See the World

Where are you going this year?

Some of you are off to: Bulgaria, Egypt, Majorca, Tenerife, backpacking round Europe....

Soon many of you will want to go and do some independent exploring, perhaps on a gap year, or maybe on a week away with your friends.

There'is no reason why a bleeding disorder should get in the way of the amazing experiences that are on offer. But if you want a stress free time away, in safety, with nothing to worry about, there are some important things to remember.

Are you in control?

You may think you're completely in charge of doing your own infusions but think things through again - are you totally in control?

Do you prepare everything yourself? Do you mix the factor and clean up afterwards? Do you always record your treatments?

Do you know how much to inject for your regular infusions?

Can you work out how much extra you need if you have a bleed?

Do you know what to do if a bleed persists after treatment?

To be able to go away in safety you need to be able to answer yes to all these questions. Remember, the health system in many countries is not as good as here in the UK.

Before you go away, it's probably worth giving the Haemophilia Society a call - there might be some things you've forgotten about that we can remind you of before you're sitting on a plane heading towards Australia, and it's too late to do anything about it!

Here are some recommendations:

Plan before you go. The Haemophilia Society and your centre can help you sort out the arrangements and give you information on facilities in other countries.

Keep your treatment in the on-board luggage. With increased security in airports (and long queues in the summer!), you don't want to run into trouble with this at customs. Hassle can be avoided by letting the airline know in advance and carrying a letter from your centre -we can give you advice on this.

If the worst happens and your factor goes in the hold, the airlines have told us that the temperature in there doesn't get low enough to damage the treatment. But there's always the chance it could end up on the other side of the world to you!

Get an EHIC card - A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you're in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.

Even if you're going to Europe it's really important to take out travel insurance for extra cover in EEA countries and Switzerland. This is essential for countries with no reciprocal healthcare agreement, i.e. non EEA countries. Important! Don't assume you are covered if you just buy the insurance that comes with your package holiday. Make sure you get proper insurance, and remember if you go to the USA, you will need the most expensive rate, like everyone who goes there. We can advise you on insurance companies that understand bleeding disorders.

What are you going to do? Does your policy cover you for sports like scuba diving or skiing? Make sure you check!

Get a letter from your centre stating why you are carrying treatment, a description of your condition stating you are fit to travel; you should also always be carrying a Green Card, MedicAlert, ZapTag, or other information device.

Know where the nearest haemophilia treatment centres are. We can give you information on this -just check out our 'Travel' section.

Take a travel guide with you, like a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide, so you always know where your nearest hospital is.

Take your own treatment (a sufficient amount for the trip) and don't rely on using locally-supplied treatment. You might need a travelling cold bag, depending on what type you have. Let us know if you have any tips on good ideas for keeping factor cold.

Can you get access to a fridge if you need to store your factor there? What about cleaning equipment, gloves etc? Think about all this before you go.

If you can't self-treat, make sure there is someone in the party who can treat you. You might want to explain it to one of your travelling companions before you go - they will probably be happy to help.

If you are unsure of the quality of local treatment services, don't take any risks which might cause a bleed.

What about blood safety?

Sadly, the quality of treatment for haemophilia really varies across the world. There are concerns that products used in some countries may not have been properly processed, and could still contain viruses like hepatitis. You might find some developing countries are also forced to re-use needles and supplies.

The important thing is to plan in advance. It's possible you could arrange to get your factor delivered to where you are, or pick it up as you go along.

Have a look at www.travelfactor.co.uk for more ideas and possibly www.factorfitness.co.uk. And don't forget, you can always send us an email or call the helpline for any questions about your trip.

What can we do?

We can help you with all kinds of things like: Insurance, Haemophilia Centre Locations, Treatment Tips, letters for customs and airlines, materials in other languages, travel booklets...we could even give you some travel tips.

Can I go backpacking?

Lots of people with bleeding disorders have been backpacking. Think about whether you want to carry all that factor with you - the rucksack can get very heavy on your sixth country!

Can I volunteer overseas?

We're looking into what organisations are good for teaching or volunteering abroad. Get in touch if you have any questions.

Remember the Insurance!!!