Travel

[Zach]

I was just wondering who here has traveled and had hemodialysis at other centers.
What kind of experiences did you have?

[SpeedFleX]

I've dialyzed in

Germany
USA
Spain
Ibiza
Fuerteventura

[Zach]

Cool!

In the past I would travel with my own set of fistula needles.  I wonder if I could do it today with all the security.

[livecam]

Ah Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Germany.  It is all pretty standard stuff.  For Germany I had to carry my own EPO and take care of the injections...good training for a later insulin junkie.

[Dr. Evil]

You can even take a cruise on dialysis (www.dialysisatsea.com) .
Medicare doesn't pay for it, so it will cost some $

[Black]

I can't speak from experience, but the NxStage site (nxstage.com) has  patients stories about them traveling with their machines.

[Zach]

In the old days, there was a group from the University of Utah which ran "Dialysis in Wonderland" where patients would raft down the Colorado River and dialyze on shore.

I think NxStage will have a positive affect on patients traveling in the future ... maybe even down the Colorado River.     


PS: You can read more about "Dialysis in Wonderland" and the "Father of Dialysis" in a post I started in General Discussions:  The Father of Dialysis

[kevno]

Never Traveled on Haemo, been on haemo for six  years now had a lot of trouble with it can only use lines. But on CAPD which I was on for over 12 years, travelled all over the world. From Belgium to a boat down the Rhine valley, to Italy to the then Yugoslavia. To Florida USA, to Wagga Wagga New South Wales in Oz. To meet my Auntie where I stopped for 3 months. Until I stopped draining out properly. Then ended up with ESP. Which put a stop to CAPD. Then had no option but to go on Haemo

When I was a child on haemo in the 70's we used to go on holiday each year, but it was only in the UK. Plus only for one week.

[Zach]

When traveling within the United States, here's a way of finding a Unit.

http://www.dialysisunits.com/

[livecam]

You can take a cruise on hemo without dialysis but it has to be very short.  3 days are doable and 4 is pushing it.

[Sara]

Joe has made 2 work trips of a week or longer to Ohio and dialyzed there.  From what I've heard, those units are even nicer than his regular ones, and man, they load you up with the goodies when you get there - he got about a lifetime supply of squeezie balls, travel mugs, brochures and so on.

[charee]

I have been told that if I would like a holiday  I would have to book at least 1 year in advance , and that would only be in the capital cities here in Australia. The unit that i will be going to ( i want to learn home hemo but thats another story) is about 40 km away and it already has a waiting list and the closest other one is 3 and half hours away.They have a holiday chair but tell me that is always taken up with a local patient, just not enough money to run more.
 So it looks like i will be staying close to home for awhile...

[Zach]

Here's another web site that has international listings of dialysis units.
It lacks specific information on many of the the units, but it's a start.     


http://www.globaldialysis.com/countries.asp

[Panda_9]

You can take a cruise on hemo without dialysis but it has to be very short.  3 days are doable and 4 is pushing it.

I wouldnt even bother risking that 

Charee, where are you wanting to go on holiday?

[angieskidney]

Do any Canadian Hemo patients travel outside of Canada? That is what I want to know about since I am Canadian on Hemo and want to travel to PA, USA but have no coverage (except for O.H.I.P., Provincial Health Coverage).

I used to travel all the time while on CCPD, but even since I have started Hemo I have not gone anywhere outside of my city and feel sooooo restricted!!

[susie q]

Hi Angie..  I am pretty sure that if you travel outside Canada you will have to pay for your treatments out of pocket but Health and Welfare Canada will re-imburse you some.. if not all.
I travel to the Dominican Republic and I pay 300 usd for each treatment and when I get home I submit the original receipt and I get 210 cdn back in about 6 weeks.. not too bad. 

[angieskidney]

Hi Angie..  I am pretty sure that if you travel outside Canada you will have to pay for your treatments out of pocket but Health and Welfare Canada will re-imburse you some.. if not all.
I travel to the Dominican Republic and I pay 300 usd for each treatment and when I get home I submit the original receipt and I get 210 cdn back in about 6 weeks.. not too bad. 

Thank you Yes I have heard that I might get a little from the Provincial Health Coverage but it is reimbursement which means I have to come up with money I don't have. .. So it looks like I won't be travelling anymore .. 

[Joe Paul]

Angie, if you want to travel here to the USA, you could just go to the hospitals emergency room and get dialysis there, so far as I know, they cannot refuse you treatment.Of course, you would still be billed, but maybe you can submit the bill to your current insurance there in Canada?

[angieskidney]

Angie, if you want to travel here to the USA, you could just go to the hospitals emergency room and get dialysis there, so far as I know, they cannot refuse you treatment.Of course, you would still be billed, but maybe you can submit the bill to your current insurance there in Canada?

Maybe. I still have a lot to check out and right now am checking out this Ontario site.

I have found this info so far:

If you have a valid Ontario health card you are entitled to certain benefits when outside Canada; however, since coverage for out-of-country health care services is limited, you should purchase supplementary insurance.

[Bajanne]

I found it hard to answer the poll, since I have two answers.  I do a lot of weekend travelling - to Puerto Rico, to Antigua, to St. Maarten, to the United States Virgin Islands, to Barbados.
But I have only spent one week away from this territory since I started dialysis.  I spent a week in Barbados in December and dialysed three times at a private clinic (although Barbados is my native country, I am considered a visitor and so had to pay).  It cost US$300 per session, so the week cost me $900.  I was pleasantly surprised when my insurance refunded the entire amount!
For the first time in 9 years, I did not travel for my summer holidays - the hassle and the necessary advance planning just turned me off.   I will just enjoy my weekends in other islands.

[kitkatz]

I have found it quite easy to travel outside of my area.  Sometimes you will have to travel some distance to get dialysis. When I went to Lake Tahoe it was an hour to Reno to the dialysis unit, down   the mountain and through a couple of towns.  We would stop at the chocolate Factory on the way back to Lake Tahoe. Yummy. Pismo Beach was great, I had to go to Santa Maria for dialysis, a half hour drive.   Hawaii is almost impossible to book into.  I went there on a family crisis reason when my Dad died.  There is year back up waiting list to go there.  Been to Palm Springs.  The dialysis unit I used was two blocks from the condo we were in.
I ususally check out the dialysis units through a website (just google dialysis centers) and bring the info the the social worker to make the arrangments for me.

[charee]

Charee, where are you wanting to go on holiday?

We wanted to go to Birdsville, Alice springs making our way in land to Mackay (QLD) but its all pretty isolated out that way great country but it looks like i will have to  wait til i get my transplant !!!

[sandman]

Angie, if you want to travel here to the USA, you could just go to the hospitals emergency room and get dialysis there, so far as I know, they cannot refuse you treatment.

That's absolutely correct Angie.  You can visit a US hospital emergency room and get dialysis because emergency health care can not be refused in the states.  But as Joe Paul also said, they will be very happy to hand you the bill afterward. 

Only problem with that is, emergency room treatments could cost more then standard out patient routines.

[Zach]

Only problem with that is, emergency room treatments could cost more then standard out patient routines.

The other problem is that you don't know what kind of needles they use, what kind of machine they use or what kind of filter they use.  The ER is the last place you want to dialyize.

Not all hospitals have the same knowledge or experience about dialysis.     

[sandman]

Only problem with that is, emergency room treatments could cost more then standard out patient routines.

The other problem is that you don't know what kind of needles they use, what kind of machine they use or what kind of filter they use.  The ER is the last place you want to dialyize.

Not all hospitals have the same knowledge or experience about dialysis.     

Good point Zach.  Not all the hospitals in my area even have a dialysis unit so how could they even handle a dialysis patient?  There is a hospital right near me, literally a 5 minute walk from my house, which does have 2 big Fresenius units on site.