe to swim because of the salt water. I wont swim in public pool or taike a bath but the ocean was awesome - every day sometimes twice for two weeks w/o any problem - infections dont seem to have a chance in salt water. One of my PD nurses says that was fine but another said its way too risky - its up to you but it was wonderful for me - I wish i lived there!!. I dont bother taping the catheter to take a shower - not worth the trouble.

[eroomk]

You are a little daredevil!   

[lunadatura]

Not a daredevil I just dont believe in all the hype they sell me in the center - experience has shown me that common sense is what works. The only infection I have gotten has been a gross mistake in protocol which I should have known better. When I was in hawaii i forgot to take extra caps for my catheter as i went to hemo. Somehow the cap came off my catheter and i was without a cap for more than a day. The center found me another cap. I did not get an infection. I think it was the salt water. I just try to avoid obvious mistakes and live my life as best as i can.

[suzyq73176]

Actualy, my PD nurse told me that swimming in the ocean is really good for it.  Of course, not if the water is obviously polluted but all other times is fine.  And swimming in personal pools is ok too.

[alohacandy]

Depends whose personal pool it is....if it's one where they have little kids and the water is not monitored well, then no.  If it's your own personal pool and you know that you are monitoring it then you are much better off. 
Ocean water is usually OK...but it's safe to say now that that the Gulf is off limits!  Lakes, rivers and streams are usually considered off limits as well.
As far as Hawaii travel, Liberty Dialysis is on all islands except Lanai.  FMC is on Oahu and Lanai.  Both Liberty and FMC have central admissions offices.  They also both have clinics that are near the Waikiki area for those going to Oahu.  Both companies have recently implemented requirements for 2 step PPDs within 30 days of your first treatment at their clinic along with their usual other requirements for labs within 30 days, hep b results, H & Ps, etc.  Feel free to ask me about travel to Oahu as I LOVE talking about my beautiful island.