Hello all,
I am planning to go to Japan. This trip should be close to 15hrs without exchange. What is the best way should I do? I think I pullout solution and keep empty my tummy and I will exchange when I arrived to my sister’s house. Do you know what happen if I miss my dieresis?
Is someone had international trip and couldn’t exchange that long time?
Just FYI.
I heard Japanese company has special solution for this kind of purpose. But no one knows about American company.
Also Japan has bath seal for taking bath. As you know most of Japanese house has both tub instead of shower. I hope American company makes this seal for us too.
Thank you for your advice?
Midori S.
The first thing I would do is ask your nurse:
– how far in advance you need to make arrangements to get your supply company to ship your supplies if you’ve not already done this and
– how she advises that you handle your PD exchanges while traveling
I had a patient once who did a dialysis exchange (the connect and disconnect only) in the bathroom on an airplane. Since airplane bathrooms are not clean, your nurse may suggest something else.
If you’re flying from the US to Japan and going to be taking medical supplies with you either in carryon or checked baggage, I’d suggest you read the information about transporting special items and the information for persons with disabilities and medical conditions. The Transportation Security Administration website page for “air travel” is at www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=1.
I couldn’t find anything on this website specifically about dialysis or solution. If you plan to take any medical supplies with you, I’d suggest you take a letter from your doctor indicating what you need and why you need it and the medical records you’d ordinarily take with you when traveling (your nurse or social worker will know what these are) both to prove that you’re on dialysis and to get care in Japan if you need it. You might also want to check with your specific airline to find out what they need to make sure you and any medical supplies you need get there safe and sound.
Your nurse should also be able to tell you what you can do to stay clean and what kind of dressing can keep water off the catheter if you take a bath. He/she might prefer that you to take “sponge baths” instead of tub baths. If so, today there are products similar like Wet Ones that are made to be used to bathe your whole body, not just your hands or face. Ask your nurse if this would be OK to use.
Finally, Medicare will not pay for any care you receive outside the U.S. and its territories so you might want to be sure that your health insurance will pay if you need care in Japan. You probably also want to check with your supply company to see what the additional cost will be to ship your supplies to your destination if you’re going to be staying long enough that your supplies won’t fit in luggage.
Thank you so much Beth. I am working with my supply company from this January, but my solution is not my sister’s house yet. They have treble with Japanese custom. I hope by tomorrow everything will be all right. I have to leave home Wednesday to LA to meet my daughter and Thursday we have to leaving to Japan. My nurse said keeps solution in the tummy and do exchange whenever I can. But sometime after 10hrs getting so heavy and uncomfortable. I think I just use half solution on the plane.
Also my PD nurse move to other place and changed to new person who has no experience as PD this week. My doctor doesn’t know too much about traveling either.
So your advice is very helpful for me. After six months experience I learned a lot but still have lot of question. I am so glad I found this site. Thanks again. Midori
I know that you want to go to Japan, but I would suggest you delay leaving until you know that your dialysis supplies have arrived. If you get to Japan and have no supplies, you could get very sick very quickly. I’m sure you want to have a good visit and don’t want to spend time in the hospital.
Regarding the amount of fluid to put in your belly, you might want to contact the company that ships your supplies and talk with the clinical specialist (nurse). It’s possible this person has more experience with long flights and can answer your question about how much solution to put in your belly for the trip. At the same time, maybe he/she could find out whether your supplies have made it through Japanese customs.
Finally Japanese custom approved and company sent to my sister’s house today, so I should have solution when I arrive to Japan. Thank you for worry for me. Also after I talk to nurse I decided to keep my whole bag solution to my berry. I don’t know how uncomfortable but better keep working dialysis.
Hope you have nice Easter holiday.
Also I am sorry for my broken English and thank you again for dealing with me.
Midori
I’m very glad to hear that your solution and supplies are at your sister’s home and all of us can rest easily. Have a great visit with your family in Japan. Don’t worry about your English. I could understand it easily.