travelling

[candy158]

Hi guys, as most of you know, my hubby is taking me to Cuba.  I'm getting excited, and a little anxious..... I have been talking to SS nurses, and know how to travel with the Copaxone, but what about all the other drugs.  Do I need to take a Sharps container, and how do we dispose of our needles.?    I don't know what to do about this..... I know there are people who have travelled, could you please tell me what you did?  I am going to Cuba as I said, and I don't know , I filled out the travel insurance and told them what I will be bringing, and I will have to wait until next week to see if they will cover me or not.    So, needless to say, I'm in an anxious mood today, as it is just on the 22nd that we go ....

Thanks,
Candy

[doublevision1]

Hi Candy, congrats on the trip to Cuba!  

Yes, bring a sharps container with you.  Shared Solutions can send you a smaller one which is a good size for travel or you can pick one up at a pharmacy.  

Bring all of your medication on board with you.  

Bring a note on your doc's letterhead listing your meds, why you need them and why it's important that you don't stop taking them.  

If you want to bring a freezer pack with them to keep them cool, have your doc include that in a letter because of the security issues with bringing gels and liquids on board.  

Shared Solutions can also provide you with a travel pouch that has a slot in it for the freezer pack.  

If the hotel has a minibar you can store your Copaxone in it; if not it's fine to keep it at room temp for up to 30 days.  .If there is no minibar but you would like to refrigerate, ask the hotel as they may be able to put a small fridge in your room for the duration of your stay.

If you take any pills, prreferably bring them in their original containers with the Rx label on them.  For smaller quantities get your pharmacist to provide smaller containers with labels on them.  

Alternatively, your pharmacist can package and label your pills/capsules in a blister pack which is convenient for remembering when you took them and keeps them safe from accidental spills, and are easy to carry in your purse.  

When I travel, I also bring a 5 day course of oral steroids with me in case I relapse while I'm away and for whatever reason I have trouble getting medical care abroad.  Of course one must be very certain it is a relapse and for this reason I would call my neuro to consult and see what they thought before I took them.  Discuss with your doc and see what they think.

Ahead of time I always scope out the ERs closest to where I'll be staying, and save the contact info in my phone as well as mapping them on Google so I know how to find them easily if I have trouble. I also check with my Emerg Medical Travel insurer to verify that they deal with those facilities.

I hope that helps and also that you have a wonderful holiday.  Try not to be anxious, though I do understand it as I felt the same way the first time I took a big trip following my dx.  I'll be heading to Belgium & the Netherlands around the time you'll be heading south, so I've been doing this preparation myself.  Let's keep our fingers crossed for safe travels and no relapses!!

[JaneK1975]

Hi Candy:

I have a very small needle clipper (a few inches long about an inch wide) that my SS nurse gave me. When I use it, the clipped end of the needle stays inside the clipper and I can thrown the rest of the syringe away with my cotton ball and other injection trash. The clipped needle, which ends up safe inside the device, is my only bio-trash, so it's the only thing I can't throw away in the regular trash.

If you did not get a needle clipper, call SS and ask for one. It would be a pain to travel without it. I hope you have a great time! I'm excited for you!

Best,
Jane

[candy158]

Thanks guys, that was and is very helpful.  Jane, yes I got a clipper, so you can throw the glass part just in the garbage?  

I sure hope so, I will be gone for about 19 days, as I have a neuro appt. in Vancouver on the 7, and we arrive back into Canada on the 5th, so will stay with my sister, so I have to bribg almost the whole box with me.

I asked at the pharmacy, how I go about making sure that when I get home, there is more for me, as I will be down to about 4, and what if I have a problem or something.  

I have gone through 3 needles, that I didn't load properly, and the one that I tried to do manually, ( well, that didn't work out to well) ....

DV.... thanks for your long post too, I am very excited about the trip, but I know that you folks will understand the concern of doing all of this.  

I will be going to my new GP,. for a letter of permission to take all the drugs, and YES, I will take them in their original bottles, I will have quite a bunch of them to take.  

I don't think the GP will give me any steroids to take, as I have had 4 bouts with them in the last 9 months, and she wasn't happy about that.  So, I don't think they will send me with any..... I have some older morphine, that I might take, if I can ...

Anyways, thanks again, will keep you posted..

((HUGS))
Candy

[JaneK1975]

Yes, the glass portion of the syringe can go in the regular trash after the needle is clipped. I felt weird about it in the beginning, but have been repeatedly assured that it is okay.

All this advance planning will really pay off when you're having the time of your life in Cuba :D Hope you're ready to salsa! Yay!

[Lulu54]

What  I would give to be able to travel to Cuba, see the sights, meet the people,  and enjoy the beaches.  What a great time for you Canadians.  Be sure you don't leave your Copaxone in extreme heat - that can be as bad as letting them freeze. Don't worry if you have a few days without your Copaxone when you return, that won't be too detrimental.


That needle clipper is such a good thing - they weren't giving those out when I was still on Copaxone and traveling.  I always used an empty plastic bottle that I could put a lid on.

Be sure to bring some pictures back, ok?