Grafts and flying

[jayuk]

Well, where are you going?...if thats ok to ask

Id make sure

a) I have a 2 bottles of Maxidex
b) I have a means of getting Chloamphenical over there
c) let your consultant know where you and going
d) research the area for the local Eye Unit

In your personal circumstance, you are less likely to have a rejection issue than someone who has had the Full PK.....so thats a positive thing! Therefore the next thing MAY possibly be a stich coming undone..........

[Sweet]

Texas maybe i should look into the nearest eye centre just in case! Yes a loose stitch is what i am more worried about.

[rosemary johnson]

Boots have covered my pre=existing conditions - both MC and asthma - without a murmer twice, once for sevral months away at a time.
However, I had not recently had a graft, and my conditions were "udner control".
You could always pick up a leaflet in one of th estores and ring them to ask.

I can't remember how long you are going for - but if a policy wouldn't cover you for medical treatment in the US, would it cover you to get on the next plane back to your own hospital??

If you can't get insurance that covers you, then if you do have an emergency, you'd have either to get the next plane back or to pay the bill from the US medical services.
Here's hoping nothing untoward ever happens and this is unnecessary.
Of course.
Various bits of the web have lots of Americans who can't get the right insurance worried about health issues and being advised to: put their health first; explain situation to hospital and negotiate reduction/time to pay; ask for "reps' samples" of medications etc etc.
lastly - there'll always be someone who'll insure just about anything....... if you pay enough premium!!
Rosemary

[Sweet]

Thanks for that!

I am only planning on two or maybe three weeks, but you know what it is like, if something is going to happen it will be then! I am just a little worried about a loose stitch, moreso as to who would be able to take it out, than the cost really.

I will be asking the friend i am going to visit to find out for me where the nearest eye casualty is just in case, and i will be looking into cover pretty soon. I have a follow up with my surgeon in three weeks so will be asking his advice as well.

Thanks again, Sweet X x X

[Janet Manning]

Post graft I have flown to S.Africa many times - a 12-13 hour flight overnight. First time was within a few months of my grafts, when I still felt very vulnerable without lenses, so I informed the staff that in an emergency I would need assistance once my lenses were out. In the dim light I had trouble with my meal tray, but the passenger next to me helped identify what was what. You have to learn to ask for help. I've never been refused and have made lots of friends along the way as a result!

Nowadays I don't even bother telling them I can't see once the lenses are out - just do things carefully and slowly, though I did manage to lose a shoe for a while last time!

I drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, tea and coffee to keep hydrated and put saline in my eyes when they dry out. I use sodium cromoglicate drops daily and these have to be kept cool. To achieve this I have a cool bag like a cosmetic bag from Boots. I put a cool pack inside this and for a long flight put the whole thing into another cool bag with cool pack. It works fine for 12-15 hours even in Summer temps in S. Africa. I take spare cool packs so that I can get them refrozen over night wherever we are staying.

Nationwide Building Soc. do travel insurance and are happy to cover me including KC and grafts.

I'm off again in 7 weeks for Xmas with my sons who live there - can't wait. It was 36 degrees in Jo'burg today!

Have a great trip, Sweet.
Janet

[GarethB]

Sweet,

Read in the paper recently that Ryan Air turfed about 7 visually impaired people off one of their flights calling them a health risk. They said health and safety meant they could not have more than three disabled people on board at a time. So make sure you do not get caught out.

As far as I am concerned, if a plane crashes and their is no light that I have the edge over 'normal' people as I am used to feeling my way about by touch and relying on sounds to know what is happeninga round me.

[jayuk]

Yes, ineed this was extremely big news..as Ryan air have been caught lying about there policies.

They basically said it was against the law to have more than 4 visually impaired people on board and subsequently held the flight to remove a total of 9.

This was incorrect as there is NO law which states this. They then went onto claim that this policy was agreed with the UK Disability Rights Commison, whom then spoke out and said there was absolutely NO communication from Ryan Air in any way!...so from it being a law it had now changed in being a policy lol.

Sad thing is, is that Ryan air have been caught for the 3rd time on issues like this, earlier it was relating to a gentlemen on a Wheelchair wanting to get on a flight and there were an exchange of some serious words. Than there was the wheel chair charging issues last year.......they really are one of the worse airlines to fly with in that respect (MY OWN OPINION)

But as I always say..You get what you pay for!....and thats there response...that they are No Frills airline! and I have NO IDEA what that No Frills tag has to do with letting on 9 visually impaired people as they are still paying the full rate!??!

[rosemary johnson]

I was up in the Corridors of Power (!) last Wednesday, attending a public hearing of the Transport Select Committee.
There were representatives there from the DRC (disab. rights commission), Diptac (disabled passengers transport advisory cttee I think it stands for) and some others.
Te usbject of Ryanair and bumped VIPs off flights was raised.
Someone said that what Ryanair had originally "agreed" was that it was reasonable for safety reasons to take no more than 4 **wheelchair users** per flight.
Presumably this is for safety reasons, and relates to the number of cabin crew per flight and total numbers of passengers. If the cabin crew may have to assist the w/c users onto the escape chutes in an emergency, there wouldn't be enough to attend to everyone's safety.
Ryanair had then, apparently, mysteriously transmogried "4 w/c users" into "4 people with disabilities".

The meeting was about transport facilities for the 2012 Olympics - which is very topic where I live, as we are going to be right 2on the doorstep" - 5 minutes walk to the nearest venue, all the rest of the main venues and athletes' village within half an hour's walk.
the spectre was raised, in view of Ryanair's antics. of the Irish Paralympic team having to fly in to compete at the games 4 athletes per flight. It was also pointed out that, unlike some sports teams we won't mention (in case anyone's here from Manchester, for example) Paralympic teams are generally running on a very tight budget and cut price airlines very likely to be on the agenda.

Rosemary