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Post Info TOPIC: Travelling with health issues
Cruising Granny


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Travelling with health issues
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If you have on-going health issues, and are planning to travel a long way from home, for a long time, take a medical report with you.
Set up a "file" containing a list of health issues and all medications, the most recent medical image reports and a list of all previous surgery.
My doctor set up the medical list , I set up the medication record and obtained copies of the other reports from my medical records at the doctor's office.
When you leave home stock up with you medications, and get your doctor to do as many repeats of maximum medication to get you through the next couple of months.
When you are close to running out, find a doctor in the next town you plan to visit, make an appointment, and take your medication list and the medical report with you.
Please try to avoid going to the Emergency Department of the hospitals unless it's urgent. They are already over-worked from what I've seen on my way around.
Also, if you have skin cancers or dental work eg to be done, try to get them sorted out and treated before you leave home.
The doctors in the major "winter" tourist destinations become overwhelmed by tourists arranging to have these things done while they sit out winter eg in Cairns, Broome, Sunshine Coast, Exmouth, Carnarvon.
They say, "I'll get it done while I'm away".  They spend the next week or so nursing the wound, and having to return to the doctor for check up, stitch removal etc.  More pressure on the medical fraternity.
The doctors and hospitals in these towns are already over-worked by the resident population and the people coming in from the surrounding districts.  The visitors can add 20,000 people to the population for 3 months.
Broome for example has a normal population of 15,000. From June 1st to 30th Sept the population explodes to 45,000 or more. The services have trouble coping, but somehow they do, but not without the aid of itinerant workers, nurses, cleaners etc.
Keep it to emergencies only ie breaks and sprains, illness etc.  Have those "pending" issues dealt with before you leave home.  Cheers Chris



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Dawn


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Guru that is some excellent advice. When we did a 12 month trip around & through Oz in 2003/2004 we carried all our medical information in a loose leaf folder booklet. It came in handy a couple of times.
I have started a new one again for when we retire in August 2010. In this booklet I also have our work history etc Resumes' and the like.
We were at Coral Bay when I had a gall attack- had to be carted by ambulance to Carnarvon hospital. Didn't know I had a gall problem up until this point. I must add that the Dr and staff at the hospital were simply marvelous. Only trouble was hubby had to drive to Carnarvon from Coral Bay to pick me up next morning - Ambulance would only take me to not from the hospital.
One good thing was we are Brisbane based and are covered by ambulance anywhere in Australia free. Even though we didn't actually have or own a house at the time we used one of our daughters Brisbane home as our postal address and were therefore covered for ambulance on the Electricity Bill. Now theres a good tip for you travelling GNs.
It might pay to use a QLD postal address?confuseAll of a sudden Brisbane's GN population has shot up- That will get the Pollies a wondering whats goin on?confuse
Cheers Dawn



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Vic41


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Good advice Chris and couldn't agree more. For anyone travelling in the Perth Metro area (including outer suburbs) here is some info and a handy link for attendance at the Emergency Department of Perth Hospitals;

The Health Department have a website you can go to and check how busy all of the Emergency Departments are in all of the Perth Public Hospitals.

It used to only be accessed by the hospitals but they have now made it public but haven't widely advertised it.

It updates approximately every 6 minutes and tells you how many people are waiting to go in, how many are already in the ED and what the approximate wait times are.

I can imagine that it would be very handy if you were tossing up which hospital to go to in the middle of the night, or whether it's worth the effort instead of waiting to see your GP.

The link is: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/emergencyactivity/edsv/index.cfm


A good one to put in your Favourites list !




-- Edited by Vic41 on Friday 7th of August 2009 03:35:17 PM

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Dawn


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Interesting topic in Gereral Section heading"Ambulance Cover" put in by Xina on 11/08/2009 for those interested in this. A good link on cover also.
Cheers Dawn

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Sharron8888


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I have several health issues and keep in touch via e-mail with my family doctor no matter where I am, I also have a magnetic list from St John's ambulance on the door of the fridge so if anything does happen all the information is there.smile

Have found it useful on a couple of occassions. If you do not have a magnetic fridge or surface duck tape the list of medications and other relevant information onto a cupboard door so it can be seen.

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Cruising Granny


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I have a medical cabinet in the van dedicated to my medications and other first aid and generic type medicines like Disprin, vitamins and supplements, cough medicine, and other handy things to carry. These days it's more supplements than drugs thankfully.
I have joined the SA Ambulance again. Every state seems to have their own policy about ambo membership. Don't leave home without it.


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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment.
Transport has no borders.

Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
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