Need for blood tests may end our cruising

[Cdn kitty]

My husband has been diagnosed with a genetic blood disorder- Factor Five Leiden. He has to take Warfarin & have weekly blood tests called an INR test. Has anyone had to deal with this problem? Have you found a solution?

[josumello]

NCL will do INR tests on board. On our 3 week TA there were quite afew people having it done. I was pleasantly surprised to see this. Dh had a knee sprain so I was in the waiting room and saw many people come in for there tests. I don't know about the other lines.

[not2old]

NCL will do INR tests on board. On our 3 week TA there were quite afew people having it done. I was pleasantly surprised to see this. Dh had a knee sprain so I was in the waiting room and saw many people come in for there tests. I don't know about the other lines.

Call your cruise line, I believe most are equipped to run these tests although you would probably have to be responsible for calling results in to your Primary Care Physcian. Perhaps he would let you have some different strengths of warfarin to take with you so if your dosage is change, you would have it available. No need to give up cruising because of this, just do your homework before you board. Go and enjoy yourself!!

[Cdn kitty]

I messaged HAL & found out that INR testing is available on all their ships. Thanks everyone for your replies.

[Keith1010]

Glad you confirmed with HAL that they will do this.

 

Keith

Edited May 15, 2013 by Keith1010

[JF - retired RRT]

Medicare will pay for a small device (similar to the ones that are used for diabetes testing) and you can do your own test while traveling. One of the companies that provides the device is called MdINR (thru Lincare - I worked for them before I retired).

The main requirement is that you have to be on your heparin for 30 days and dosage is relatively stable.

After you do the test, you report to MdINR and they send the results to the doctor. That is also a requirement, no direct contact with the doctor.

Hope this helps.

[dorisis]

Since the Medical department on most ships are equiped to do this test, be sure to check if your insurance will pay. Ships medical services are expensive.

[forecastle]

awhile back I used to take some friends to the local lab in St Martin and results where faxed to doctor. There must be labs on most islands

[PennyAgain]

Since the Medical department on most ships are equiped to do this test, be sure to check if your insurance will pay. Ships medical services are expensive.

 

Yes, true!

 

Also verify if a particular sort of travel medical insurance would give you coverage.

[perfect match]

Good luck getting your husband's medical issues under control. I hope you are able to find a solution that will allow you both to continue to enjoy cruising.

[fiedav]

My husband has been diagnosed with a genetic blood disorder- Factor Five Leiden. He has to take Warfarin & have weekly blood tests called an INR test. Has anyone had to deal with this problem? Have you found a solution?

 

I used to have a nurse come around and take blood into a syringe (Aagghh! Needles!).

 

Then my life changed when we changed to home INR tests. My wife fires a sharp "bullet" at my fingertip (it's some thing like a small nail), and it's enough to get some blood flowing and she gets it to flow over a strip attached to our home INR machine.

 

This makes it sound much more complicated than it actually is. It's far less painful than a needle, far quicker than waiting for the nurse to get the blood sample to a testing station, and the whole process takes about 10-15 minutes a week.

 

I believe our supplies come from Roche, though several people make these systems.

[Cdn kitty]

I have since learned that most, if not all, ships can do the test.

[muffin]

Hi Kitty...I am surprised that your husband has to do weekly tests. That is how most of us start out, but after a few weeks you stabalize and as long as you don't do incredible food/drink swings you should be able to go a month no problem. I have been on coumadin for 6 years and have only ever had to go back to weekly one time when for some unknown reason by numbers got out of whack. Two weeks later I was back to a month between and stayed there for years. I have A fib, requiring the drug, and also found out I have factor five about two years ago. Hope you DH gets to the monthly routine soon.... I would not be excited to change my dosage based on the say so of a cruise doctor. I would be on the phone to my own DR. with the INR number and ask his advice.

There is a lot more leeway than you may expect..... talk to your Dr about the need to keep to the weekly routine.....it is a big bother!!! Good luck to you both.

[Bellingham Belle]

Kitty I've been on Warfarin for 4 1/2 years and also have to be checked often. On a three week trip on Princess I had to be checked. I called the Princess office and they said there would be no problem. After the test was done the Dr. told me the dose I should take and then e-mailed my Doctors office the results and what he had told me to take. Hope you and your DH have a great trip. :)

[wenjoyjack]

My husband has been diagnosed with a genetic blood disorder- Factor Five Leiden. He has to take Warfarin & have weekly blood tests called an INR test. Has anyone had to deal with this problem? Have you found a solution?

 

I have half of the gene Factor 5 Leiden and used to have to inject myself with Clexane when travelling for 5 hours or more (which living in Australia is often). Now on Pradaxa for other reasons - wonderful drug far preferable to Warfrin and no blood tests. It's on the PBS here. Ask your Doctor about replacing the Heparin with the latest.

[GrannyJ]

Since the Medical department on most ships are equiped to do this test, be sure to check if your insurance will pay. Ships medical services are expensive.

 

Actually, I found the medical services to be quite reasonable. Earlier this year, my boyfriend got sick on board and had to go to Medical three times over the course of four days for blood tests, chest xray, throat culture, oral and IV antibiotics and medicine, and had to spend several hours there on IV rehydration. The total bill came to only a little more than $500. I would imagine an equivalent course of treatment in a land-based ER would cost at least $1000 and maybe up to $2000. We paid and then, thank goodness, were reimbursed for all but $2.75 (huh?) by his Medicare supplement policy.

Edited September 11, 2013 by GrannyJ

[Plantcrone]

Although I'm new to cruising, I have travelled to several caribbean countries and had medical care 3 times! I always purchase travelers insurance, which covers medical care-emergency at least- I've been in medical offices in Beliez, Costa Rica and Panama and had english speaking doctors and excellent care in all 3 countries.

 

I wouldn't hesitate going to a doctors office or emergency hospital in a major city anywhere in the Caribbean. This is not deepest darkest Africa you're going to-these countries are set up to deal with medical issues of most types.