Last minute medical problem

We are supposed to leave on our very first cruise on sunday. Now DH needs daily IV antibiotics for an infection. We want to try to still go if he can self administer, However setting this up is taking forever. Now the doctors office says it may not get approved until thursday. Meanwhile he goes to the hospital daily for the treatment. If he does not get set up to self administer by friday we will have to cancel. :(

Hope hubby gets better and hope you had insurance

Hoping they can get your DH set up so you can go. If not hopefully, you have insurance

IMHO, I have never heard about a self administered IV for a non medical professional. Self administered injections are really common but IV's are not.

It would seem that just a few air bubbles into an IV and you could very well wind up dead. This is not a trivial procedure.

Caution, caution, caution Will Robinson....

Scott & Karen

What about just bringing the medication with you and having the doctor in the medical center administer the drugs? That would solve your problem and you won't have to cancel.

Hope you can work it out. ;) But, this is exactly the kind of situation that trip insurance is good for.

What about just bringing the medication with you and having the doctor in the medical center administer the drugs? That would solve your problem and you won't have to cancel.

Probably charge about $90,000 for such services.:eek:

IMHO, I have never heard about a self administered IV for a non medical professional. Self administered injections are really common but IV's are not.

 

It would seem that just a few air bubbles into an IV and you could very well wind up dead. This is not a trivial procedure.

 

Caution, caution, caution Will Robinson....

 

Scott & Karen

Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Lots of people do this, or have a spouse or caregiver do it at home for them. The "few air bubbles in an IV" is a myth. The much greater risk is infection at the port -- where the IV enters the body.

But since they're both new to this, I wouldn't recommend they take the cruise to begin learning how to do it. If they're at home and have problems, the doctor's office is nearby.

I hate to say it, but my guess is that the cruise line won't allow anyone to board who is ill enough to require IV antibiotics, even if they aren't contagious.

I hop you have insurance, and I'd make darn sure that the line will allow you to board given the circumstances before you travel to the port.

OP - if you don't have insurance and you have to cancel at this late date, you're going to lose all your money.

You didn't provide any details, but suggest your call your cruise line, as you may have problems bringing these items aboard, and your husband could be denied boarding. I agree that if he is allowed to board, I don't know why this medication could not be administered by the ship's doctor, if this needed to be done.

IMHO, I have never heard about a self administered IV for a non medical professional. Self administered injections are really common but IV's are not.

 

It would seem that just a few air bubbles into an IV and you could very well wind up dead. This is not a trivial procedure.

 

Caution, caution, caution Will Robinson....

 

Scott & Karen

Actually self admininistered infusions are more common these days than one might realize. The reason being that it's driven by the insurance companies and high cost of using infusion centers. Some insurance companies require that it be done at home and will not pay otherwise. The infusion generally begins at either a hospital or outpatient infusion center. Than after it's been determined that the patient has had no issues or side effects from the treatment than the Doctor and Insurance company set it up to be done at home. Initially a nurse will come to the home to train the individual which lasts a few days. The nurse will also come back the day of the lat treatment to remove the shunt and collect all the supplies.

I had to self administor infusions 2x daily for 5 days after an exsacerbation with my MS. I'm not a nurse and actujally it was much easier than I had thought. The hardest thing was to sit there for 20 minutes .

We are supposed to leave on our very first cruise on sunday. Now DH needs daily IV antibiotics for an infection. We want to try to still go if he can self administer, However setting this up is taking forever. Now the doctors office says it may not get approved until thursday. Meanwhile he goes to the hospital daily for the treatment. If he does not get set up to self administer by friday we will have to cancel. :(

Most cruise lines ask you to complete a preliminary questionaire at time of embarkation. Some of the questions asked is related to your current health. Not certain of the specific questions but if you asnwer yes to any of the health questions the cruise line generally does not permit boarding. If you you answer no to the questions while DH is still having to infuse on the ship and if you plan to go to the infirmary for the infusions, DH stands a great chance of being qaurantined to the cabin for the entire cruise. Cruiselines take anything such as a possible contagous infection seriously. You might ask how would the ship know if DH left the cabin after being quarantined ?.... the cruise line posts security at your cabin and notifies the cabin steward.

I would have some hesitation if I was the OP about administering IV meds to myself (I am an RN...so no worries for me), but if you have never done it, there are a few things you need to know. As another poster mentioned above, while a few bubbles in the line are no big deal, a whole tubing full of air is a different matter. :(

I would check with your doctor and see if he can be switched to oral meds for the cruise.....if he has had IV's for several days, he may be on the way to healing and orals may accomodate him. This is not always the case, but I would sure ask before cancelling the cruise.

Not sure the Medical Center would administer medications they did not mix and provide for the patient. As an RN, I would NEVER hang a drug I didn't make up or see made up or know it came directly to me from the pharmacy....you never know what could have contaminated or been added to an IV bag.....just saying - it is a safety thing!!

Of course, health is #1, but missing a cruise is a shame... Good luck!!

I hate to say it, but my guess is that the cruise line won't allow anyone to board who is ill enough to require IV antibiotics, even if they aren't contagious.

 

I hop you have insurance, and I'd make darn sure that the line will allow you to board given the circumstances before you travel to the port.

Actually the only questions pertain to if you have a cold, flu etc, something that you can comtaminate others with... which of course if someone is sick they lie anyway.

Depends on what OPs sickness is if they would stop him from boarding.

Actually the only questions pertain to if you have a cold, flu etc, something that you can comtaminate others with... which of course if someone is sick they lie anyway.

 

Depends on what OPs sickness is if they would stop him from boarding.

If you are going to need medical assistance from the ships doctor, you better believe they'll know.

Mabe you should not rush this

think i would cancel and HOPE you have insurance and try to cruise another time! GOOD LUCK!!!

IMHO, I have never heard about a self administered IV for a non medical professional. Self administered injections are really common but IV's are not.

 

It would seem that just a few air bubbles into an IV and you could very well wind up dead. This is not a trivial procedure.

 

Caution, caution, caution Will Robinson....

 

Scott & Karen

This is quiet common actually.

10 years ago I had at home IV therapy. (also antibiotic for infection) The doctors put a PIC line in my upper arm, a nurse taught me how to change the IV. The medicine came in a self pumping orange sized bag. It was a twist on end and I had to flush it before and afterwards. After the medicine was done about 45 mins. dropped it in the trash. No sharps involved.

I was able to do everything but lift anything over 5lbs with that arm.

OP I do hope this works out for you and your husband gets well soon.

This is quiet common actually.

 

10 years ago I had at home IV therapy. (also antibiotic for infection) The doctors put a PIC line in my upper arm, a nurse taught me how to change the IV. The medicine came in a self pumping orange sized bag. It was a twist on end and I had to flush it before and afterwards. After the medicine was done about 45 mins. dropped it in the trash. No sharps involved.

 

I was able to do everything but lift anything over 5lbs with that arm.

 

OP I do hope this works out for you and your husband gets well soon.

Yep, quite common like poster above said. I had a PIC line & was on IV antibiotics for 4 months due to a severe ear infection (mastoiditis) & was just like described above no sharps, super easy to do yourself after they teach you. Good luck! Hope your DH gets better soon!

Hi

Any one booked on the D209 Cruise

Dawn Princess 13/04/20112

Casey

Hi

Any one booked on the D209 Cruise

Dawn Princess 13/04/20112

Casey

Hi Caseymoose.....There is already a huge Roll Call for this cruise. Go to the main page of the boards, and scroll down to ROLL CALL, click on Princess, then click on Dawn Princess, and you will see your cruise near the top of the page (threads). I think it just says April 2012........but you have lots of folks to chat with about your cruise. Yea for you. gg

Actually, CaveDiving, I had to self-administer my IV antibiotics for 11 weeks a few years back. My husband helped but when he was gone or busy, I still did it myself. The toughest part for the traveler will be keeping those antibiotics cool for the duration of the trip. Mine had to be kept refrigerated until use.

@hillslife-My antibiotics came pre-packaged. No way could I get oral Vancomycin, either, so that would be out for some cases. There was nothing for me to mix, nothing to hang. My little bottles were pressurized so I could just sit there and wait it out. That was the hard part-my treatments took about 1-2 hours, depending on external factors such as weather.

It's a shame but it does sound like they will have to miss this cruise.:(

@hillslife-My antibiotics came pre-packaged. No way could I get oral Vancomycin, either, so that would be out for some cases. There was nothing for me to mix, nothing to hang. My little bottles were pressurized so I could just sit there and wait it out. That was the hard part-my treatments took about 1-2 hours, depending on external factors such as weather.

It's a shame but it does sound like they will have to miss this cruise.:(

Yep that is exactly what I was taking in my IV.[ Vancomycin] Refrigerated took 1 out at a time to get to room temp. I had MRSA about 10 yrs ago and that was the only med for it. LOL That was before MRSA was so common.

Looks as if Maryhope, the OP, has never ret. to the boards, once she made her initial post. I imagine the cruise had to be canceled. Sure hope all goes well, medically, for them. gg