?s for those who had surgery at House

[VPCO]

Hi!  New member with a couple logistics questions.  Would a couple members who had surgery at House be kind enough to let me know:

* Where your loved one(s) stayed while you were in the hospital,
* Where you and your loved one(s) stayed once you were out of the hospital, if different, and
* If that worked well or if you have other recommendations or suggestions based on your experience there.

Any other thoughts or pointers on making a smooth trip for myself and others would also be most welcome.

Tentative translab surgery date of October 26 (to me it's not final until I hear that Aetna has approved!) for a 3.2 cm right side AN.

I would have some post-op questions (though I know those go in a different section) about whether people needed help when they got home, for how long, how much pain or dizziness they felt, etc. but I've read many posts (bless those who have gone before and share their experience and insights with those of us who only recently joined the AN world), and I see that recovery is so very individual...

Appreciatively,
Victoria
 

[JerseyGirl2]

Hi, Victoria,

Welcome to the forum!

I had translab surgery at House in January 2008 and would go there again in a heartbeat. It was definitely worth the cross-country (New Jersey to Los Angeles) trip!

My husband and I (and our daughter who joined us for three or four days) stayed at Seton Hall, on the campus of St. Vincent's Medical Center (where you'll have your surgery) and conveniently located across the street from the House Research Institute (formerly House Ear Institute). It was originally a dormitory back in the days when St. Vincent's had a nursing school, so it's not luxurious by any means. But it's comfortable, convenient, and very reasonably priced. We stayed there the entire two weeks we were in L.A., except for the final night, which we spent at an LAX-area hotel to accommodate an early-morning flight back East. I believe that there's a good bit of information about Seton Hall on both the House and St. Vincent websites.

When we weren't out and about in and around Los Angeles (and we toured a lot, both before and after my surgery) we ate most of our meals at the hospital cafeteria -- I thought the food was pretty decent for institutional food, but I know that there are a number of posters on this forum who weren't so keen about it. Once again, convenience trumps gourmet at times.

We rented a car at the airport when we arrived and were delighted to have it (parking at the hospital is very inexpensive), but many others haven't bothered with a car and they did fine, too.

If you search this forum on the topics "House" and "Seton" you'll find lots of information from lots of posters. There are many House alumni on the ANA forum.

Best wishes as your surgery date approaches!

Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)

[schmidtkat]

Hi Victoria,

I'm a recent House patient. Just had surgery Sept. 2nd with Dr. House and Schwartz. I'll share some general information here and if you have interest in more specifics just send me a personal message. My family and I took lots of pictures, so if you want to see Seton Hall inside and out I can email you photos.

Seton Hall allows one room per patient. It was $65/night. The convenience and safety of that facility was a blessing. The room had one double bed and a sofa sleeper that unfolded for another double bed. We did find the laundry facilities to be quite helpful as was the kitchen area and another lounge area with videos.

When we first flew out I had more family with me than would fit into Seton Hall. So the men stayed at a hotel and the women at Seton Hall. Their hotel was not what is was supposed to be, not very clean and parking the rental van there was $22/night.

Thoughts on the rental vehicle...for my family this worked out well. We had another adult with us who was willing to drive our teenagers around on my pre-op day and one other post-op day. The vehicle was also nice for going somewhere else to eat. Although, the traffic there was crazy compared to what I am used to in Iowa. A tip...take a gps with you if you have one to use. It was a lifesaver. If it had just been my husband and I, we would not have rented a vehicle for the 2 of us as I would have been no help co-piloting.

He and I stayed at Seton Hall once I was released from the hospital, the rest of my family flew home after my surgery. Seton Hall was the right choice for us, but I have heard of others enjoying lodging elsewhere. When I was released from the hospital I was actually delivered by wheel chair from my hospital bed to Seton Hall and right into my room. This was so convenient, as I was not up to walking those distances and on other surfaces. I was only there 2 days and then released to fly home. If we had stayed the full week we anticipated we might have splurged and gone somewhere else the last few days. I would say from my perspective, it was nice to be close to the hospital and cafeteria. It was also nice to be where it was very quiet and peaceful to relax. Another plus to Seton Hall was being around other AN patients and families. There was a lot of understanding and support in that environment.

Again, this is only my perspective. If you want more details and/or photos of the facilities just send me a personal memo.

I wish you all the best and will keep you in my prayers. ~ Kathy

[CHD63]

Hi Victoria and welcome to this forum .....

I had translab surgery at House in May, 2011.  We stayed in Seton Hall the entire 16 days we were in LA.  Since we were flying cross country also, we built in 4 days ahead of surgery to do some sightseeing and then scheduled the return flight for 12 days post-op.  I could easily have flown home many days earlier, but I was glad to have the extra days to do some additional sight-seeing around the area.

In May, Seton Hall was still $65 a night.  They have a breakfast room, where there are two old computers (they worked fine for emails, etc.) and a printer.  Our room had a small refrigerator in it.  We had a lovely room with a king-sized bed (not all rooms are king-sized, however), a couch, easy chair, TV, large walk-in closet/dressing room and small bathroom (shower only).  The breakfast room has a large shared refrigerator, two microwaves, and toaster oven.  No regular stove.  As Catherine said it is not luxurious, but certainly very quiet and comfortable.  The plus to it was the interaction with other families and patients going through surgery ..... lots of support.

There is a tunnel connecting Seton Hall with St. Vincent's that was wonderful to use at night or when the weather was iffy.  We, also, walked over to the Cafeteria for one meal a day at least ...... the exercise was good.  Food was typical hospital cafeteria fare ...... certainly adequate for the short-term.

We did not rent a car.  My husband's brother and wife drove down from northern California (they stayed in a motel about a mile away) for the first few days we were there so they made sure we had groceries for breakfast and lunch at Seton, if we did not feel like walking over to the hospital.  Always Chinese or pizza carry-out delivery nearby too.

If we had to do it again, we would do exactly the same.  Just be sure if you are discharged on a Saturday or Sunday, that Dr. Stefan gives you your Rxes on Friday to be able to fill them at the Clinic Pharmacy (no nearby open drug stores on the week-end).

Feel free to private message me if you have any other specific questions.

Many thoughts and prayers.

Clarice

[psmix]

I had surgery at House this past February. My husband and two teenage kids accompanied me to LA, and opted to stay at the nearby Marriott instead of Seton. They thought they would be more comfortable there taking breaks from the hospital. We had numerous serious health-related things going on in our family, and my husband wanted to be able to get away from hospitals and talk of tumors and illness. The House Clinic was able to provide me with a list of hotels in the area that offer special rates for their patients.

The Marriott is only a few minutes away from the hospital. They offered a special House rate on their concierge floor (which includes free breakfast and snacks in the lounge) that was only slightly more expensive than Seton. They did charge for parking, which was quite expensive. Our original reservation there was for one week, but we ended up extending it to almost two weeks because I had a CSF leak and ended up being in the hospital longer. The Marriott was very flexible with our day-by-day reservations.

I stayed one more night at the Marriott in LA after being released from the hospital. I had my follow-up appointments at House the next day, and then drove down to Orange Co. where I stayed with my parents for five more days before flying home. I could have maybe flown home sooner, but in light of the complications that I had and my prolonged hospital stay, I wanted to make sure I was reasonably stable before getting on a four hour plane ride.

Best of luck to you!
Pam

[rvb755]

Hi Victoria, I can echo everything that has been posted here so far about House.  I am 6 weeks post surgery at the House Clinic and doing well.   My wife and parents shared a room at Seton Hall and it really worked out great.  I also moved into that room after being discharged from the hospital and my wife and I stayed in that room until we flew home.  We thought the St. Vincent cafeteria was great - the food was reasonably priced and good to eat.  One thing I didn't know before going out to LA is that the House clinic is actually across 3rd street from St. Vincent hospital.  The HEI surgeons all have their offices in that building and that is where you will need to go for you pre-op meetings the day before surgery.  There is an elevated walkway outside the hospital for crossing 3rd Street.

We arrived late the night we got in (9pm local time) and had to enter the hospital through the emergency entrance.  There were security guards that met us there and one of them got us our room key and brought us over to Seton Hall.  The whole place seemed deserted when we arrived that late at night but we didn't have any issues.  I have absolutely no regrets about travelling to HEI to have my surgery and I know you will receive excellent care.

Rick

[VPCO]

Thanks, everyone!  My surgery is a week from tomorrow. 

I genuinely appreciate the input and support,
Victoria