Posted by Carl Plaskett on January 06, 2003 at 22:30:41:
In Reply to: scheduled at CC the end of the month posted by Pati Murdock on January 06, 2003 at 21:24:30:
Pati: Congratulations on moving a step closer to being cured! You are surely going to a great facility. As far as places to stay: I believe someone posted in the last 2-3 weeks about staying in a Holiday Inn which had transportation to the CC. Perhaps they will let you know the cost/day. I stayed at the Guesthouse, but after staying there, wished that I had paid the extra $ for my wife to have stayed at the Intercontinental a couple blocks down the street, which was also served by the CC buses.
If you have insurance coverage for this procedure, have you checked into whether or not they will reimburse you for travel and lodging. I didn't realize that my carrier (Aetna) offered this benefit until AFTER I had my maze, and it took a few months to get it approved "after-the-fact". They did ultimately cover everything but phone charges and food. If you are getting a referral to the CC because it is a covered facility, your carrier probably has some coverage provision for travel, etc.
The convenience of being right by the hospital is pretty good,however, and that provides some comfort that first night out of the hospital, when you know the CC is a "stone's throw" away. It's also nice the next morning when you have to go back for a final check-up before being released to go home. I was there in mid-January, and the weather was lousy. Being across the street at 7:30AM was a relief.I hope you have, or have asked for Dr. Hammer to be your cardiologist while you are there. I think everyone on this board who has had contact with him has found him to be extraordinarily knowledgeable about maze patients, as well as willing to spend as much time as needed to answer ANY questions one might have.
If you have time, go to www.thestatus.com and set up a patient page for your friends, family, and perhaps us to follow your progress. You can post an update right from a computer on the recovery floor, and by providing your patient name and password to whomever you wish to "update", all will be able to see your progress reports as well as send messages to you. It's a pretty neat timesaver/service, and it costs nothing!
Good luck. We will be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.
- Re: scheduled at CC the end of the month rob hamill 11:33:21 1/07/2003 (0)