On Vacation

Well the month of July is upon us and we are heading towards a 17 day adventure across Europe that will include London, Scotland, and Ireland. We are truly excited and have made sure to have all our ducks in a row before leaving. With that said, here are some tips we have learned for traveling post transplant.

• If flying out of the country, sign up with the American Council in the country you will be visiting. Should a medical emergency arise, they can get the post transplant patient the medical care they need immediately and assist in arranging a flight home to their transplant hospital.
• Get a letter from your transplant hospital that is notarized and lists all the transplant medications you are taking. This includes even the injectable, inhaled, or oral medications.
• Keep your transplant drugs in your carry on luggage and pack vitamins (if needed) in your check in luggage. This way the most important medications are with you at all times and you are not carrying as much weight.
• Have medical labels on all your drugs. If you received a box of medication with a bottle inside, get a label for the bottle itself. This goes for insulin as well. Each medication must be in its own bottle. You cannot bring just a weekly supply in one bottle as they must be separate.
  
• Store your liquid medications in a quart size bag as liquids are highly screened at the airport. All other medication can be stored in your carry on luggage but we do recommend you use a gallon size bag to keep them all together.
• Call ahead to any hotels to make sure they have a refrigerator or ice maker to keep any perishable medications from spoiling while on vacation.
• Wear a medical identification bracelet at all times. Verify with your hospital or medical alert company that all your information is updated.
• If traveling by plane, bring a couple of masks to wear. Make sure to pack a clean one for the flight back home.
• Pack a small bottle of Purell or other hand sanitizer in your carry on. Use it whenever touching any community properly in airports and other facilities, especially bathrooms.

That is all I can think of at this time. A number of these items are common knowledge for transplant patients but it is better to be safe then sorry. Above all - remember to enjoy your trip. If you are a transplant recipient, like my husband, then you know you have been given a second chance at life - make the most of it and enjoy!