Doctors services board Grand Princess

[Martyjac]

I'm getting mixed messages. My doctors at Kaiser Permanante say go on the cruise..enjoy yourself on a 15 day Hawaii cruise from San Fran. RT to Hawaii. Although...I recently had a cyst removed from my groin and its packed and still draining pus. The cruise is in 7 days. Does anyone know if the nurses or doctors on boards will assist with cleansing the cyst? Has anyone had a situation like this? Or should I cancel? Any help will be appreciated.

[Griller]

I'm getting mixed messages. My doctors at Kaiser Permanante say go on the cruise..enjoy yourself on a 15 day Hawaii cruise from San Fran. RT to Hawaii. Although...I recently had a cyst removed from my groin and its packed and still draining pus. The cruise is in 7 days. Does anyone know if the nurses or doctors on boards will assist with cleansing the cyst? Has anyone had a situation like this? Or should I cancel? Any help will be appreciated.

 

Wouldn't think there would be a problem with your medical needs, just be prepared for a decent sized bill over the 2 weeks. if it needs a little attention on a daily basis that'll be a couple of thousand dollars total at a guesstimate.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Griller

[Highland dancer]

As a nurse I would never advise someone to go on holiday with an open wound. Yes you could be fine but you could also develop further problems. The ships nurses could help you out but you would also be charge for the help

 

 

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[boomerone]

Martyjac---Your itinerary keeps you out of medevac range for several days in both directions should complications develop. You might be denied boarding if you tell Princess what your medical issues are and that would be awkward for all concerned. If you have purchased trip insurance I would check to see if you would still be covered as your cyst issue could be considered a pre-existing condition. Two medical professionals and a fire department EMT are in our family and they all would recommend you cancel the cruise, allow yourself time to heal, rebook and enjoy your next cruise without the anxiety of possible further medical trouble and the potential huge medical expense hanging over your head.

[san diego sue]

Kaiser Permanente reimburses for any medical expenses

while on board ship (even if on Medicare will reimburse). In Hawaii on Oahu there is a large Kaiser hospital and medical center. On each island

there are small Kaiser medical offices.So in an event you need to see one of their doctors it is possible. However, all those sea days if you have a major complication, don't know.

My husband was recovering from a terrible ankle infection and decided to cruise anyway with the blessing of his Kaiser Doctor. He was in pain and very uncomfortable and this was a cruise to Europe. Ship's Doctor was wonderful, re dressed the wound etc. The medical staff on board the ships are really good. However, I wouldn't take a chance cruising

if there were any kind of medical issue. Rather be home.Saw how my husband suffered and would never do that again.

[Colo Cruiser]

If your doctor gives you the OK then I say go for it. Did you purchase insurance? The medical center is fully capable of handling your needs.

[gcvt]

I'd go on the cruise. Oh wait, I am going on that cruise LOL!

 

Seriously though, do they know when they'll be taking the wick out? I have had cysts before and never had a wick for more than a few days. Either way, the medical staff on the ship would be able to handle any issues.

[jean s]

I don't like to be negative but I would suggest you rebook for another date. My dh had an open wound and we were told it was fine to travel. Well we went on a land vacation and my dh developed complications which turned into a nightmare. Medical facilities were not very conveniant and we ended up driving all 700 miles to home and his own doctor in one day. My dh was miserable and so was I.

[rbslos18]

I'm getting mixed messages. My doctors at Kaiser Permanante say go on the cruise..enjoy yourself on a 15 day Hawaii cruise from San Fran. RT to Hawaii. Although...I recently had a cyst removed from my groin and its packed and still draining pus. The cruise is in 7 days. Does anyone know if the nurses or doctors on boards will assist with cleansing the cyst? Has anyone had a situation like this? Or should I cancel? Any help will be appreciated.

 

It doesn't sound like you are getting mixed messages from the people who understand your case the best....your doctors. I would trust their judgement. They know the unique particulars of your case the best. I would discuss with them the "what ifs."

 

The medical staffs on Princess cruises are equipped to handle all sorts of trauma situations.

 

Make sure you being as much info and medicines in the event of an unforeseen issue.

Assuming your doctors are still onboard, have a great cruise.

[goodie2shoes]

If you haven't already done it, stop by the Member Services office at your Kaiser Medical office. They will provide you with any forms and phone numbers to be used if you need medical assistance. We carry them with us on each cruise, though we haven't had to use them (knock on wood). My DH has had a similar problem, and the nurses showed me how to pack and remove the packing material because we live some distance from the doctors. We only went in once a week for them to check it. Each day the wound got smaller until I could no longer pack anything in it. The most important thing is to keep everything clean. I am not going to tell you to go ahead with the cruise because it is up to you and how you feel about doing it. If you feel confident, go for it! I know we would not stay home if we were confident that we could handle the normal progress of the healing. And, according to our doctor at Kaiser, the ships facilities and personnel are excellent. Have a great cruise to Hawaii! We love it. In fact, I think maybe it's time to start looking at a date to do it again.

[nana541]

Why don't you contact Princess to inquire what type of services the ships medical center can or is willing to provide given your particular situation.

 

 

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Edited April 6, 2014 by nana541

[MauiLvrs]

The Kaiser Clinic in Lahaina is within walking distance of the tender dock.

[Colo Cruiser]

The Kaiser Clinic in Lahaina is within walking distance of the tender dock.

 

We have had Kaiser for 30+ years. It is not universal coverage at every Kaiser clinic. Ours was only good in Colorado. They have many different regions. We tried to use them on a couple of occasions in other states and were turned away. They would probably not see them and send them to the neaest hospital.

[karatemom2]

I work for Kaiser Permanente and if you have Kaiser Permanente you should be accepted at a KP facility anywhere they provide medical services regardless of the service area in which you reside. That is one of the advantages of KP Membership.

 

If your Kaiser Permanente physician has cleared you for travel understanding the nature of the cruise you will be on, I would trust your physician. He or she would not have told you to go if they had any concern for your well-being.

 

The medical service onboard, especially during the Hawaii cruises, are well equipped to address medical needs of the passengers onboard with the exception of the most serious emergencies which would require outside intervention.

 

Also, Kaiser Permanente has services throughout the Hawaiian islands so if you need a follow-up for any reason once you reach your destination, you can present at any KP facility in Hawaii and receive care. My husband needed medical attention when we were in Hawaii on one of our Princess cruises a couple of years ago, and we received excellent care at one of the KP Medical Centers in Honolulu. And it was easy and seemless, just took his KP card and everything was handled even though we are members in Southern CA.

 

So unless you have a setback in the next week, if your doctor has given you the all clear, go and have a wonderful time!!

[Colo Cruiser]

I work for Kaiser Permanente and if you have Kaiser Permanente you should be accepted at a KP facility anywhere they provide medical services regardless of the service area in which you reside. That is one of the advantages of KP Membership.

 

Well I will disagree based on our experience. We were turned down in CA and WA within the last 2 years.

[bhopal21]

I'm getting mixed messages. My doctors at Kaiser Permanante say go on the cruise..enjoy yourself on a 15 day Hawaii cruise from San Fran. RT to Hawaii. Although...I recently had a cyst removed from my groin and its packed and still draining pus. The cruise is in 7 days. Does anyone know if the nurses or doctors on boards will assist with cleansing the cyst? Has anyone had a situation like this? Or should I cancel? Any help will be appreciated.

 

You should trust your doctor more than any advice you will get on Cruise Critic message board. I would go on the cruise.

 

Mike:)

[hockeygal54]

The key points here are "open wound" and "pus". Pus is sign of infection and bacteria of some kind. You are not only risking your own health by taking a 2 wk cruise, mostly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but you are also exposing countless numbers of other innocent people to the risk of your acknowledged active infection. I've been an RN for longer than I wish to admit and most of my experience has been in surgical and cardiac surgery ICUs and can't imagine any physician worth his salt to tell a pt to go ahead on a trip out of the country for an extended period of time with a draining open wound of any kind. I personally would cancel, file my insurance and rebook. You say you "recently" had this thing drained therefore wouldn't be considered pre-existing unless you provided the ins people with a known date of occurrence. A good answer is always "unknown" then the date of occurrence is the date you first sought medical attention which should be the day it was addressed by the surgeon who did the would care. And as for the ship Dr visits.....not only will it be extremely costly, they take one look @ pus coming out of an open wound and are likely to quarantine you for the duration.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

One would hope that your wound is no longer draining by the time of your cruise. But if your physicians say go on the cruise we would go on the cruise. Make sure you take sufficient medical supplies (dressings, tape, etc) to handle your situation. It would be nice if they could remove the packing before your cruise, after which you should be able to handle your own care (unless there are further complications) If you think that you need to see a medical professional, the physician(s) and nurses on the ship should be able to easily handle your care. Removing packing and bandaging the site is basic nursing and some physicians will even instruct patients on how to remove packing on their own. If you are on antibiotics make sure to take an adequate supply since you cannot count on being able to get what you need on the ship. In the scheme of medical things the draining (and healing) of a removed cyst is not difficult to treat.

 

In the final analysis you should rely on your own physician and not on some alarmists on CC. Since you seem to have some doubt you might want to call your physician's office, tell them your concerns, be comforted by their advice that its no big deal, and go enjoy your cruise :)

 

Hank

[bhopal21]

In the scheme of medical things the draining (and healing) of a removed cyst is not difficult to treat.

 

In the final analysis you should rely on your own physician and not on some alarmists on CC. Since you seem to have some doubt you might want to call your physician's office, tell them your concerns, be comforted by their advice that its no big deal, and go enjoy your cruise :)

 

Exactly.

 

Go and enjoy your vacation.

 

Mike:)

Edited April 7, 2014 by bhopal21

[CaptainKlutz]

If it eases your mind at all, I'll be on that cruise and am available to donate blood...I'm an O- so you're compatible. :D

 

I did wind up donating on a Caribbean cruise once. According to the ship's doctor, the 4 of us who donated saved the patients life.

[san diego sue]

My husband is employed at Kaiser Permanente. He sees people from other regions all the time.Kaiser prefers you to go to one of their facilities first. If not available, they will reimburse you.

[rgmacm]

There are several factors that affect a patients ability to heal from an open wound...

-age of the patient (older patients heal more slowly)

-general health of the patient (also affects speed of healing)

-diabetes (or blood sugar issues that haven't yet been diagnosed as diabetes but WOULD affect healing)

-size of the wound and how much healing has already taken place

 

I totally understand you not wanting to share those details of your health on a public forum (I wouldn't either...) but these ARE factors that affect the answer. Ponder them as you make your decision.

For myself and my personal situation, I have family members/traveling companions who are diabetic so there's NO WAY we'd get on a cruise ship if they had an open wound...but that's our personal situation.....and we have a VERY conscientious doctor who would unequivocally say "H*** NO YOU CANT GO!!" We LOVE our doc for his honestly. haha!!

Best of luck in whatever decision you make.

Edited April 7, 2014 by rgmacm

[Colo Cruiser]

You should trust your doctor more than any advice you will get on Cruise Critic message board. I would go on the cruise.

 

Mike:)

 

For sure.

[MauiLvrs]

Well I will disagree based on our experience. We were turned down in CA and WA within the last 2 years.

 

We've used our NorCal Kaiser coverage in SoCal, Hawaii, they covered us on the Grand , and in Mexico.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

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Edited April 7, 2014 by MauiLvrs

[Colo Cruiser]

We've used our NorCal Kaiser coverage in SoCal, Hawaii, they covered us on the Grand , and in Mexico.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

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I know right! They wouldn't take ours. :(