Questions about dialysis while travelling

[looo33]

Has anyone here had to do this? I am new to dialysis...as of the beginning of June, and I willl be goig to WDW at the end of August. I know that my dialysis center here has to make all the arrangements but is there anything else I need to know? Do they offer overnight times (like 12am - 4am)? How far away is it from the resorts?Is it an expensive taxi ride?

Sorry for all the questions but I am a bit scared and a lot worried about how this is going to impact me as well as my family on this trip. Thanks in advance for any answers I get.

 

[nmmom95]

I am on PD, but I'm pretty new to it as well. I started hemo in December, 2008 and switched to PD in June, 2009. I will be taking my first trip on dialysis in November, and I'm also scared. I don't have a lot of answers for you , but here is a link to dialysis center in the area with distances. Good luck and have a great trip!
http://www.dialysisfinder.com/display_list.cfm

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information. Check out Post #3 and scroll down to Dialysis for lots of answers and links.

Or, if you want an easier route, click on the link in my signature.

 

[okcarrie]

I have made three trips now since I have been on Dialysis. Once on Hemo, twice on PD.

When I was on Hemo. My center arranged for me to use the Celebration Dialysis Center which is south a few miles off of I-4, then you have to go under the bridge and back north on the Service Rd. It is a little tricky to find at first, but it isn't far. We rented a car, so I don't know what the cab cost was.

They run day shifts and they scheduled me two mornings and one afternoon. They then tried to move me to morning shift, but frankly mornings was my least desired time for dialysis since we have young kids and it was summer we wanted to do the parks in the morning. I just ignored their phone calls to swtich since I didn't want to get there at 6 AM. Besides, I don't do well on Hemo and once I had dialysis my days were shot so basically out of my 7 day vacation, I only had 4 decent days. I had no complaints though, it was okay, not as nice as my center at home, but the techs were nice.

I have been doing PD now for a year and a half and it is much better. I can get a full day out of all the parks. It can be a little tricky getting the hotel to find my supplies that I had delivered. There has been some confusion as to where they are stored. Once Bell Services had them. The other time, they were in hotel storage. We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach with only one minor problems and the All Star Music Family Suite where we had a problem.

At the All-Star Music Family Suites you cannot turn the A/C or heat off completely. You can only adjust the temp. I had to hook on my PD machine by flashlight in the bathroom. Then wheel it in the bedroom. That was the only way I could have the air off. The bathroom light is connected to the exhaust fan too.

The only problem we had at CBR was Mousekeeping unplugged my machine one day so my bags didn't get heated until I noticed it at 10pm that night. So it made us late the next day.

We also flew this last time, so I had all my disinfectant solutions, heparin etc with me and they checked my bags and swabbed my bottles, but I had no problems going through security.

If you all have any other questions, just let me know. Hemo is probably a little more stressful to deal with for me, but that is because, I had a hard time with it. PD really is a breeze once you get the hang of it.

Have a great trip.

Thanks,
Carrie

 

[looo33]

My dialysis center is making the arrangements for me today. I guess I am nervous because it's all so new to me but I am sure once I do it, it will be OK. I asked for an early morning time because I am really not having a bad time afterwards now. I was at first but it seems better now. I figure if I get tired, I can always go back to the room for a nap........or sneek into the Hall of Presidents for a quick air conditioned nap! lol

 

[Nutsoverdisney]

My DM traveled with us several times to Disney and she was a Hemo patient. She used the Celebration Dialysis Center. The unit was very clean and the people working there were very nice.

We always drove down as DM was afraid to fly, so I would drive her and pick her up. One time the Dialysis unit arranged transportation for her return trip.

If my DM was tired after the dialysis we would use a wheelchair to push her in for the first few hours in the parks.

My DM never let her dialysis keep her from doing anything she used to do before she had kidney failure. Sometimes she was out running us!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[dclfun]

My son is on dialysis and used the Celebration facility once- it is HARD to find- the cab driver got lost. There were no problems though except he said the chairs weren't comfortable- but what can you do.---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

this thread has a lot of good first hand information, so I am going to add a link to it to the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

 

[looo33]

Well.........We had trouble finding a dialysis center that is open on Saturay (my dialysis days are Tue/thur/Sat). I now need to go to South West Orlando on Saturday and then to Celebration for Tuesday and Thursday. The Orlando site is 45 minutes from Disney they said. Oh well, we aren't doing any paks that day anyway. We are going to try to go to a beach.