Nebulizer ?

[staceymerrill]

I am traveling this Sat.5/ 7..... with my friends. Her son is asthmatic (hasn't had to use his nebulizer at all this year. ) She was wondering if she needs to pack it along.. or does the Ship have that kind of medical supply on board.. Thank you in advance........

 

[bratray]

hi
we are sailing 5/7/05 too!!

my son is asthmatic and hadn't had to use his "machine" all year until last week when he had some problems-

i always bring his nebulizer in my carry on with a large supply of the med- i think for peace of mind it would be best to bring along- i believe there was a post on this before (try search) but no one could say for sure if a nebulizer was available in the medical room ...then if you factor in the cost for having to use one on the ship (if avail)...it would just be safer and more economical to bring your own

 

[beachpal]

We packed our son's nebulizer too just in case. He didn't need it but I needed the peace of mind.

 

[krhardy]

we too packed our own nebulizer...DD uses it multiple times a day. They would allow you to use the ones in the medical center, provided you bring your own mask, but that's just a pain to have to go down there every time you need to use the neb. Fortunately, I have a battery operated neb. Check with your insurance...they may cover 1. Ours covers a new neb every 2 years, up to $1000. Pari makes a really nice compressor neb that is VERY tiny.

 

[JJsmama]

My son too is asthmatic but rarely needs his nebulizer anymore (praying that he is 'growing out of it!!') I usually take his nebulizer on trips, but the last time I flew, the baggage people almost broke it --trying to inspect it, I guess. I talked to ds's pediatrician and he said since he rarely uses it, to take his inhaler instead. The inhaler would be good enough for a couple days until we got home, he said. If the child got really sick, I'm sure the dr. onboard could help.

So, maybe the mom should ask the child's doctor.

Also for the mother to consider is what causes his asthma. For my son it is pollen, seasonal allergies, hay and mold. Out in the middle of the ocean is a VERY healthy place for him. If the child has exercise induced asthma, he may well need his nebulizer with all the running, swimming, snorkeling.

 

[houleboule]

My daughter also has severe asthma. When I called the ship and asked about nebulizer they informed me that there would be a fee for the use of the machine. It started at around $80 and depended on the amount of time used. They dont take insurance, therefore billed to your key to the world card. It wasn't worth it to me, I brought my daughters nebulizer, thankfully never needed it.

 

[scrapperjill]

I didn't think the ship had an actual nebulizer but something simular the what the hospital has...with the air and o2 in the wall. But to answer the question YES they do have something for breathing treatments onboard, in the medical unit.

Also to note...medical equiptment may be carried onto the plane in addition to the carry-on limits.

LOVE the little nebulizer from PARI....great machine...and sooooo small

You should ask your childs doctor about using a "puffer" (inhalier) instead of the nebulizer...if needed. They are easy to use, easy to pack, and they make some great air chambers with masks for little ones...so they get the medications easly...without having to time the inhailed breath. My dd6 has a "AeroChamber Plus" that conects to her inhailer...with a cute little bear on the side showing the kids what to do.

 

[3mickeys&me]

My ds has asthma too and I always bring my portable one with me when we travel just to be on the safe side. He hasn't had a problem in several months but I am bringing it with us on our cruise.

I bought a smaller one as our original one was heavy and too bulky to pack. The one I have now is sooooo much smaller and easier for travel.

 

[JJsmama]

I've got to look into a travel nebulizer. I asked ds's dr. and he said they were cost - prohibitive. However, I need to check with the insurance. I'd love to have one.

 

[jel0511]

I bought my travel nebulizer from drugstore.com It cost only $70. It works GREAT and it is so small.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=74397&catid=9327

 

[dreaming of BCV]

Thanks for the link to drugstore.com. That's a great price. I always wanted to get a portable nebulizer, but the ones I've seen in catalogs have been over $350. I always pack our nebulizer in our carry on bag, and my son has needed it a few times in DW. By the way, the drugstore by Downtown Disney has the mouthpieces and tubing. We did need to buy one when we packed the wrong thing.


Lisa

 

[cruzings]

Hi, I'm a physician and my DD6 also gets these unexpected asthma attacks, related to her allergies. We have taken our portable nebulizer with us on many trips and it has added so much convenience and peace of mind. Basically, there are two kinds of these nebulizers: the regular compressor (ours is the Omron Elite, approx $65 for the basic package) and the micronized nebulizer (these are more expensive, somewhere in the $300-400, but also much smaller and very quiet). Remember though that it is not advisable to use medication in respule form (like Pulmicort) in the micronized nebulizer. Hope this helps!

 

[3mickeys&me]

I have the same one listed above and thats what I paid too!! Its been worth it to me. My Insurance wouldn't pay for it.

 

[westjones]

The one listed above for $70, do you add the mask and tube? I don't see that as part of the unit. Is that something you buy seperate, and if so, will it fit in the carrying case?

We have been lucky, I haven't been taking my DDs with us, but I always take her inhaler. Last summer she did need the inhaler a couple of times because of the heat. A portable machine we could pack would be nice to have.

Thanks,
DJ

 

[3mickeys&me]

Mine did not come with tubing or mask. I bought that seperatly. It does fit in the bag though.

 

[cruzings]

the Omron Elite does not require tubing or mask. it comes with a washable mouthpiece that is attached directly to the machine. the basic package includes the compressor, the filters, the mouthpiece, the AC adaptor. extras are battery packs, car adaptors, etc. we did not feel the need for the car adaptor because we have a converter (you can buy at target/ walmart) that allows you to plug anything into the car lighter (like portable DVD players and to recharge cell phones, gameboys, etc). hope this helps.

 

[westjones]

Could someone who has this model tell me the approx. size? DH was asking how big it was, and I couldn't find it in the description.
Thanks,
DJ

 

[cruzings]

it is very small and light. you can find a picture of it on www.ultranebs.com
the micronized ones are even smaller but also more expensive (way more).

 

[DISJen]

The other thing to take into consideration is that the medical office on the ship is only open for a few hours a day. Outside of that, they're only oncall for emergencies. I think you're better off coming prepared yourself, that way you can use it anytime you need to and you dont have to worry about whether they're open or not.

 

[westjones]

You guys sold me! I ordered one today. I thought it would be good to have it for visits to Grandma's house too. We should have it before our June trip. Thanks to whomever posted this!
DJ