Dialysis and overseas travel

[beep]

for those that travel regularly,how do u combine dialysis n travel
I would like to go back to Thailand(i know what u r thinking)  for 2 wk holiday,but I'm not am organizer n feel I couldnt plan it 
its bad enough being on HD  but on PD ? 
fair enough u can move arond a lot more on PD, but when u have to lugg around all those boxes ( 4 @ day ) 56 boxes all up   n hospitals unless u stay in the one area when on HD Every 3/4 days u have to organize a diff hospitL everytime
love to go (Thailand, Philippines ) but it may get to much
anyone out there travell regularly how do u manage it??

[kitkatz]

I have not traveled overseas, but the first thing to do is get with the center's travel people.  Fresenius has a travel agency you can use to plan vacations and has information.

[Riki]

I would say to check with your renal social worker.  They should be able to help you organize a trip.  They know what you need to have for your medical supplies, legally, and they can help you figure out what you can take with you and what you need to send beforehand.  It's actually part of their job.

If you don't know who that is, talk to your dialysis nurse.  They should be able to tell you.

[iolaire]

(I'm going to report this thread and ask it be moved to the traveling sub forum so others can find it when they look for travel information.)

I'm on in center HD and travel a few times per year.  I think the in center might be easier to coordinate since I don't need supplies but also harder because I have to be in a center every two days.  I believe that technically with PD you could do manual exchanges and not need to be tied to a center.  For PD they probably will help ship around the supplies you need and find coordinate with backup centers that will take you if you run into trouble.

How I go about planning:

• Book international airfare about six months in advance, and figure out where I want to go
  
• Once I know where we are going I start goggling around to figure out what centers can be found.  Usually I search for "Holiday Dialysis Madrid" etc...
  
• I also search on Global Dialysis center search to see if there are centers with reviews and good contact information.  It seems like NephroCare (Fresenius) has the best global websites, usually just NephroCare and the country code, so nephrocare.es = Spain, nephrocare.pt = Portugal etc... and when I find the sites from Google the results are in English even on the country sites so I've used their centers a lot.
  
• Then I try to book the centers.  I'm with DaVita so I use their Travel Support services about 50% of the time when I travel.  Otherwise when the center has good contact information I sometimes do the setup myself asking for my center or dr to help with the documentation and labs required.  For US travel my center's admin helps me and I usually just email her.

I find coordination via DaVita more worrisome, they try hard but somehow finalization of plans take longer than when I do it and I've been in situations where I'm a week out from traveling and don't have final chair times.  But then I ask them for help where there are language issues etc...

Prices generally are around $200/session for HD and my insurance pays 50% after I submit it because I've not yet paid all my out of network deductible.  However Canada and Belgium were both over $600/session.  Portugal was the cheapest at $110 at one Nephrocare center in a hospital and $170 at a DaVita center.

[Tío Riñon]

I have traveled internationally on PD.  It can be done just fine with a little pre-planning.  My experience is with Baxter.  If you are with Fresenius, contact their provider of solution to see what the procedures are.

1.  Work on your itinerary well ahead of time by planning your means of travel and where you will be staying.

2.  Contact Baxter at least 3 months in advance to arrange your delivery of solution.  They have a special section for international travel and cruises when you call their main line.  Once you provide your itinerary (dates and addresses of hotels or homes), they will determine whether they can fulfill your request and give you a quote on the cost.  NOTE:  While solution is provided and shipped for free in the US, the patient is responsible for all costs outside of the country.

3.  You must make payment to Baxter in advance.  Credit cards are accepted.  There is a $100 fee just for placing the order.

4.  Determine what supplies you need to bring with you.  Baxter will only ship the solution.  You must bring your tubing, IV sponges, masks, clips, caps, etc.  Any supplies you need to complete the PD process.  It may prove beneficial to ship them ahead of time.

5.  Get a Kardex (from DaVita) or other summary of your dialysis prescription and other medical information from your clinic.  Also request a form stating that you need the cycler and other supplies for dialysis, a life-saving medical process.  TSA is normally familiar with PD items in the US (and will test them); however, you will probably go through a thorough inspection in other countries and be asked a number of questions.  It helps to have documentation.

6.  Work with your clinic to identify back-up facilities in the cities where you will be traveling in case of emergency.

7.  If you have a cycler, plan to carry it with you personally on the plane, train, or bus.  Keep any medicine with you as well in your carry-on bag.  Workers may request that you store it with other baggage, but explain that it is medical equipment and it must stay with you.  NOTE:  I usually request pre-boarding on any flights so I can get my cycler stowed before the battle over bins ensues.

8.  Bring a manual bag or two in case of delays or other emergencies.

9.  Constantly call ahead to your destination to confirm the receipt of your shipment(s).  Ask where it is being stored because sometimes hotel workers don't know where it was left.  Have the contact numbers for Baxter in case of problems.  You might want to have a cell phone with international access; it might be worth buying a new, temporary phone in the destination country.

10.  Enjoy your trip!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  I'll do my best to help. 

[kickingandscreaming]

Thank you for this really comprehensive description.  Not sure I could handle all the complexity, but it is good to know.

[iolaire]

In Buenos Aires they had an enter clinic devoted to PD.  So possibly you might find a clinic at your destination where you can go in and do the transfers.

[beep]

obviously no one travels overseas to any country  or nobody bothers to read this forum

[Riki]

obviously no one travels overseas to any country  or nobody bothers to read this forum

I'm confused.. you've gotten a lot of info in this thread

[LorinnPKD]

I'm betting he forgot to refresh the screen.  Happens to the best of us!

Great information here.  Will refer to it for hopefully future travel...