My PD Traveling Experience

[justme15]

My experience was great!! Before I left I had to change hotels and called Baxter to notify them of this.  Since it was fewer than 14 days when I made the change they charged my clinic 100 dollars to deliver my boxes to the new hotel!! I told my clinic that they can send me the bill.  We'll see if they do or not.
At the airport I planned to take my machine on as a carry on.  At security they wiped it down to check it for chemicals? i guess? either way it passed and we moved on.  When it was time to board the plane I was able to board first when I told them this was my dialysis machine and I wanted to make sure it was stored safely to prevent damage.  The worst part about the airport was my poor husband had to carry it long distances when walking to and from the gate.  He didn't complain though, my husband is the best! 
At the hotel by boxes arrived when Baxter said they would and the order was exactly what I requested.  I set my machine up on the night stand.  The only issue I had was I did not bring a scale or bp cuff.  so...i kind of fudged my weight and bp for a few days.  I used two drain extensions to reach the bathroom toilet.
To backtrack a bit,  when I was at the airport both times (norfolk and atlanta), at security they asked me what was in my pocket.. i told them it was a catheter and they took me to the side and dusted my fingertips for chemicals (or whatever they dust for).  it wasn't a big deal though.
I brought my cassettes, drain extensions, and minicaps, gauze, etc.  in my suitcase.  it didn't take up much room at all.
So overall, I was very pleased with my travel experience and look forward to doing it again.

[Joe]

That''s a great story about your traveling. Once you get past the first one, it's a piece of cake. Suggestion: get a heavy duty rolling cart to put your cycler on. It will make your traveling a lot easier and your husband will not have to shlep your machine all over the airport. I have one for when I travel and it is a lifesaver.

[Riki]

Do not buy a bigger suitcase with wheels for the cycler, as they will not let you take it on as carry on if you do that, at least, that is my experience.. I'd get one of those foldable dollies and put it on that, then you can just wheel it around behind you

[bevvy5]

Check with your social worker or nurse, they might have a travel case for it.  When Greg was on PD, they had two and we would just "reserve" it for when we wanted to go.

If you're planning on travelling quite a bit, there is a thread about someone who purchased a travel case.

When we travelled, we would ask to have it stored and the flight attendants would usually put it in the first class closet. 

I think it's explosives they dust it for.  Those little wipes they use?  They change colour if there's explosives residue, is what one of the security folks told us.

[phyl1215]

when I was on PD my Davita center got me a travel case free.  They had one we could borrow but I traveled so much they decided to get me my own.....that was great.  Gave it back to them when I got my transplant.

[Riki]

I think it's explosives they dust it for.  Those little wipes they use?  They change colour if there's explosives residue, is what one of the security folks told us.

it is.  When I was on my way home from New York one time, we stopped in Halifax, NS, and had one more connection to make before we'd be home.  When we were going through security, they wiped down the cycler and it tested positive for nitroglycerine.  Because the machine was mine, they searched me, and we had to run to make the plane.  I found out later that if there's any traces of betadine on the machine, it can cause a false positive for nitro.. Moral of the story, make sure the machine is clean before you go through airport security. *G*

[amanda100wilson]

I always used to wipe my Machine down with alcohol after if did test positive for explosive.  I,think that itmis the betadine that gives false readings because we never had a problem after.