Traveling to Hawaii on Peritoneal Dialysis — My Real Experience

I did it. I went to Hawaii on peritoneal dialysis.

When I first thought about going I honestly didn't know if it was possible. How do I get my supplies there? What happens if something goes wrong in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Can I really do this?

The answer was yes. And it was worth every bit of planning it took to get there. Trust me, after all we go through. We need it sometimes.

Why Hawaii felt impossible at first

Hawaii isn't just a flight across town. It's hours in the air over the ocean. No turning back. No quick drive to a supply warehouse if something runs out. My entire life runs on a schedule, supplies delivered, machine set up, 9 to 10 hours connected every single night. Disrupting that routine by thousands of miles felt risky. But you know me. I love a good risky play! lol. So it shall be done guys.

Planning started weeks before the trip

The first call I made was to my care team. Even though I told them late, because I did not know I was gonna take this trip until last minute with a friend. So I did ship these solution my self with fedex express! So that is what I needed to do and it cost a lot to even ship all these heavy solutions. Around $400 of my personal money to ship it to hawaii!

If you're planning a trip on PD call your care team first. They've helped patients travel before and they know exactly what to do.

Flying to Hawaii with PD equipment

Going through TSA with dialysis equipment gets easier every time you do it. Here's exactly what I did:

• Kept my doctor's travel letter in my carry on — showed it to TSA before going through

• Told the agent upfront I had medical equipment

• My cycler went through the X-ray — no issues

• My medical supplies were not subject to liquid restrictions

• The agents were actually really understanding once I explained!!!

The bigger point

Kidney disease tries to shrink your world. It tries to keep you home, keep you cautious, keep you close to your supplies and your machine and your routine.

Hawaii was my way of pushing back against that.

I'm on the kidney transplant waitlist. I do dialysis every single night. I'm searching for a living donor. And I went to Hawaii anyway.

Because life doesn't stop for kidney disease. You find a way to keep living it.

If you're a dialysis patient thinking about traveling do it. Plan ahead, call your care team, coordinate your supplies, and go. You deserve to see the world too.

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