Guest guest Posted July 25, 2002 Report Share Posted July 25, 2002 Hi gang, Well, we're back. The scenery in Alaska was beautiful and Rob did pretty well. He had problems with excessive night time urination, which I finally figured out (due to the high volume) must be due to supine hypertension. Ever try elevating the head of the bed ON A SHIP?? Not easy, but I managed with creative use of the pads for the outdoor chairs on the balcony, which I placed under the mattress at the head of the bed. And bingo -- problem solved. Amazing how creative we can be, isn't it? I noticed some posts today about pressure sores, and thought about that in connection with raising the head of the bed. I think that is another reason to raise the entire head of the bed (with blocks under the headboard) rather than just the head of the patient, as with a hospital bed that elevates the patient to a sitting position. If the patient is essentially lying down but the whole bed is raised at the head the patient can still move around and can change position more easily, thus helping to avoid pressure sores. More on Alaska -- it was beautiful, and we also had good weather. We saw glaciers, and lots and lots of wildlife -- whales, (both humpback and Orcas), seals, sea lions, sea otters, porpoises, bald eagles, deer and black bears (who were dining on salmon they caught mid stream). It was fascinating and the best part was having all the (grown) kids and my mom along with us. All in all it was great fun, but unfortunately quite taxing for Rob, who tires more and more easily these days. I'm glad we got to make the trip, but I suspect it may be our last "big" trip. We'll see. I took lots of pictures and if there are some good ones I'll try to scan them in and send them along. Glad to be back, Carol & Rob Lexington, MA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2002 Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 Dear Carol, One of my long-term dreams is to go on an Alaskan cruise but I have hesitated to spend that much money and not be able to have a good time with Bill's limited ability to have a lot of involvement. Would you mind telling me what cruise line you used and how accommodating they are to passengers with extreme disabilities? i.e. bath facilities, wheel chair accommodations, room to turn in the stateroom, staff assistance, etc.? I'm so glad you had a good time. I know my husband Bill will be very tired - as your Rob was, but it's a chance of a lifetime. Just as you said, this would probably be our last big trip and I want it to be a good experience. Marie Fox from Indy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 26, 2002 Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 Marie, We cruised on the Radisson Seven Seas ship called the " Navigator " . Rob is not confined to a wheelchair, but I know there are handicap accessible cabins on the ship and there were several passengers on the ship in wheelchairs who seemed to be getting around quite well. The staff was very attentive and I imagine they would be even more so if a wheelchair bound passenger needed special assistance. There was at least one wheelchair bound person on one of the excursion boats (whale watching) but as a whole I think the side trips might be difficult. There was much to do and see on the ship however, and of the week we were on the trip we spent two days at sea, which meant that there was no opportunity to get off anyway. On one of our days at sea we cruised up a narrow channel and viewed a beautiful glacier, and on the other day we saw several pods of Orcas whales -- all quite visible from many parts of the ship. This was our third cruise, and we find it a very comfortable way to travel. Although we did not need to use it, there way an infirmary on the ship and a doctor. We did need to see the doctor when we cruised in Japan (Rob had a little virus) and were very pleasantly surprised to find that the doctor on that ship was a young Australian who was familiar with MSA! Needless to say we always travel with a complete list of meds and a description of MSA in case we're not so lucky to find a knowledgeable doc. If you've always dreamed of this, DO IT! It helps to have some family along to share in caregiving if that's possible for you. Carol & Rob Lexington, MA Re: Back from Alaska > Dear Carol, > > One of my long-term dreams is to go on an Alaskan cruise but I have > hesitated to spend that much money and not be able to have a good > time with Bill's limited ability to have a lot of involvement. > > Would you mind telling me what cruise line you used and how > accommodating they are to passengers with extreme disabilities? i.e. > bath facilities, wheel chair accommodations, room to turn in the > stateroom, staff assistance, etc.? > > I'm so glad you had a good time. I know my husband Bill will be very > tired - as your Rob was, but it's a chance of a lifetime. Just as > you said, this would probably be our last big trip and I want it to > be a good experience. > > Marie Fox from Indy > > > If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may > unsubscribe by sending a blank email to > > shydrager-unsubscribe > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 27, 2002 Report Share Posted July 27, 2002 Carol: Thanks so much for the info! Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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