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For the procedure / hospital stay? Especially if it was a long travel / stay for you?

Books?
Aspirin?
Mobile phone?
More money?

I'd recommend taking Cranberry juice, just in case a UTI brews. But don't do what I did, and not pack it well enough, thereby leading to a leak all over my clothes

Best of luck

Mutley wrote:I'd recommend taking Cranberry juice, just in case a UTI brews. But don't do what I did, and not pack it well enough, thereby leading to a leak all over my clothes

Best of luck

Ooops!

Thank you for the advice! I am thinking about bringing the concentrated cranberry capsules to avoid the leakage thing.

What about some portable urinary device? I keep on reading that being not allowed to get up for 6 hours is a major source of discomfort. It surely would be for me - I need the restroom close by all the time...

Hi all,



Do you think its the same with Dr k, i really dont want a catheter.
We should maybe try and find out if this is the case.


Caraboo

ndwannabe wrote:What about some portable urinary device? I keep on reading that being not allowed to get up for 6 hours is a major source of discomfort. It surely would be for me - I need the restroom close by all the time...

Definately a good idea. I always travel with things like that as if I start to stress about not being close to a toilet I tend to get an irritable bladder. Self-fulfilling prophecy I suppose. Also, I always bagsy a plane seat nice and close too.

caraboo wrote:Do you think its the same with Dr k, i really dont want a catheter.
Caraboo

Not sure, but surely noone will 'insist' you have a catheter. Although if, like me, you have a bladder the size of a walnut, you may want to be sure you can confidently sit flat on an operating table for around an hour without needing to plait your legs

Mutley,


Thanks, Ill try my best. How are you doing?

Caraboo

You can get cranberry pills from the health food store. I also got a prescription filled from my GP for antibiotics and before my trip just in case. I took my laptop and I don't think I needed it there is a business centre on the 2nd floor of the hotel for all guests to use for free. I did use my laptop though before my procedure as I wasn't feeling very well. make sure you take larger clothes because of the breakfast there for you. LOL! Take your cell phone only if you are willing to spend the millions it would cost to use it there. Not sure if you can alter your contract for cheaper use in Europe. Take double the money and half the clothes. My bank suggested I use my visa card as it is more secure than a bank card. You need Zloty, my bank ordered some in for me. 34 canadian dollars is 100 Zloty. A nice meal at an expensive restaurant is about 40 Zloty. I would take 1000 Zloty cash with me. I only took 500 but I did do site seeing after my procedure. I could have left the 1st but I stayed in Krakow from the 1st to the 4th. I was much better post procedure so I was glad I waited till after to site see. Just go with no worries and the knowledge that this is it!

Val

caraboo wrote:Mutley,


Thanks, Ill try my best. How are you doing?

Caraboo

Hey Caraboo,

Well, I've been back from Katowice for two days now. My feet and hands were nice and warm initially, but aren't so warm anymore. But on the plus side, I didn't use my wheelchair at all yesterday and used a walker instead. I've been dependant on a wheelchair for a whole year now, but my core stability and leg strength has improved dramatically so it was bye-bye wheelchair Hope it lasts this time. Only angioplasty again.....

Vhoenecke wrote:You can get cranberry pills from the health food store. I also got a prescription filled from my GP for antibiotics and before my trip just in case. I took my laptop and I don't think I needed it there is a business centre on the 2nd floor of the hotel for all guests to use for free. I did use my laptop though before my procedure as I wasn't feeling very well. make sure you take larger clothes because of the breakfast there for you. LOL! Take your cell phone only if you are willing to spend the millions it would cost to use it there. Not sure if you can alter your contract for cheaper use in Europe. Take double the money and half the clothes. My bank suggested I use my visa card as it is more secure than a bank card. You need Zloty, my bank ordered some in for me. 34 canadian dollars is 100 Zloty. A nice meal at an expensive restaurant is about 40 Zloty. I would take 1000 Zloty cash with me. I only took 500 but I did do site seeing after my procedure. I could have left the 1st but I stayed in Krakow from the 1st to the 4th. I was much better post procedure so I was glad I waited till after to site see. Just go with no worries and the knowledge that this is it!

Val

Thank you so much!

Regarding the mobile phone - can I just buy a SIM card for my phone in Poland? You can in most of the European cities.

Also, I thought staying for 9 days was something "mandatory"? I was told I had to make my flight in on May 23 and out on May 31. (it worked out to be June 1st). I thought it was so the follow ups are made (I kind of agree with this concept)

The ordering Zloty concept is also "foreign" to me - can't I just exchange the money as I arrive? Right at the airport? (that's what I usually do when traveling to other countries). Does Katowice airport not have that service?

I tried to exchange on the way home and the guy was a total moron.
I would have some getting there as you are very tired when you arrive. A sim card is probably a really good idea, not something that I thought of. Not the most tech savy gal. All I know is you have to be there 3 days post procedure. I arrived on the 26th procedure 28th could have left the 1st of May. Poland is beautiful as are the people, enjoy and make sure you rest even though you feel great.

Val

Mutley wrote:
Well, I've been back from Katowice for two days now. My feet and hands were nice and warm initially, but aren't so warm anymore. But on the plus side, I didn't use my wheelchair at all yesterday and used a walker instead. I've been dependant on a wheelchair for a whole year now, but my core stability and leg strength has improved dramatically so it was bye-bye wheelchair Hope it lasts this time. Only angioplasty again.....

Hi Mutley!
I realy thank you for such a good news! It's great hope for me.
I had my angioplasty in january and it was easier for me after reading your story and your advices.
Please keep us posting about your improvments!
Best regards!

ndwannabe wrote:
Regarding the mobile phone - can I just buy a SIM card for my phone in Poland? You can in most of the European cities.

Of course you can buy a pre-paid simcard here in almost every Kiosk (little shop or stand with press and cigarettes). However it might be difficult to communicate in English here in Poland so just ask receptionist at Qubus hotel where you should go to buy it.

ndwannabe wrote: The ordering Zloty concept is also "foreign" to me - can't I just exchange the money as I arrive? Right at the airport? (that's what I usually do when traveling to other countries). Does Katowice airport not have that service?

I am sure Katowice airport like any other airport has this kind of service but the exchange rate at the airport is unfavorable so I would advise you to exchange the money in the shopping center. The place where you can exchange money is called "Kantor" in Polish.

ndwannabe, I had brought a European phone that I bought a Polish SIM card for, though had to get it unlocked at the phone store where I bought the SIM (it was a phone from Spain). But then I decided to unlock my Canadian quad-band smartphone (it needs to work with GSM), and I put the SIM card in that one. I unlocked that one by using an on-line service (I think I can find the service if you PM me). Another possibility is to just buy a Polish pay-as-you-go phone... they aren't that expensive.

...Ted

The people at the Qubus are so great that one young man behind the desk (Tomasz) came with me to the Kiosk to act as my translator. Tomasz then came to my room to show me how to phone international from the hotel phones in the room. He was about 6'9" and a really nice young man. They are so good at the Qubus, they want to make your stay perfect.


Val