X-Message-Number: 29538
From:
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 00:06:09 EDT
Subject: Deanimation near Cryo Facility -- Practical even from Austral...
Content-Language: en
Deanimation near Cryo Facility -- Practicalities
At the conference in Fort Lauderdale Dr. F. said he had examined fresh
rabbit brain that had been perfused with organ preservation solution and held at
0
C for 12 hours. This is about the best we can hope for if we deanimate far
from a cryonics facility. But his examination showed the fine brain
structure still looked bad. We could only hope nanotechnology can do wonders
in such
a case.
To me this means that SA should concentrate on doing vitrification on the
spot. And we should concentrate on deanimating next to CI or Alcor. I have
been studying this option and learned encouraging things.
Deanimation near a facility
We need to get there. Most people think that's the hard part. So I put my
mouth where my mouth is and called U.S. Air Ambulance -- Usairambulance.net,
(800) 948-1214 -- where a helpful, intelligent and very knowledgeable
gentleman answered all questions.
You may travel by yourself provided you don't look so bad that the airline
fears they will have to divert the plane when you get sick. If you look too bad
the gate agent may not let you board. A frail old person in a wheelchair is
OK. But if you're alone, flight attendants will not help you get to the
bathroom, due to liability if you should fall. The airline will move you
around the airport in a cart and on and off the plane in a wheelchair.
Obviously
this is cheapest. You can also bring a family member to assist you. You
cannot get oxygen this way. First class is an option -- big seats and nearby
lavatory.
Next cheapest is a ground ambulance with attendant. They give the example
of a trip from Florida to New York in 20 hours for $6500-$8500. The patient
is lying downand may be on oxygen, but if he or she needs a ventilator the
ground ambulance trip is limited to 200 mi.
For air escort on a commercial jet, the trip is just six hours but the
patient cannot need more than 3 liters of oxygen per minute and must be able to
sit up and partially support himself. This is required because patients must
sit up during takeoffs and landings. A ventilator is not possible. The cost
is $5500-8500. The company does a lot of this money. They document the
patient's condition and clear it with the airline so when he turns up with his
nurse he is not turned away. They set it up for the airline to provide
oxygen.
In case of problems, they have contacts and do this all the time. Their
nurse can administer an IV. On overseas flights they use first-class tickets
for the added room (they may change a diaper in place) and proximity to a
lavatory, and so the patient can recline the seat flat and lie down except for
takeoff and landing.
A step up from this is a stretcher on a commercial jet in cases where the
patient can't sit up. It s about twice as expensive, but one can have
everything except a ventilator.
By light plane, an air-ambulance Cessna, our Florida to New York trip is
four hours and $8000-12,000. Oxygen, ventilator, patient lying down, comatose
-- all OK.
Or it's two to three hours by jet air ambulance, $13,000-17,000. This all
this seems feasible and not too expensive. After all, it's $5000 if you
expire at home and the mortuary ships you, and $60,000 for SA.
I got more good news. This company brings people from Europe all the time.
Usually within 24 hours they can get a special visa, provided you are going
to die with family members (even extended families) or are coming for medical
care. The spokesman thought it would be the same if you were going to a
hospice. This is important news, because in past discussions people overseas
have said it is very hard to get a US visa, and that the US will not accept
sick people, let alone ones who are dying. But it seems this is not so, that
the
US is more compassionate towards such people, and this is alright.
If one flies alone or with a family member from Europe, I asked if U.S. Air
Ambulance would for a fee help with those fast visas. The answer was yes,
and not only with that but with ticketing etc. "Talk to us." All in all the
company was helpful, flexible and reasonable, but I must point out that a
Google search brings up many such companies so this may not be the best. And
no,
I don't own stock in it. That said, I like these people.
From Europe, Air Ambulance is expensive, $50,000 - $60,000. Commercial
flights, especially unescorted, seem preferable. Ground ambulance is not
available. :-) The spokesman also mentioned that you couldn't fly commercial
with a
communicable disease, like incurable TB. Of course.
Costs from Europe:
Air Ambulance, London-Detroit, $50-60,000
Stretcher on commercial airliner, same trip, $30,000
Nurse escort, first-class, oxygen etc., $15,000
Nurse escort from Australia, $25,000
A friend died of a brain tumor. When the hospital could do no more they
suggested he go home to die, which he did, and he expired about twelve hours
later. Time enough to go to a facility. I've seen some other gradual deaths
due to cancer and heart failure, and in most cases it would have been easy to
get to a facility. Even unescorted, at least up to a few days before the end.
CI has a local member who has volunteered to host an expiring member in his
home. There are also hospices near both CI and Alcor, and I'm sure that
both would arrange transport from the airport. Deanimation may be fairly
predictable, and may legally be hastened by the patient deciding that the
oxygen
should be turned off. I think his Medical Representative, pursuant to his
living well, can do the same.
It remains to be sure that we know a local doctor who can pronounced death,
even at someone's home, and will come when we ask. A retired MD might be
ideal. And especially that we have everything set up with the Medical
Examiner.
Thus we have a good chance of flying to a facility cheaply, and staying for
a day or a week or two at small cost at a home or hospice, and upon
deanimation receiving immediate pronouncement and swift cooling, perfusion and
vitrification.
Then we may hope the results would look good to Dr F.! (Since this is
public I won't name Dr. F.)
Alan
From the US Air Ambulance page:
Pricing
It is always our goal at U.S. Air Ambulance to provide the highest quality
service at the lowest possible cost. Price is determined based primarily upon
the medical condition of the patient, because this will determine the type of
aircraft or ground transportation that will be utilized, the medical
supplies to be included, the medical team to be transported, the destination
and the
urgency of travel.
Our Flight Coordinators will talk to you about some of these issues and
provide a quote over the phone. In non-emergency situations, we will also
gladly
send you a written quote explaining all services provided. The price quoted
to you is the final price there are no hidden costs.
Listed below are a few of the variables considered when we determine a price
for your specific trip. Prices are effective January 2007. This is not a
definitive listing, but can give you an idea of the cost of our air and ground
ambulance services.
Aircraft: $3 - $12 per mile, depending on the type of aircraft used
Standard Medical Equipment and Supplies: $450 per flight (Isolettes and
balloon pumps are extra)
Maintenance: $600 per take-off
Ground Ambulance: $500 plus $14 per mile
Wheelchair Vans: $180 plus $3 per mile
Overnight Charges: $300 per crew member per night (some Asian locations
are higher)
Preparation Costs: $800 (Includes medical evaluation, telephone and
aircraft preparation)
European Air Traffic Control: $2,500
International Fees/Permits: $800 - $3,800 (You will be billed our actual
charges for this)
Medical Team
Level I: $800 (Critical Care Nurse or Paramedic)
Level II: $1,600 (Critical Care Nurse and Paramedic)
Level III: $2,200 (Respiratory Therapist plus Critical Care Nurse or
Paramedic)
Level IV: $4,100 (Doctor plus Critical Care Nurse and Paramedic)
Here are approximate times and costs from Florida to New York depending on
the type of transport requested:
Train Escort or Ground Ambulance(patient is lying down)
20 Hours
$6,500 - $8,500
Air Escort (patient is sitting)
6 Hours
$5,500 - $8,500
Cessna
4 Hours
$8,000 - $12,000
King Air
3 Hours
$13,000 - $15,000
Learjet or Gulfstream
2 Hours
$14,000 - $17,000
Going across the country, from California to Virginia for example, the time
and costs would look something like this:
Train Escort (patient is lying down)
4 Days
$11,000 - $12,000
Air Escort (patient is sitting)
8 Hours
$7,500 - $9,500
Cessna
10 Hours
$13,000 - $17,000
King Air
8 Hours
$16,000 - $22,000
Learjet or Gulfstream
5 Hours
$20,000 - $28,000
Please call us today at 1-800-948-1214 or send an email to
_ (mailto:) to receive a quote
based on your
specific needs. Our Flight Coordinators and Case Managers are available to
help you 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year.
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
[ AUTOMATICALLY SKIPPING HTML ENCODING! ]
Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=29538