Immuneglobulin Infusions on Ship

[tllstaco]

Hello everyone!

 

I have an immune deficiency that is controlled by weekly infusions of an Immunoglobulin product via 4 needles.  My wife and I are scheduled this fall to be on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas for 30 nights for a bucket list cruise.  All of our cruises have been 7 days or shorter so I haven't had to worry about infusing on board in the past.

 

Does anyone have any tips related to:

• Infusing while on board, disposing of needles, syringes, tubing, etc.
• Flying to a port (Honolulu) to board a ship with meds
• Traveling international (Australia, New Zealnad, Tahiti, Moorea) with meds.
• Any documentation that I should take?

 

Thanks!

 

[1025cruise]

I would contact Special Needs. Assuming you are able to do the infusion with no help, there shouldn't be an issue. 

[travelbug11]

I have IVIG as well.  I have no problem taking my weekly Hizentra as well as the supplies and Freedom 60.

 

Just ask your cabin steward for a sharps container.

 

Traveled to South America in December, no paperwork, no problems.

[CruiseNYC]

We cruised this past December with needles, syringes and tubing.  We had contacted the Celebrity Special Needs department, sent back the appropriate forms but we also requested a letter from DH's doctors - just in case.  When we boarded, first thing  we did was ask our cabin attendant for a sharps container - no problem at all.  We were visited later in the day by one of the staff from medical team on board.  They were just checking the situation but it was not an issue.  We did show him the paperwork that we had obtained from the doctor, too.

[tllstaco]

16 hours ago, travelbug11 said:

I have IVIG as well.  I have no problem taking my weekly Hizentra as well as the supplies and Freedom 60.

 

Just ask your cabin steward for a sharps container.

 

Traveled to South America in December, no paperwork, no problems.

Thank you very much.  I'm on Gamunex-C and use the Freedom 60 pump too.

 

One question:  Did you dispose of your syringe and tubing in the trash or in the sharps container?  Reason I ask is a long time ago one of the nurses who trained me to use Hyqvia said that the tubing, Hyqvia bottle and needles were biowaste and should be disposed of in the sharps container.  That is a lot of stuff to put in there!

 

[tllstaco]

10 hours ago, CruiseNYC said:

We cruised this past December with needles, syringes and tubing.  We had contacted the Celebrity Special Needs department, sent back the appropriate forms but we also requested a letter from DH's doctors - just in case.  When we boarded, first thing  we did was ask our cabin attendant for a sharps container - no problem at all.  We were visited later in the day by one of the staff from medical team on board.  They were just checking the situation but it was not an issue.  We did show him the paperwork that we had obtained from the doctor, too.

I'll contact the Special needs department for Royal.  There is a form I found online to fill out.  Did you have to refrigerate your IG?  I'm assuming the refrigerator in the room will be sufficient.

 

[travelbug11]

6 hours ago, tllstaco said:

Thank you very much.  I'm on Gamunex-C and use the Freedom 60 pump too.

 

One question:  Did you dispose of your syringe and tubing in the trash or in the sharps container?  Reason I ask is a long time ago one of the nurses who trained me to use Hyqvia said that the tubing, Hyqvia bottle and needles were biowaste and should be disposed of in the sharps container.  That is a lot of stuff to put in there!

 

 

Everything went into the trash except the needles.  Nurse never told me about biowaste.  Not enough room in the Sharps container for them.

[travelbug11]

6 hours ago, tllstaco said:

I'll contact the Special needs department for Royal.  There is a form I found online to fill out.  Did you have to refrigerate your IG?  I'm assuming the refrigerator in the room will be sufficient.

 

 

I didn't need to refrigerate as the temperature in he room was under 78 degrees.

[tllstaco]

Thought I would provide an update for those who may look at this later.  Went to the Special Needs form on the web for both of the cruises.  Didn't hear anything back, but I wrote on social media and they will have a fridge and sharps container ready when I board the ship.

 

Thanks everyone for all of the responses!