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Flying or Driving to travel for surgery?
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| iSpine Discuss Flying or Driving to travel for surgery? in the Main forums forums; Hey Katie, I think it might be better to fly, especially after both lumbar and cervical surgeries. Laguardia Airport is ... |
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04-24-2009, 02:16 PM
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Hey Katie,
I think it might be better to fly, especially after both lumbar and cervical surgeries. Laguardia Airport is about 20 minutes from Lennox Hill Hospital in "normal" traffic. Newark Airport is about 40 minutes from Lennox Hill Hospital in "normal" traffic. Personally, I would have a car service to get to/from the airport. There are many car services to choose from in NYC. Here is an example of a car service that offers a sedan to Laguardia from Manhattan for $40 or an SUV for $80. The car service vehicles are very nice and most are limo quality. Just an idea for a comfortable ride to/from the airport. Good luck with your arrangements...if you need help with NYC related info, I'm there often so I might be of help.
__________________
-Justin 1994 Football Injury 1997 Snow Skiing Injury Laminotomy L4/L5 (3.7.97--17 years old) 1999 & 2003 MVA (not at fault both times) Grade V Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6 2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6* *lumbosacral transitional vertebra (11.15.03--23 years old) Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli -- dr-bertagnoli.com Pain-free for the last 4.5 yrs. 5.14.09 DSS with Dr. B. I'm here to help.  Only checking PMs currently.
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04-24-2009, 02:24 PM
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This service is much more reasonable in price and I've seen them all over NYC: Dial 7 Car Service.
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-Justin 1994 Football Injury 1997 Snow Skiing Injury Laminotomy L4/L5 (3.7.97--17 years old) 1999 & 2003 MVA (not at fault both times) Grade V Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6 2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6* *lumbosacral transitional vertebra (11.15.03--23 years old) Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli -- dr-bertagnoli.com Pain-free for the last 4.5 yrs. 5.14.09 DSS with Dr. B. I'm here to help. Only checking PMs currently.
Last edited by Justin; 04-24-2009 at 02:26 PM.
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04-24-2009, 02:49 PM
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Justin, Thanks so very much for this. It is exactly what I was hoping for...some advice from someone who has been there, done that
 Is Laguardia the main airport, the one most of the flights would go into? I'm trying to take some of the stress of my husband by finding out some information ahead of time. He's got enough to worry about just living with me I'll check out all of the links you gave me. I heard that if we have a private room, my husband may be able to stay with me? Otherwise, we are going to have to find something reasonable for accommodation for him for a couple of weeks. Since parking at the hospital was over $50 for just a few hours, I don't want to think what 'people parking' would cost! Any help in that department would be wonderful too.
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DDD Herniated discs C4/5 & 5/6, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 Severe compression of spinal cord in two levels All conventional therapy exhausted, including spinal injections, PT, massage, etc. In appeal with Gov't Insurance for Out-of-country coverage for ADR hybrid surgery of above discs. Recently discovered that I am severely allergic to all common metals used in surgical hardware except for Titanium.
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04-24-2009, 08:00 PM
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Justin, would traveling by car, even if we broke it up over two days coming home after surgery, be a really bad idea? Would it be any worse than flying 12 hours from Germany, etc? Is it more the risk of driving & possible accidents that you are thinking is a bad idea?
I am very impressed with the prices of the Dial 7 service, and will most likely go that route, especially at just $32 for a luxury sedan from the airport to the hospital. My husband may be able to stay at a work related facility there for the whole time though, and might want the car for other things, so that is my only thought about taking our own. I wish I didn't over think so many details 
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DDD Herniated discs C4/5 & 5/6, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 Severe compression of spinal cord in two levels All conventional therapy exhausted, including spinal injections, PT, massage, etc. In appeal with Gov't Insurance for Out-of-country coverage for ADR hybrid surgery of above discs. Recently discovered that I am severely allergic to all common metals used in surgical hardware except for Titanium.
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04-24-2009, 08:19 PM
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Hey Katie,
IMHO, flying can be difficult, maybe more so than driving. Driving you can lay the seat down taking all or most of the stress off your neck and back or even lay down in the back seat with pillows wherever you need them (seat belts please). Flying includes getting to the airport, waiting to go through security, waiting for your flight, waiting for clearance after boarding, waiting for your baggage, and driving to the hospital, and then the reverse. I know the flight is so much shorter and the trip is broken up into small segments but overall, I think driving might be more comfortable - if you're looking for an excuse to drive Dale
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3 level Prodisc adr S1-L3, Oct 12, 2005 Dr. B in Bogen, Germany Severe nerve damage in left leg, still working on it
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04-24-2009, 08:44 PM
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I'm with Dale. Even in first class the flight for me was really painful. I would much rather have been in a car that is somewhat suited to you.
I would rather have the control of my own car to stop and go as necessary. Cheryl
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44 Year Old, mom of 3 DDD - l4-s1- woke up Feb 2005 and couldn't walk Tried PT, Injections, Accupuncture, drugs, etc. 2 level Prodisc ADR L4-S1, Feb. 18, 2008 Dr. Bertagnoli - Straubing, Germany - SUCCESS - Now I struggle with Neck Pain likely c5-7 PT, injections, rhizotomy.......MRI and CT Myleo not consistent with pain symptoms, waiting that out, keeping my passport valid
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04-24-2009, 09:36 PM
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So my only issue with taking the car is finding a place to put it. The parking anywhere near the hospital will cost us over $70/day x a couple of weeks. And we need to get the insurance updated to cover a private room so my husband can stay with me or else pay up to $200/night for a room. Of course that would solve the parking problem...leave it there at the hotel and take the train in
Either way, I'm hoping to not have to pay a couple of thousand dollars for accommodation for my husband while we are down there, plus the travel. I need to get reimbursed for the consult as well, as that was about $400 cdn, but was very necessary at the time. I hope I can slip it in with the total cost to the insurance and get the hospital to give it back. Or some such evil scheme.....All of these are good opinions...maybe a poll is in order!
__________________
DDD Herniated discs C4/5 & 5/6, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 Severe compression of spinal cord in two levels All conventional therapy exhausted, including spinal injections, PT, massage, etc. In appeal with Gov't Insurance for Out-of-country coverage for ADR hybrid surgery of above discs. Recently discovered that I am severely allergic to all common metals used in surgical hardware except for Titanium.
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