General
How far do you travel for your medical needs?
My family has travelled 4x in February to go see my transplant team for follow-ups and complications- each trip is 4.5 hours one way. We have just accepted this travel and the cost of it. But speaking with some friends who seem shook that I have to travel this far regularly to see my drs. Anyone else travelling this much or far?
TransplantLyfe Favorite
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4.5 hours for me too :)
I accept the travel, and I wouldn't trade the care I get for a closer option. I adore my transplant centre, and I think there needs to be more resource for transplant recipients living outside one of the major cities in Canada. The fact that Canada is so big, and spread out, and a lot of people can't get to a city with a transplant centre is one of the only downfalls I've found. I've been making the trip since birth, though, as that was also where my metabolic specialist was, so it seems normal to me. We've thought about moving to be closer to my centre, but we love where we live too much to move right now. I do have a lot of family living in the same city as my transplant centre and it usually turns into a fun little getaway trip.
In the beginning we did the trip fairly often (I remember once I was home for all of 72 hours before turning around and driving back again) but now I am there usually only once a year for follow up. And if it's an emergency hospital transfer, I just get flown via air ambulance, which is definitely a shorter way to make the trip
My transplant center is 3 hours away. There are closer ones, but insurance has approved it (not travel costs) and they are intimately familiar with my care.
My transplant center is 60 minutes away, without traffic. People often gasp at the drive that I have to make, but I wouldn't change it. For me, and hour is nothing. When I was a kid it was at least an hour to get to my endocrinologist so this has just been the way it was for as long as I can really remember. 4 hours is a difference from 1 hour, but I think I would still make the trip.
My transplant team is 1hr. away from me. No one in my community is familiar w/TP patients. It’s expensive between travel, co pay and paying for parking. I know we all will do what we have to.
Take care all!!!
I travel 3.5 hours to see my transplant team and I have never regretted it for one minute. I love my team and they work so well with all my doctors here. My insurance does fairly well with coverage.
I should add, when I got listed we were living in Florida (my husband is active duty military) and the nearest transplant center was 4 1/2 hours away in New Orleans.
We then got transferred to Ann Arbor and we lived on the campus of the University of Michigan and that’s where I got my transplant. So for the first 2 1/2 years, I was 5 minutes from my doctors. It was amazing!
The care was so good that I kept up with them there, even though we were re-assigned 3 hours away. It’s totally worth it to me.
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@AliEm14thanks it’s interesting to see most have a bit of travel to get to their care team.
Wow, I am feeling really fortunate. Hearing how far most of you are travelling to see your transplant team, I am thinking I'll never complain again about how long it takes to find a parking spot at the hospital!
My transplant center is 15 minutes away. 7 years ago when I had my liver transplant, we lived even closer to the hospital and my husband was able to get there in 5 minutes to see me off before I went in for surgery...
My specialist for the hereditary disease I have (Hereditary hemmorhagic telangiectasia) is also just 2 hours away. When I sit in the waiting room to see her, I talk to other patients who fly across the country to see her as there are only 2 specialists in Canada!
I am guessing virtual appointments are a good thing for those who might need to see or talk to someone between physical visits?
We travel 1 hour for transplant care. But labs can be done closer to home and sent to them which saves us a lot of time.
We moved after Timmy's transplant but followed with that team until after the year mark. The insurance we have paid for the travel expenses for him and I to go to our yearly appointment before we swtiched care closer to home.
We LOVE our original transplant center but the costs/time didn't make it worth it when we are sitting right next to the #1 ranked pediatric GI/Liver team. And we have been super happy with our care here.
Transplant Patient
@Jillbest i love virtual visits! I try to utilize them whenever possible. The trip just for a medical appointment that’s less than an hour can be exhausting, and my team has been so accommodating with utilizing my family doctor and phone/telehealth visits.
@AliEm14 It is great when our different medical care teams can collaborate! I wish there was more of that. It makes it better for everyone involved. :)
@Jillbest I also utilize virtual visits whenever possible- my transplant is still under a year old and my team likes to see me in person often. I am told It will be less frequent in after my One year Anniversary 🤞living so close to the transplant hospital sounds glamorous to me lol enjoy your short drive but I will validate your frustration at the parking situation I think it’s a universal problem at hospitals.
I dont because I live in a large city(los Angeles) so theres a a hospital in every city.. so i know i can get at the least immediate care then transferred to a hospital that has a transplant department.. I think the closes hospital to me is about 10min away. Hope you get a hospital built closer to you soon.
@Philipjones17 thanks, I do have a hospital in my city it’s an amazing facility- however they do not have a transplant unit and can not treat me for transplant specific conditions and I can not see my transplant drs here. So we travel to the larger cities to see the specialists there- it’s common here in Canada that only the very large centres have the specialized medical / surgical facilities.
Its definitely not just your country its out here in the us as well... Hope that changes in the near future
My transplant Team is 1.25 hours away - and VERY available by phone, as necessary. It was a bit difficult during the first couple of months, especially since I had to arrange transportation. (I used Caring Bridge to organize food drop-offs and rides). Now, seeing my Team in person is only a few times a year - and I would go double the distance if I had to. They are not only SUPER, but they are the only transplant site in NH. Glad I do not and did not have to go to Boston.
I just got listed in Arizona and transferred my time over from California. My drive is about 4 hours to Phoenix and I’m so ready!!