Advice for those considering Travelling while on dialysis.

[Sluff]

Any tips or advice you can pass along to those who are planning to travel while on dialysis. What not to forget or help with planning.

[karen547]

I am on In-Center Hemo. I just recently went to Coronado California to visit my sister and her step-daughter, while her husband was In Iraq- It takes quite a bit of planning to travel, especially outside your home state. I had to apply about 1 month ahead of time, to give my Social Worker and the Travel Coordinator time to get me set up with dialysis at the two clinics I would be visiting. The insurance was also another issue completely- I have medicaid and when I was planning my trip, I had to apply for Medicaire since Medicaid is a state insurance. Luckily, I was able to get accepted by Medicaire quickly and painlessly .  I would also suggest to make a list of your meds and have that handy at all times. Make sure that  you receive your treatment sheets so that your doctor will know how the treatments went as well. And just have FUN!

[Red from Canada]

My husband and I have a small motorhome and we love to camp.  I am on Peritoneal dialysis with the Baxter cycler.  We have enough room for 14 days of supplies, so we travel a lot in Spring and Fall.  A list of exactly what I need for each day times the number of days and it's a piece of cake.  It helps to get away once in a while, just to look at different scemery and learn about new places. Baxter needs about 2 months notice and they will deliver up to 30 days supplies if you have a stationary address.

[Aldente]

I did short trips (three nights) while on PD.  I created a printed checklist for all of my supplies because I didn't want to trust my memory.  I included extra supplies in the event something was defective or I contaminated some component.  PD fluids can get heavy so I also packed a folding luggage cart to move these supplies into a motel/hotel room.  I also made sure I had a heavy duty extension cord in the event there was no electrical outlet near where I wanted to place the cycler.  Packing large trash bags helps getting rid of the disposables.  I would usually place the disposables in a dumpster.  In the beginning I would ask about disposing of used dialysis/medical supplies but desk clerks generally had no idea.  If necessary, I could always take the large trash bags home and then dispose of them.

I have not traveled with my new NxStage equipment yet, but I sure am looking forward to giving it a try.

[KT0930]

I've travelled twice with my cycler. Once was a week-long trip to Orlando and once was a two-night trip to Chattanooga. The only issue I've run into was with the room in Orlando.

1) It was very small and cramped, so I had to have them remove a bedside table so there'd be room for my cycler. This was no problem at all - once I got there and they remembered to do it!
2) The room was also very old, and didn't have very many or very good outlets. Things wouldn't stay plugged in very well, so we plugged in my cycler behind the bed and then pushed the bed up against the plug to make sure it stayed plugged in.
3) The arrangement of the room made it impossible for me to reach the toilet once I was connected, so I had a spare 5 gallong bucket to pee in if the need arose at night (thankfully I looked at the virtual tour online and knew this ahead of time. Bucket was my husband's idea).

So, my advice is check out the virtual tour of where you'll be staying if there is one. This will make planning a whole lot easier, and limit the obstacles to you enjoying your vacation!

[goofynina]

I have traveled many times with my cycler, although it is a pain lugging all those supplies, it sure is nice to get away.  So far i havent had a problem with hotels and their setups, we've been lucky i guess    And i agree with Aldente, take extra of anything you can for those just in case   instances, ya never know when something can happen.   

On hemo i traveled once and dialyzed in-center in Palmdale, although they were very nice and all, we still had a rough run (damn fluid overload)    But either or, DO NOT LET DIALYSIS STOP YOU FROM DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO OR GOING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO!!!!  Anything is possible  

[paris]

Goofynina, seeing you in Vegas and enjoying yourself made me look at PD in a whole new light.  I don't want my lifestyle to change drastically and PD may be the answer.  It really helped me to see you traveling and living.  Thanks for your inspiration

[Black]

When Bill Peckham was on the boat, he used plastic storage containers with one day's supplies in each container for his NxStage.  I thought that was a great way to make sure you don't forget anything.

Mike and I took some supplies with us in our camper and had some delivered to our destination.  We stayed a month so there was no way we could take a month's supplies with us, even for a NxStage machine.  Ordering and shipment were easy, prompt, and accurate.  We did take an extra long, heavy duty extension cord for use in the campground, so the PureFlow and the NxStage had their own electrical source and circuit breaker.

[kruep]

Having once been a PD training nurse here is a story and a tidbit of knowledge to keep in the back of ones mind while traveling through airports with your cycler.
I had a patient who had returned his cycler carrying case to the unit when he had to return to hemo (he had a leak in his peritneum).  Not thinking that this patient was a known pot smoker, I put the case in the store room so it could be used when needed.
Months later a patient came in and was in need of the case, again not thinking one of us grabbed the case from the back and gave it to him.  He called us after his trip to let us know that drug sniffing dogs stopped him at the airport.  Apparently the previous pt had been carrying more than his cycler in the case.
The patient who had brought the case is was also the one that called us and told us that he couldn't make his clinic appt because he was in jail.  He had called the police earlier that morning to report his truck stolen.  When the police arrived at his home my star patient was smoking a joint when he answered the door.  The police did not buy it when he told them that the pot was for medical purposes.

Just thought that I would share a lighter note.
kruep

[goofynina]

Thanks for the warning...errrrr, i mean sharing the lighter note  

[Sluff]

...and the Darwin award goes to...   

[Joe Paul]

Thats too funny

[KT0930]

If you are doing CAPD, invest in a good collapsible IV pole. I found a really light-weight one that collapses down to about 24 inches tall. I'll try to find it again and post a link.

I got the first one, because it has wheels, and I need to be able to move around while I'm doing my exchanges. The second one seems to be the same thing, just without wheels.  I LOVED mine while I was doing manuals!

http://www.med-worldwide.com/product2509.html

http://www.med-worldwide.com/product2510.html

[Katonsdad]

I got married while on PD and we honeymooned in the Southwest . We married at Las Vegas and spent 2 days ,
I found the hotel staff very good about throwing away trash .  We then drover to the Grand Canyon and spent
2 days at a hotel on the second floor without an elevator . The bellhop pulled up the 6 days of supplies I had
(I did not want to leave in the Van we had rented)
After the Grand Canyon it was off the Sedona Az for a few days . Traveling by car you need a bit of space for everything and your
travel areas are limited to the supplies you can carry .
One suggestion  is to get the PD staff to right out a protocol for treating problems , infections etc. You may run into a
problem at a small hospital if you get sick.

Happy travels to all who endeavor.

[rookiegirl]

If you are doing CAPD, invest in a good collapsible IV pole. I found a really light-weight one that collapses down to about 24 inches tall. I'll try to find it again and post a link.

I got the first one, because it has wheels, and I need to be able to move around while I'm doing my exchanges. The second one seems to be the same thing, just without wheels.  I LOVED mine while I was doing manuals!

http://www.med-worldwide.com/product2509.html

http://www.med-worldwide.com/product2510.html

Hi KT,

Did you order the first product with wheels?  Does the pump comes with it?  I don't have the use for the pump, but wanted to make sure I order the right product.  I've been searching for a collapsible IV Pole.  Especially the kind that would fit in a luggage.