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travelling with PD cycler

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:42 pm
by amanda in CA
Have just returned from two weeks in UK and there are a couple of points about travelling with a PD cycler that I would like to draw to people's attention:

Differences in voltages: When we last travelled to the UK we bought a heavy duty step-up/step-down transformer to convert voltage so that I could use my machine in the UK. Had no problems on that occasion. However, this time, I kept getting system errors repeately one night. My husband thinks that it is due to the fact that a transformer cannot convert the frequency (can only transform voltage). However, I phoned Baxter and they lent me a machine which they came and collected when we left, so that was pretty hassle free.

False postives for explosives when going through security: I am used to getting the machine scrutinised when I travel and part of this process is that they swab it down for explosive residue. It comes up positive which I was told may be due to the presence of iodine (from caps etc). However, coming into Atlanta was a nightmare. If anyone knows Atlanta airport you have to come through security even when you have flow due to the fact that the way baggage reclaim is laid out. Anyway, this time they wouldn't let us through and kept us waiting for about 1.5 hours, esentially because they didn't know what to do. Eventually, Steve got fed up (since it was by now about 3.30 in the morning UK time and we had a very tired 8 year old with us, not to mention ourselves) and got them to phone through for advice. the answer was "oh, it's a dialysis machine, they always test positive" at which point we finally got to leave. thought that I should just let you know so that if you travel with your machine, you can be prepared. I was just glad that we weren't catching a flight or transferring between flights.