Planning for Adventure

I have not been blogging much lately, primarily because I’ve been working, working, working. Since I’ve mostly been blogging about how busy I have been, I decided to do something about it.

Craving to travel again...hopefully somewhere warm.

Actually I’ve been forced to take time off since I am maxing out on my accrued time-off: I already got to the point of “use it or lose it” – so I am trying to use it as much as possible. However, this had been only days off here and there and often only sufficient time to catch up with chores.

We’ve also been planning on an extended vacation. This is after five years of dialysis. Don’t get me wrong. Although, we enjoyed mini three- or four-day breaks here and there, but it’s not quite the same since there was not enough time to truly recharge.

This will also be the first vacation where we don’t have to plan dialysis time. So, all the time would be R&R. Also, when I was in dialysis, we limited out vacation to the United States only, to minimize dialysis costs (our insurance still pays for it). For the first time, we can consider an international vacation.

At first, I thought that it would be like old times: plan the trip, pack and go (pay for it later). However, travelling with a kidney transplant presents some new challenges for me.

How to bring my medicine? For an extended vacation, I would need to bring a lot of medication – at least enough to cover the days when we are gone – maybe more for back-up. I was originally thinking of packing half in my weekly container and extras in another container. However, I was told that it may be better to pack them in their original containers: it would better chance of passing security and not getting confiscated.

I would probably also put them in my carry-on so there is less opportunity to get them lost. I can pack two sets and have the other one with my husband… again, in case things get misplaced.

When to take my medicine?  Since there are time zones involved when travelling, it can be challenging if the time difference is more than 3 hours. That means that I may need to take my regular medication in the wee hours of morning.

In my last doctor’s visit, I had the opportunity to ask my advice nurse about this dilemma. She suggested that I adjust my medication times before the trip, maybe in 30 minute increments, until I get to my desired time. Then, do the reverse when I get back.

Food Safety. All the food safety rules still apply, even when on vacation. That means washing fruits – with clean water. No buffets. Ensure that your food was prepared in a very safe manner. To be on the safe side, I may bring a lot of granola or protein bars. That will at least ensure that I have something to eat during the day.

I am also concerned on how to let my family know about my limitations. They have not seen me in a while. I feel my diet is quite strict and I am not sure how other people will adjust.

Water Hygiene. Another factor to consider is safe water. Although I still need to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, there are many parts of the world where water may be a bit iffy to drink. For me, that may mean only bottled water. Filtered water (with my own filters) may be okay too. I need to check with the nutritionists.

We’re really excited about travelling again. It has been too long since we’ve explored other cultures and see the wonders of the world. We are really looking forward to it.