Cruise Day 2,  Cruise Day 3,  Cruise Day 4,  Cruise Day 5,  Cruise Day 6,  Cruise Day 7

Cruise Day One

We’re off! The majority of the NxStage Cruisers had flown into Miami on Saturday and stayed together at the same hotel. On Sunday morning, everyone gathered with luggage, miscellaneous dialysis supplies, and their NxStage System One cyclers, before being shuttled to the Port of Miami for check in and boarding.

Waiting for the shuttle from the hotel to port.

After boarding, the Cruisers split up to explore the ship and unpack as luggage was delivered. NxStage Medical made arrangements for pre-packaged, bagged dialysate and cartridges to be delivered to each patient’s cabin for their treatments during the cruise.

Bagged dialysate and cartridges await a patient, along with his other supplies & cycler.

Dinner at 6:00pm was the opportunity for the entire group of 28 to get together, spread among four tables in close proximity. Table talk included general background on each other, kidney disease history, and experiences on NxStage.

Jeff G, who started dialysis back in 1978, said his nephrologist back then had encouraged him to get involved in his treatment including self-care (doing his own treatments) within the in-center environment. After he got married, it was his wife Marianne who asked about dialyzing at home, and soon they were modifying their home (plumbing and electrical) for an in-center system to come home. It was in 2006 that the couple trained on the NxStage system and brought daily dialysis home – this time without the home modifications. They are our cruise experts, as this is their third voyage.

Bunny and Cassandra are two renal professionals who are vacationing with the Freedom Cruise group. Bunny is a home dialysis nurse in Arlington TX and her daughter Cassandra is a renal dietitian in Houston. Although a few joked about being nervous having a dietitian at your table during dinner, many of the patients said they are able to drink or eat more of the foods they like with more frequent dialysis.

Bunny, Cassandra, Jeff & Marianne G.

Rich B, celebrated his birthday on Sunday with the Cruisers. Rich started on in-center hemodialysis three days a week for four hours each session, which he says was extremely hard on him physically. One day, in 2004, he had a heart attack after returning home from a treatment, which increased his desire to improve his high blood pressure and overall health. In 2006, he started daily home hemodialysis with NxStage and noticed “an immediate difference”. With more frequent treatments, his blood pressure has decreased to a healthier level and he feels more energetic. “I actually believe that if I hadn’t started doing more frequent dialysis at home, I might not be alive today,” he says.

Birthday boy Rich B with his wife Karen (right) and fellow cruise organizer Pat C (center).

Monday is a Fun Day at Sea and Cruisers are already planning activities – will it be a miniature golf tournament, time in the casino, catching a show, lounging by the pool, or...? Watch for our next update!

Disclaimer
Home daily therapies are not for everyone. They require a patient and partner who are committed to being trained on and following the guidelines for proper system operation, as well as their dialysis prescription, which may require treatments up to six days per week. The NxStage® System One™ is a prescription device, and, like all medical devices, involves some risks. Patients should consult with their doctor to understand the risks and responsibilities of home and/or daily hemodialysis using the NxStage System One. The experiences reported here may not necessarily be experienced by another patient. All patients differ, and their experiences will vary.