Cruise Day 1,  Cruise Day 2,  Cruise Day 4,  Cruise Day 5,  Cruise Day 6,  Cruise Day 7

Cruise Day Three

The Caribbean was rockin’ and rollin’ on Monday night into Tuesday morning, when the ship arrived at Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Unfortunately, the rocky water and waves meant no snorkeling for the Cruisers, many of whom had looked forward to seeing the coral reefs and stingray up close. Although disappointed, everyone found other activities to enjoy the day – whether it be booking another excursion, spending time touring the island, shopping (or window shopping) at the many island stores, or relaxing on the ship – we even heard one of the Cruisers braved the three-story water slide. Lauri, wife and care partner of Mike S. said it best, “I guess you could say we made lemonade.”

Cayman is known not only for their reefs and stingray, but also turtles. Several of the Cruisers went to the local turtle farm, which included green sea, loggerhead, and hawksbill turtles. The green sea turtles are featured in tanks according to their age, so visitors can see turtles that fit in your hand up to those that weigh nearly 600 pounds. The turtle is so much a part of Cayman, it is on their currency. Another famous (or possibly infamous) location visited was Hell, a rock formation that is actually exposed coral reef. Over the years of exposure to environmental elements, it has taken on a volcanic appearance.

At 4:00pm, as the ship was setting sail for our next port of call, the Cruisers all gathered together for a chance to get to know each other a bit more and share experiences over cocktails and appetizers. During the event, NxStage presented an audio welcome from Jeff Burbank, President and CEO, and slides providing information on the growth of home hemodialysis, exciting recent clinical data on the health and quality of life benefits of daily home hemodialysis, and NxStage’s ongoing commitment to support patients and customers through innovative products and services.

Ralph C, Jeff G, Pat C, Marianne G.

James M, Susan P, Bill P, Jeff B.

Claire S, Jim S, Lauri S, Mike S.

Dan L, Rich B.

Petting a sea turtle on Grand Cayman.

The fascinating exposed coral reef called “Hell” on Grand Cayman.

On Wednesday, we will be docking at Isla Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras – watch for our update tomorrow!

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.