Cruise Day 1,  Cruise Day 3,  Cruise Day 4,  Cruise Day 5,  Cruise Day 6,  Cruise Day 7

Cruise Day Two

With the excitement of boarding, departing, and exploring the ship on Sunday, most of the patients used it as their day off – daily home hemodialysis is typically done 5 or 6 days per week, so patients can plan their day off around what they have scheduled that week. So, Monday’s Fun Day at Sea was a dialysis day for them. People did their treatment when it fit into their day, spending the rest of it relaxing in the warmth of the southern Gulf of Mexico.

Ralph C, spent time in the casino – we won’t ask him how he did (he said he made a nice “contribution”), but he greatly enjoyed himself. Ralph and his wife and care partner Pat have always enjoyed traveling, and this is their first opportunity to travel with the NxStage System One on a cruise. Prior to starting NxStage 2-1/2 years ago, they would have to work with a dialysis center where they were traveling in order to schedule his in-center treatments. In many cases, the location of the center or the time the center had available for Ralph to come in was very inconvenient. As Pat said, “it pretty well shot three days of our vacation each week.” Doing Ralph’s treatment in his cabin on the cruise is not cramping his schedule to enjoy this experience. The couple is looking forward to snorkeling in Grand Cayman on Tuesday.

Ralph and Pat C enjoying time on the cruise ship.

Dan L shared his photos of how his system is set up in his room (and the view he has during dialysis), as well as the storage of his supplies for the week.

Dan L’s dialysis treatment area.

Dan’s bagged dialysate and cartridges stored away for use during the cruise.

When Dan switched from in-center hemodialysis three times a week to daily home hemodialysis with NxStage, he noticed a big difference after his first few treatments. The more frequent dialysis keeps the amount of toxin and water build-up to a minimum, which for Dan meant increased energy levels and little to no recovery time after dialysis. He feels more in control of his health and life now.

Dan and his wife Connie have traveled with their two young children and the NxStage system to remote areas in Washington state and San Francisco. This is the first opportunity for the couple to get away on their own on a cruise – and they are taking advantage of the time, planning a lot of beach time at the ports

Dan L relaxing onboard (wife Connie was the photographer).

Monday was the Captain’s Celebration – our first elegant dinner. No one was more elegant than Susan B and her husband Jeff, as they celebrated the beginning of their 25th year together with renewing their wedding vows onboard.

Susan and Jeff B just before renewing their wedding vows.

Several of the Freedom Cruisers attended this beautiful event, with Pat C and Rich B acting as witnesses. After the brief ceremony, everyone celebrated with cake and champagne.
Jeff and Susan B cutting the cake.

For Susan – like many patients – the biggest hurdle to dialyzing at home was learning to self-cannulate (sticking herself with the needles). But with her home training nurse’s assistance and practice, she overcame that fear. One of the motivating factors for Susan and Jeff to do daily home hemodialysis with NxStage was the ability to go on this cruise. However, right away she noticed the difference of doing dialysis on a more frequent basis as compared to the three-times-weekly in-center treatments she had been experiencing. For Susan, daily treatments are gentler on her body and her energy levels are much steadier. After the cruise, she and Jeff will start planning their next adventure – a road trip to Ocean City, Maryland.

More on our adventures in Grand Cayman tomorrow!

Disclaimer
Home daily therapies are not for everyone. They require a patient and partner who are committed to being trained on and following the guidelines for proper system operation, as well as their dialysis prescription, which may require treatments up to six days per week. The NxStage® System One™ is a prescription device, and, like all medical devices, involves some risks. Patients should consult with their doctor to understand the risks and responsibilities of home and/or daily hemodialysis using the NxStage System One. The experiences reported here may not necessarily be experienced by another patient. All patients differ, and their experiences will vary.