I'm often asked how many countries I have been too? or how many I have dialyzed in? The answer depends on what you count as a country. After a full accounting I can now say that in my life I have been to:
32 : countries with general international recognition
- 31 member countries of the United Nations(1)(I've dialyzed in 20, on five continents)
- 1 country with general international recognition but not UN membership(2)
1 : overseas territory of France, governed as an overseas collective (3)
2 : overseas countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (4) (I've dialyzed in 2)
3 : British dependencies (5)
1 : Chinese territory under (temporary) Portuguese administration (6)
(1) USA – Home base Seattle, Washington (Dialysis in over 20 States)
Canada - multiple; 2006 Dialysis Sydney (aboard Grand Waltz)
New Zealand - CKD '87; Dialysis Auckland '99
Australia - CKD '87; Dialysis Freemantle, Sydney, Noosa & Cairns '99
Nepal - CKD '87
Thailand - CKD '87
Mexico - weekend '94; Dialysis Cancun '05
Costa Rica - Dialysis San Juan '95
Netherlands - Dialysis: Amsterdam '96, '98, '99; Hilversum '00; Utrecht '03,'04
Germany - Dialysis: Straubing '96; Dialysis at Sea '98; Trier '02
Czech Republic - weekend '96
Italy - weekend '96; Dialysis: Florence & Rome '97
Switzerland - Dialysis: Lugano & Interlaken '96; Interlaken '02
France - Dialysis: Dijon & Tassin '96; Marseilles '97; Paris '96, '98, '00, '02; Arles '01
Austria - weekend '96
United Kingdom - Dialysis: London '97, '98, '03; Edinburgh '03
Portugal - weekend '97
Spain - Dialysis: Seville, Madrid, Barcelona '97; Ibiza '03
Belgium - Dialysis: Brugge '98; Brussles '04
Sweden - Dialysis at Sea '98
Norway - Dialysis at Sea '98
Finland - Dialysis at Sea '98
Russia - Dialysis at Sea '98
Estonia - Dialysis at Sea '98
Denmark - Dialysis at Sea '98; Dialysis: Copenhagen '04
Monaco - Dialysis: Monaco '99
South Africa - Dialysis: Capetown, Port Elizabeth & Nelspruit '99
Turkey - Dialysis: Kusadasi & Istanbul '00
Luxembourg - weekend '02
Bahamas - Dialysis: Centerville '03
Singapore - Dialysis: Singapore '04
(2) The Vatican - weekend '97
(3) Saint Martin - weekend '02
(4) Sint Maartin - Dialysis Philipsburg '02
Aruba - Dialysis Oranjestad '07
(5) Hong Kong - CKD '87
Cayman Islands - 1989 Post Transplant
Anguilla - weekend '02
(6) Macau - CKD '87
So, where next???
Posted by: Anna | January 20, 2008 at 03:41 PM
I've been talking about Manchu Picchu for a couple years and a trip to Iguazu Falls looks logistically feasible.
Posted by: | January 20, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Hi, I'm struggling to find a unit to get Dialysis in Ibiza, the 2 units on Global Dialysis both don't supply anymore, can you help?
Do you know of ant other units
Cheers
You can email me back any time
Posted by: Mark Wiseman | June 17, 2008 at 01:19 AM
Mark when I went there was a Salud Care in Santa Eulalia del Río but it does look like they've closed up shop because Ibiza is not mentioned on the Salud Care website.
I did a Google search for "Santa Eulalia del Río dialysis" and see a number of hotels touting nearby dialysis. It maybe these are out of date sites or they may have some local knowledge that someone has taken over the provision of dialysis. One of the hotels may know what is going on - that is my only suggestion. Good luck. Does it have to be Ibiza?
Posted by: Bill Peckham | June 18, 2008 at 07:55 PM
Any info on picking up home dialysis bags in Mexico... ie.. Puarta Vallarta? Cabo? Playa del Carmen?
Posted by: Mishel | December 10, 2008 at 07:55 PM
How do medical insurances cover all your travels? I have BCBS of georgia. Can ordinary blue collar workers on dialsis travel too or is it a rich person option only?
Posted by: Don | November 28, 2009 at 07:28 PM
All my travel abroad was reimbursed through insurance gained by working out of the carpenter's union. I had good timing in that when I was doing most of my foreign travel (late '90s) the dollar was strong by historical standards (while for the last 7 years the dollar has been much weaker). I mostly did Rick Steves style travel - spending nights in youth hostels, on trains or even in one case on the floor of a train station. Those days aren't coming back - I'm getting soft.
On January 3 I'm leaving on a cruise with about a dozen other NxStagers. I should be adding Belize and Honduras to this life time list of countries. The criuse is about $100 a day with tax but before side trips, travel to Miami and booze. Union work allows that at least once a year.
Posted by: Bill Peckham | November 28, 2009 at 10:53 PM