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  • Newbie - where to go after the hospital stay?

    This is my first post on the this area of the forum. Although I had surgery as a child, I feel like a first-timer, because I’ve forgotten what happened forty years ago. (If you want to know my history, I did a post in the Revision Site on April 21st regarding thoracoplasty.)

    Now, I have a REALLY IMPORTANT (to me ) question. I am traveling from Utah to NYC for surgery with Dr. Boachie on May 20th. After a week in the hospital, I am suppose to go somewhere else, but still remain in or around in NYC for a week. I suggested the idea of me going to a rehab facility because my insurance will cover that. The doctor’s nurse said that I’m unlikely to qualify, because they won’t accept me if I can walk 70 steps. I called Burke’s Rehab (highly recommended) and they agreed that I have to qualify to enter.

    If I can’t go to a rehab facility, where CAN I go? An assisted living center? I have a daughter who will accompany me, but she is young (23) and tends to be emotionally fragile. So, I would prefer to go to some kind of facility. Any ideas?
    Last edited by Ginger W.; 04-29-2008, 10:31 AM.
    Ginger Woolley

    Oct 2018, L3 - S1, Anterior & Posterior, Dr Sigurd Berven, UCSF, San Francisco
    ******
    May 2008, T4 - L3, Dr. Ohenaba Boachie, Hospital for Special Surgery, NYC
    ******
    Sept 1967, T4 - T 11, without instrumentation, Dr Thomas Brown, Stanford

  • #2
    I know a lot of people here stay in hotels following their surgery, but I can't really offer advice cos I'm on the other side of the world! But, as much as you want to protect your daughter, she may surprise you. It might be easier for her to see you in a hotel than a rehab facility. It could be good, room service, cleaning done for you, lots of nearby places to eat or get takeaways from. Perhaps if your daughter is well prepared about what to expect, she might cope well?
    1994 curve at age 13, 70 degrees, untreated
    2000 Anterior fusion with instrumentation T9-L2, corrected to 36 degrees, 14 degree angle between fused and un-fused thoracic spine.
    2007 26 degrees junctional scoliosis
    Revision surgery, 6th December 2007 T4 to L3, Posterior approach.
    msandham.blogspot.com

    Comment


    • #3
      Ginger---It's so true! I did a great walk on my first or second time up walking after the surgery in the hospital. I felt great that I did it...until I found out I did too much walking(had pushed myself to try..) Then went over the steps allowed for ins. purposes. Who was to know! Now I warn you, don't do too much walking...
      Work to get the rehab facility, it's much needed and gives you more time to gradually mend beofre home.
      Ly
      ps. my husband & I just got back from Arizona. We loved it...next trip, he says is Utah!

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      • #4
        If you are having Anterior/posterior surgery (I forget if you are or not) you will definitely qualify for rehab. If it's just posterior surgery, they may keep you in the hospital a little longer. People stay in hotels and some people even sublet apartments before they're strong enough to fly home. Boachie's office should be able to give you leads on this.
        Chris
        A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
        Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
        Post-op curve: 12 degrees
        Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

        Comment


        • #5
          Caution

          If you'll be transporting between the hospital and rehab/hotel using a car, make sure you use a "car service" NOT a taxi. I travel from Calgary (Canada) to JFK, then head either into Manhattan or to CT every other week. I've used shuttles, taxis and car service. Shuttle & Taxi drivers are lunatics in any city but they're worse in NY and the road conditions can be challenging. It seems taxis hit every bump in the road. The cost is not that much more, but well worth it for the comfort.

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          • #6
            I agree re using a car service in Manhattan. My son arranged it for when I was discharged from rehab and going to a hotel, and a couple days later for the trip from the hotel to JFK. I think the cost was about 20 - 25% more than a cab, but the drivers are very helpful (and patient as one struggles with the walker) and the cars are almost always fairly new Lincoln Towne Cars or large Mecedes - no stinky nicotine smells or rude cabbies who expect you to lift your own luggage!
            As of 12/25/07, age 62, 100* thoracic kyphosis, 73* L1-S1 lordosis, 37*/25* compensatory S-curve scoliosis. On 12/26/07, Dr. Boachie @ HSS NYC did 11 hours ant. & post. procedures, fused T2-L2, kyphosis now 57*, scoli 10*. Regained 2 1/4 inches in height!! Improving every day.

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            • #7
              If your insurance will not allow you to go to a rehab facility like Burke they may allow a "transitional" approach. The Hospital for Joint Diseases, which is part of NYU Medical Center, has a medical/rehab unit that is specifically for people who are not ready to go home after surgery but may not qualify for rehab. I'd ask your doctor about this option.

              Nora
              T-6 - L-4 Zeilke-CD (Anterior - Posterior) procedure in 1988 at age 39. Dr Jean Pierre Farcy New York City. 50% correction of severe levoscoliosis. Continuing to do very well 20 years post-op!

              Comment


              • #8
                I was sent to the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases for my rehab. The only service they provide [U] is rehab - I begged them to allow me to stay longer, or alternatively to find some other facility to take care of me, because of my constant vomiting (including in the "gym"). I only was able to do the "100 steps" walk, which meant to them that I was ready to be discharged - even though I was not able to keep any food down and was extremely weak. They told me that I no longer needed rehab, and that no other rehab hosp. would take me because I was able to walk 100 steps. They were totally indifferent to the fact that I was so sick and needed some kind of medical attention (which, it turns out, I was given when I returned to CA and needed urgent surgery for my stomach).

                I found the entire experience at HJD to be a nightmare. I was transported by ambulance from HSS to HJD; the ambulance attendants gave my file to the receptionist, and I was wheeled to a bed in a regular room. I began to have break-thru pain and called for the nurse, numerous times, to give me a pain pill. They came to my bed then left without saying anything or giving me my meds. The pain was excruciating and I was screaming for help. After 1.5 hours, a nurse finally told me they couldn't give me any pain meds because I was not yet admitted to the hospital because my son hadn't yet arrived to sign me in!!!! (huh?) I offered to sign my own admission papers, since I was competent and had just signed my discharge papers @ HSS and there was no reason why my son had to sign the papers; I also suggested they call my son's cell #, which was in my chart. The nurse and the nurse's aide just walked out of the room. My son did arrive 15 minutes later and signed me in - & they finally gave me my pain meds.

                Many of the aides were just plain lazy - they refused to take me to the shower room for about 1 week after admission, saying there were no orders, even though the attending had ordered a supervised shower on day 2 and then 2 more times - all in the computer. One aide refused to walk down the hall to a supply closet to get me a new pair of grabber socks - she said they were out of stock. and wanted me to put on the dirty ones I had taken off before bathing; later that day the PT told me there was a closet filled with new socks.

                The original attending went on vacation so I was assigned to a different doctor, who was rude, hostile, demeaning, and walked out of my room while my son was asking her about other options, since I was so ill, other than a discharge to a hotel room.

                The list is long - bottom line is I thought I was in hell. I would not recommend this facility to anyone.
                As of 12/25/07, age 62, 100* thoracic kyphosis, 73* L1-S1 lordosis, 37*/25* compensatory S-curve scoliosis. On 12/26/07, Dr. Boachie @ HSS NYC did 11 hours ant. & post. procedures, fused T2-L2, kyphosis now 57*, scoli 10*. Regained 2 1/4 inches in height!! Improving every day.

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                • #9
                  Oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!!
                  Chris
                  A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                  Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                  Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                  Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    That's what I was thinking... like she was stuck in some horrendous medical horror movie of sorts-- trapped and unable to do anything about it, with gross negligence and non-caring people everywhere. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Janet.
                    71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                    2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                    5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                    Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                    Corrected to 15°
                    CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                    10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                    Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Ginger W.
                      I am traveling from Utah to NYC for surgery with Dr. Boachie on May 20th. After a week in the hospital, I am suppose to go somewhere else, but still remain in or around in NYC for a week. I suggested the idea of me going to a rehab facility because my insurance will cover that. The doctor’s nurse said that I’m unlikely to qualify, because they won’t accept me if I can walk 70 steps.
                      This Dr. Boachie, who so many here have recommended, and is obviously an expert, won't arrange this sort of thing for you? He has so many patients that travel and his nurses can't make a suggestion/recommendation other than to leave it up to you?

                      Wow, you'd think his office would have these arrangements down by now, with all of the people who travel to see him.

                      Good luck to you, and hope they step in to help you.
                      Susan
                      XLIF/Posterior Surgery 6/16/08. Fused T10-L5 in CA by Dr. Michael Kropf (don't go there unless it's simple, I hear he's at Cedar's now). Very deformed, had revision w/5 PSO's, rods from T-3 to sacrum including iliac screws, all posterior, 5/23/16 with Dr. Purnendu Gupta of Chicago.


                      Owner of Chachi the Chihuahua, So Cal born and bred, now a resident of 'Chicagoland' Illinois. Uh, dislike it here....thank God there was ONE excellent spine surgeon in this area.

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                      • #12
                        I live about 2 hours away from NYC, and I arranged to go to an excellent rehab near my home after surgery. That way my family could come visit me, and I was transported by ambulance to the rehab after 10 days in the hospital. YOu really need to plan exactly what you want to do after surgery, because although Boachie's staff will make recommendations, you really are at the mercy of an indifferent discharge process (such as Janet experienced) unless you are very assertive and cover all bases beforehand. Janet's experience was extreme, but I believe that the reality is, even someone as renowned as Dr. Boachie is so highly specialized that when your surgery is over, it's OVER.

                        My rehab experience was almost like summer camp -- I actually had fun with my roomate and I didn't want to leave because I got such good care and pain control.
                        Chris
                        A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                        Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                        Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                        Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

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