I just wanted to take a minute to share our experience at House Clinic in Los Angeles. I cannot say enough wonderful things! If this post is lengthy, I apologize.
Joby, 22 years old, had his second surgery on June 7, 2016 (previous partial tumor removal in 2008 and Cyberknife in 2009). His tumor had grown back to roughly 4 cm. We talked to a couple of surgeons, but we decided to make the trip to LA. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Slattery were the surgeons. Dr. Stefan was the internist. They and the staff at St Vincent's hospital took excellent care of him. His tumor was reduced to 4 mm along the facial nerve in an 8-hour surgery. His facial nerve deficit was minimal (2/6). He only spent 24 hours in ICU. When he went to a regular room, he was able to stand and use a urinal. By the next morning he was walking to the bathroom. He walked in the hall on post-op Day 2 as well. He took no pain meds after leaving ICU, just steroids. We were release to Seton Hall on June 10 before lunch.
We stayed in LA at Seton Hall from June 10 through June 17. We were able to do a bit of sightseeing AFTER the surgery. Joby was only on steroids during this time, no pain meds. I know and want everyone else to understand that his recovery was not typical of first surgeries as he has been without his hearing and balance for eight years. However, I am truly amazed and grateful at how well he has done. We were even able to make an impromptu stop in Las Vegas for two nights. I thank God for his grace and House for their skill in getting this tumor hopefully under control. We will follow up with an MRI in six months in Alabama to check the progress.
FYI, Seton Hall was great. It's right at the hospital. It's not the Ritz, but you have everything you need. It's safe and clean. There is a washer, dryer, and detergent. There is a kitchen so you can cook if need be. There is a tunnel from Seton Hall to the hospital if you need to go back and forth at night. The building, elevators, and room doors are adequately locked. The hospital is in a very poor neighborhood with many homeless people close by. Getting out at night on foot was not an option. There are grocery stores close by, but not in walking distance. There is a pharmacy in the professional building at the hospital. There is a Burger King and a couple of ethnic restaurants nearby. We opted to go away from the neighborhood to eat, which was by far the biggest expense.
Uber is a great way to get around. It's cheap, clean, and the drivers are overall pretty cool to meet. Get Uber (or Lyft) from the onset. Our cab fair from LAX to downtown was $75 compared to the ride back with Uber which was less than $20. Most trips locally were about $5. It's well worth it as parking and traffic are terrible!
As I said, I cannot say enough good things about the House doctors. I was apprehensive about being so far away from home, but it was exactly where we needed to be. I would not hesitate to recommend for anyone to go there.
If I can answer any more questions from anyone, I'd be more than happy to do so. I'll keep you all posted as we go along. Best wishes to everyone out there.
Sincerely,
T
