Cross posted from DSEN.
I’m going Rogue,
and taking dialysis along for the ride
By Bill Peckham
The current NxStage newsletter just came in the mail; it’s the Special Freedom Cruise 2010 Issue (PDF link). The main article gives a great overview of last January’s cruise and provides a little information on each of the NxStagers who participated (for DSEN’s cruise coverage go here and scroll down). Meeting NxStagers, people from all over the country who use the NxStage cycler to treat their CKD, was one of the nicest parts of the cruise.
One thing to come out of the cruise, due to demand from NxStagers who didn’t get to go, was the idea for a land based NxStage meetup. This has evolved into a Las Vegas Meetup and Conference for anyone with CKD or who cares for people with CKD. Dialyzors, care partners, doctors, nurses and techs … all are invited to meetup in Vegas October 10 - 15th. Check out NxStageUsers for all the details.
The other thing to come out of the cruise is an adventure that will begin in just about a week. One night as we plied the Western Caribbean, I was sitting around with a few fellow dialyzors talking about travel and trips we’d like to take. As someone with a wanderlust comorbidity the list of trips I’d like to take is pretty long but there was one trip in particular that I had wanted to do. A trip that I thought had been made possible for a dialyzor by the NxStage System One: a three night Rogue River whitewater rafting trip.
Next Monday, July 19th, I and two other dialyzors from the cruise (Jim and Dan), will depart on a three night, 4-Day Wilderness Lodge Trip organized through Rogue Wilderness Adventures. We’ll be bringing two cyclers with us down the Rogue, along with supplies for five hemodialysis treatments. At night we’ll be staying at lodges accessible only by river - we’ve sent some of our supplies ahead. The generators only run until 10PM so I’ll be switching to 3 hour runs while I’m on the river.
The adventure begins in Oregon, about 60 mile north of the California state line (note West is up on the map). Monday night, at the first lodge, will be a night off of dialysis because we all plan to dialyze each day leading up to departure. Tuesday night we’ll arrive at Paradise Lodge for a two night stay. We all plan to dialyze during our stay at Paradise, I think I’ll do one run Tuesday night or on Wednesday - our free day. I should be able to fit in a three hour treatment between hikes, fishing and just hanging out in the secluded splendor of the wild and scenic Rogue. Thursday we raft out of the wilderness and return to civilization.
While we’re on the river there will be no internet access, no cell service, no TV - we’ll be unplugged! Three days without electronic communication will probably be more of a novelty than dialyzing on a generator in the woods. There will be pictures and video once I return to the electronic embrace of the internet. And if you go to Vegas in October you’ll be able to hear more about the raft adventure, and the cruise, from those who were there.