The Third Party in our Cabin

Herkimer & me in San Diego

We have always been enthusiastic travelers. Our kids had passports from the time they were 8 and 6 years old. Since my DH was a travel industry IT guy, we managed to make lots of trips we couldn't have otherwise afforded using flight benefits and tag-along business trips. But now the kids are grown and my hubby is retired. Our adventures can be just about us now.

Well, us and all the medical equipment I have to lug around in order to function. Our cabin on board the Pacific Princess will house a third party and his name is Herkimer.

Cruise ships and airlines make every effort to accommodate guests with special needs, but they require advance notice. Just today, the DH submitted my request to Princess and to American Airlines for me to carry on Herkimer, the pet name I gave my Portable Oxygen Concentrator. 

Oxygen tanks are not allowed on airplanes. They're a huge hazard in an environment where the pressure is changing, but my POC doesn't store oxygen. It concentrates it from the existing air by scrubbing out the nitrogen, so my POC is FAA approved for use during flights. This is a good thing since a pressurized airplane cabin is like being at 8000 ft above sea level. At that elevation, I seriously need an extra puff of O2 to maintain good oxygen saturation in my blood.

When I arrive at the airport, I'll need to produce my prescription for the device, and evidence that I'm carrying 1 1/2 times more battery life than I'll need to complete my travel. I used to have to also produce a form signed by my doctor saying I require the POC during flight and even list how many liters of O2 per minute I should have. According to American's website, that rule has evidently been deleted. But we do have to let them know the make and model of my POC ahead of time so they can make sure it's on their approved list. 

The upside of flying with Herkimer is that I'll probably be shuffled into a wheel chair at check-in and my DH and I will hop to the front of the airport security line. I resisted the chair at first, but after a while I realized anything that gets us through TSA quicker is a win.  

The DH & Herkimer in his excursion backpack

But being dependent on a POC when I'm active is not without its pitfalls. A couple years ago, Herkimer died on me without warning. I went without supplemental O2 for a couple of days while waiting for his replacement. 

Not fun, but at least  I was at home when it happened. I crept about the house with all the vim and vigor of a 3 toed sloth. I so don't want to find myself in that situation in Tasmania, so we splurged and bought a back up unit. I'll be traveling with 2 Herkimers--one in his rolling cart and one in the backpack my DH will carry on.

Incidentally, this is how we'll do most of our excursions as well. We have to stay pretty close together  since my cannula is only 7 feet long and we  occasionally get tangled up, but it works really well if we expect to be on uneven ground. 

If Herkimer is what gets me through my day, "Morpheus" takes care of me at night. I travel with a bi-pap machine too, which means packing all its tubing and plugs, and electric cords. Oh! and my So-Clean to keep it all daisy fresh and bacteria-free.  

I don't have to report the devices I won't be using during flight. Thanks to my DH's diligence, Herkimer has officially been added to my flight reservation,and he's listed on our Princess Travel Summary. He's good to go.

Once we unpack on the ship, it'll be like being at home. Princess will have distilled water waiting for me in our cabin to use in Morpheus. Only getting everything packed for the flight will be a challenge.

These devices, which some might think would weigh me down, actually give me freedom. I'm so thankful to be living now when my lung condition can be stabilized with drugs, and when, between Herkimer and Morpheus, I have high enough O2 sats to feel like having an adventure.

And I can't think of a greater adventure than cruising all the way around the world!

How about you? Do you or someone you love travel with medical devices?  (As a side note, #1 Daughter has reminded us that a cane is the only weapon allowed on air flights. Trust my daughter with a black belt to think of something like that!)

~~~

Want my posts to come to your inbox? Sign up to Follow by Email in the little form under my pic in the right hand column. Just type in your email address. You may have prove you're not a robot and then confirm your subscription when you get an email asking if you really meant to sign up, but after that, you'll never miss a moment of our adventures!