Why it is worth travelling on nutrition?
For many people on parenteral nutrition, travelling is a real challenge which is difficult to face. Yet, if you follow appropriate rules and plan your trip carefully, a long stay away from home can be feasible. On the one hand, the opportunity to experience something resembling a normal life can give you a lot of satisfaction and, -on the other hand, can satisfy the need to rest and detach from your everyday routine.
Marek Lichota, a Polish patient living with short bowel syndrome learned over the years how to handle his disease and the associated changes in his life. For all of you, who also want to travel and enjoy life, find here some useful tips by Marek, and learn from his experiences.
Where should you begin with planning your trip?
Plan your trip/holidays
Consult your doctor
How do you transport nutritional formulas?
Air travel
Travelling by Car
Travelling by Bus/Train
Emergency plan
- You must always remember that first step that you or anyone around you should take in an emergency situation is to fasten the clamp of the catheter and switch off the pump or to stop the gravity supply set. This will help you to avoid many complications and prevent the uncontrolled supply of formula.
- Prepare a list of phone numbers and contacts for people who may help you in such a situation.
- You should know what type of insertion/venous access you have as well as be able to tell the date of its placement.
- You should plan where to go to if you do not have an access to electricity. Hospitals are usually equipped with power generators in case of such a situation; you should find other places with emergency power supplies.
It is advisable to prepare a travel emergency kit and have it with you whenever possible. It may include:
- An additional clamp to lock the catheter
- Syringe with a stopper to flush the catheter
- Alcohol swabs
- Gel to disinfect hands
- Sterile gloves
- Sterile dressings
- Tape and compress to fasten the catheter tip